Team size: eight

First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

My team serves the eCash division within Paysafe. The division’s goal is to target simple and secure online transactions through prepaid and online solutions. The legal department negotiates agreements with both online merchants and physical distributors. These are available to consumers in 60 countries. Through the acquisitions in 2021 and 2022 of fintech in Germany, PagoEfectivo in Peru and Ecuador, and SafetyPay — in 11 Latin American countries, Paysafe has deepened its offerings in Europe and has greatly expanded in Latin America. In addition to these acquisitions, the team has supported new product development and regulatory matters, including an extension of our authorisation from the central bank of Ireland.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

Working in FinTech, flexibility and responsiveness are qualities that I seek — the needs of our merchants, the expectations of consumers, the regulatory framework, and the competition create a fast-paced work environment. Given the changing nature of our sector, a solution that was great last week may not have the same result the following week. Partnering internally with other teams such as sales, product development, compliance, privacy, finance, and others is necessary. We are more than just lawyers — we are also project managers and risk spotters. We aim at bringing in all the stakeholders to shorten decision making, utilising the best expertise on offer. That includes effectively cooperating with outside counsel.

What can law firms do to improve their service to the legal department?

Outside counsel are essential to the success of the internal legal department. Law firms must guarantee effective and clear services with specific timings and costs. No legal department has an unlimited budget. Good service for me includes realistic deadlines for turnarounds and accurate budget forecasts. If something is unclear or a question arises, external counsel should reach out and discuss solutions with us and not work in a direction that may not meet my needs. I want my outside counsel to understand my business and my needs. My law firms should act as a partner and not as merely technical researchers.

Unique qualities of an in-house lawyer are willingness to see and solve the company’s legal issues from both legal and commercial perspectives, dedicate time to continuous learning, deal with complex matters quickly and efficiently while minimising external counsel costs — avoiding litigation and arbitration because of the costs involved.