Job Description
At Verto, we’re passionate about helping businesses in Emerging markets reach the world. What first started life as a FX solution for trading Nigerian Naira has now become a market-leading platform, changing the way thousands of businesses transfer money in and out of Emerging Markets.
We believe that where you do business shouldn’t determine how successful you are, or your ability to scale. Millions of companies a day have to juggle long settlement periods, high transaction fees and issues accessing liquidity in order to trade with African businesses. We’re on a mission to change this by creating equal access to easy payment and liquidity solutions that are already a given in developed markets.
We’re not alone in realising the opportunity and need to solve for emerging markets. We’re backed by world-class investors including Y-Combinator, Quona and MEVP, power payments for some of the most disruptive start-ups in the world and have a list of accolades from leading publications including being voted ‘Fintech Start Up of the Year’ at Fintech Awards London 2022.
Each year we process billions of dollars of payments and provide companies with solutions which help them to save money, automate processes and grow, but we’re only just getting started.....
Verto is seeking a skilled and experienced Legal Counsel to join our team. As Legal Counsel, you will play a critical role in providing comprehensive legal guidance and support across various aspects of our business operations. You will work closely with our executive team and other stakeholders to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, manage legal risks, and contribute to the achievement of our strategic objectives.
As Legal Counsel at Verto, you’ll report directly to our Head of Compliance & MLRO and consistently work collaboratively across various aspects of our business operations to ensure that Verto has a targeted approach to customer acquisition, building strategic partnerships and ensuring commercial bias in decision making.
Success in this role requires someone comfortable working in a fast-paced environment to build strategy and execution plans as well as developing strong relationships both internally and with key partners. This role requires a forward-thinker who is able to balance being ruthlessly customer-focused with internal resources and external requirements.
What you’ll be doing
1. Legal Support:
Assist in resolving legal disputes and responding to regulatory inquiries or investigations.
Provide legal advice and support to internal stakeholders on a wide range of matters, including commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, privacy, and data protection.
Review, draft, and negotiate contracts, agreements, and other legal documents, with clients, vendors, and partners ensuring they accurately reflect the company’s interests and comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Monitor changes in laws and regulations affecting the fintech industry, assess their impact on the company, and recommend appropriate actions to ensure compliance.
Collaborate with internal teams, including product development, finance, and compliance, to address legal issues and provide timely guidance on legal matters.
Manage external legal counsel as needed, including selection, engagement, and oversight of their work to support the company’s legal needs effectively.
Assist with corporate governance matters, including board meetings, corporate filings, and maintaining corporate records.
Conduct legal research and analysis to support decision-making and provide proactive advice on legal risks and opportunities.
Assist with the resolution of disputes and litigation matters, working closely with external counsel and other stakeholders to achieve favourable outcomes.
2. Regulatory Compliance:
Stay abreast of changes in financial regulations and ensure that our fintech products and services comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Interpret regulatory requirements and provide guidance to internal stakeholders on compliance matters.
Conduct compliance assessments and audits to identify and address any gaps or deficiencies in our processes.
3.Policy Development:
Develop and implement policies, procedures, and controls to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate compliance considerations into product development and business operations.
Review and update existing policies to reflect changes in regulations or business practices.
4. Risk Management:
Assess the legal and regulatory risks associated with new products, partnerships, and initiatives.
Advise on risk mitigation strategies and assist in developing risk management frameworks.
Conduct due diligence on third-party vendors and partners to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
5. Training and Awareness:
Conduct training sessions and workshops to educate employees on compliance policies, procedures, and best practices.
Foster a culture of compliance by promoting awareness and understanding of regulatory obligations throughout the organisation.
- Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB or JD) from an accredited institution. Admission to the bar in the relevant jurisdiction is required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience practising law, with a focus on corporate or commercial law, with a focus in fintech or financial services industry.
- Strong understanding of relevant laws and regulations including but not limited to financial services regulations, consumer protection laws, anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), and data privacy laws.
- Proven experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and agreements.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and effectively to non-legal stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement, discretion, and confidentiality in handling sensitive legal matters.
- Experience managing external legal counsel and other legal service providers is desirable.Detail-oriented with strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience working in a fintech or technology-driven environment is a plus.
- Certification in compliance (e.g., Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager) is desirable.