Commercial Counsel
PlaidPosted 5/26/2025
Commercial Counsel
Plaid
Job Location
Salary Range
143k - 260k USD / YEAR
Job Summary
Plaid is seeking a Commercial Counsel to draft and negotiate agreements related to financial institutions and technology transactions. The ideal candidate will have experience in technology-focused services agreements involving sensitive data, strong communication skills, and a collaborative mindset. Plaid values diversity and seeks individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. As a member of the team, you will work with business stakeholders to accelerate revenue creation while addressing legal and business risks. With a comprehensive benefit plan and competitive compensation, Plaid offers a dynamic work environment for driven individuals. The position is available in various locations across the US, including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C., Austin, Boston, Denver, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Raleigh-Durham, and other cities.
Job Description
We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London and Amsterdam.
We help enable Plaid’s goals by drafting and negotiating all varieties of Plaid commercial agreements, including sell-side/go-to-market (GTM), buy-side (procurement), product partnerships, and consumer data access. We advise our business partners on commercial strategies and narratives regarding core and insight products, with a goal of accelerating revenue creation while appropriately addressing and mitigating legal and business risks.
You will:
Review and negotiate revenue-generating agreements, including our Master Services Agreement (MSA) and its associated product-specific terms and commercial-focused order forms.
Be a principal Legal partner to business stakeholders of all levels regarding the practical contours of their commercial transactions.
Help our team continue to evolve our processes, templates, and strategies relative to changing industry and regulatory standards and expectations.
Responsibilities
- Independently negotiate and close significant GTM deals with sophisticated Enterprise and large Fintech clients, including on counterparty paper.
- Develop and maintain a strong understanding of Plaid’s products and privacy positions, particularly in relation to evolving industry and regulatory expectations.
- Build deep relationships with key business and legal stakeholders, fostering open lines of feedback.
Requirements
- JD
- Law firm and/or in-house legal experience drafting and negotiating technology-focused services agreements involving sensitive data and fast-paced stakeholders.
- “Plaid mentality,” particularly: growth/impact mindset, positive attitude, low ego, collaborative, and desire to build.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Strong organization, task management, and process-focused approach.
Nice to Haves
- Experience supporting a large sales organization on revenue-generating agreements.
- Fluency in negotiating with sophisticated enterprise and regulated financial institution customers.
- Both in-house and law firm experience.
- Experience with complex (e.g., high value, sophisticated parties, emerging technologies, sensitive data) technology transactions on counterparty paper.
- Strong understanding of state and federal data privacy laws and industry standards.
$143,184 - $260,400 a year
The target base salary for this position ranges from $143,184/year to $260,400/year encompassing all zones. The target base salary will vary based on the job's location.
Our geographic zones are as follows:
Zone 1 - New York City and San Francisco Bay Area
Zone 2 - Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C.
Zone 3 - Austin, Boston, Denver, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego
Zone 4 - Raleigh-Durham and all other US cities
Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.
Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!
Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at [email protected].
