Senior Lead Counsel Financial Services in Bentonville, Arkansas

Senior Lead Counsel
- Financial Services & Payments

Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Counsel, Financial Services, the Senior Lead Counsel
- Financial Services & Payments will serve as a senior legal leader supporting Walmart's enterprise financial services and payments ecosystem, including Marketplace, One Pay and Cashi (U.S. and Mexico fintechs), Walmart U.S., Sam's Club, and Global Treasury. The person in this role is responsible for providing strategic legal guidance on complex financial services, payments, and fintech initiatives. The right person must have independent judgment, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to translate legal and regulatory requirements into practical, scalable business solutions.

The Senior Lead Counsel will be embedded in product development, partnership structuring, and operational decision-making, ensuring that financial services offerings are designed and executed in a compliant, efficient, and commercially sound manner.

Strategic Legal Leadership

• Serve as lead legal advisor on high-impact financial services and payments initiatives in the US and in Walmart global markets
• Provide strategic guidance on product design, partnership structures, and regulatory frameworks
• Exercise independent judgment on complex and ambiguous legal and business issues

Marketplace & International Support

• Support Marketplace financial services initiatives, including seller onboarding and payments
• Provide guidance on cross-border financial services and international regulatory frameworks
• Partner with international legal teams to ensure consistent and compliant approaches
• Support Payment Service Provider integrations, seller payouts, cross-border payments, and remittance programs

Payments & Fintech Advisory

• Advise on digital wallets, payment systems, and financial services product development
• Provide legal guidance on BNPL, capital products, and consumer financial offerings
• Support fintech initiatives and integration across Walmart platforms

Regulatory & Compliance Guidance

• Advise on money transmission, licensing frameworks, and regulatory classifications
• Provide guidance on consumer protection laws and regulatory expectations
• Support AML/BSA, sanctions, and cross-border regulatory compliance
• Monitor regulatory developments and proactively advise business partners

Disputes, Chargebacks & Remediation

• Advise on chargeback processes, dispute frameworks, and customer remediation practices
• Ensure alignment with network rules and consumer protection standards
• Support fraud mitigation and operational risk management

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Product, Engineering, Compliance, Treasury, Tax, Finance, and Business teams
• Influence decision-making across multiple stakeholders without direct authority
• Ensure Legal is engaged early in product and operational initiatives

Team Leadership & Development

• Serve as a senior resource and mentor within the Financial Services Legal team
• Support development of team capabilities and subject matter expertise
• Contribute to improving legal processes, workflows, and ways of working

What You'll Bring...

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in good standing
• 10+ years of legal experience in financial services, payments, fintech, or banking
• Experience advising on complex regulatory and commercial matters

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with:

• Payments systems and card networks
• Digital wallets and fintech platforms
• Money transmission and licensing frameworks
• Cross-border payments and international financial services
• Consumer protection and financial services regulatory laws e.g. (UDAAP) and BSA/AML