Legal Specialist

Clara is the leading platform in Latin America for companies to execute and manage every payment operation. More than 50,000 leading and fast-growing businesses run on our corporate cards, bill pay, financing and B2B payments, and in 2025 the Financial Times named Clara the region’s fastest-growing company. We’re passionate about helping every company we work with become more effective—and, through that, raising the region’s competitiveness. We’re ~400 people, backed by Notable Capital, Coatue, Kaszek, monashees, DST Global, ICONIQ, General Catalyst and Goldman Sachs, among others.

What you'll do

We're looking for a Legal Specialist to be a cornerstone of Clara's Legal team in Mexico. In this senior individual contributor role, you will navigate a complex, evolving regulatory landscape and handle high-stakes legal work with significant autonomy. You will serve as a trusted advisor to leadership and internal teams, owning the day-to-day legal operations of Clara's Mexican entity while ensuring local execution aligns seamlessly with our global standards across LATAM.

• Participate in high-stakes global financial transactions, including major loan facilities and other deals in the capital markets.
• Structure and negotiate equity and debt financing rounds including venture capital and private equity stakeholders.
• Own Clara's compliance with Mexican financial regulations, including SOFOM frameworks, AML obligations, data protection (LFPDPPP), and applicable CNBV and Banxico requirements.
• Manage communications, filings, and deadlines with regulatory bodies (CNBV, Banxico, Secretaría Anticorrupción y Buen Gobierno) and support responses to administrative requests or investigations.
• Engage with local, regional and global teams in the drafting, review, negotiation, and management of commercial agreements, including client contracts, supplier agreements, NDAs, and complex partnership deals.
• Lead legal negotiations on product-related matters, partnering closely with the Product, Sales, and Finance teams to enable business momentum while rigorously protecting Clara's interests.
• Collaborate with the Product team on the legal architecture of new launches ensuring regulatory risks are addressed at the design phase.
• Manage and protect Clara’s intellectual property portfolio, with a specific focus on executing trademark registrations, renewals, and monitoring across relevant jurisdictions.
• Maintain rigorous, up-to-date legal records across Google Drive, Slack, and internal legal management systems.
• Identify and implement process improvements, utilizing AI tools and automation to streamline contract workflows and legal research without adding headcount.

Who you are

We’re looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Must haves

• Law degree and valid license to practice in Mexico (Cédula Profesional required).
• Minimum 5 years of legal experience in corporate, commercial, financial, or fintech law.
• Deep understanding of Mexican financial regulation, specifically SOFOM frameworks, AML/CFT obligations, CNBV/Banxico requirements, and LFPDPPP.
• Experience in a high-growth fintech, startup, or technology company—you understand that legal must act as a strategic business enabler, not just a gatekeeper.
• Proven track record in complex contract negotiation alongside commercial and product teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills—you can translate dense regulatory complexity into clear, actionable guidance for non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience or interest in AI tools to automate legal workflows and optimize operations.
• Strong team-player, leadership and collaborative skills.
• Adaptability to fast-changing environments and proven role-specific execution with a strong sense of ownership.

Nice to haves

• Direct experience working with or advising a SOFOM ENR or SOFOM ER entity.
• Knowledge of Mexican capital markets regulation, intellectual property, or cybersecurity frameworks applicable to financial institutions.
• Basic proficiency in Portuguese or a desire to learn it.
• Independent analytical skills using spreadsheets, SQL, or Python to evaluate operational metrics.
• A good sense of humor.

Where we work

This is a hybrid role: you'll split your time between the office, customers and home. We don't set a minimum number of office days for most roles — you'll spend time in the office naturally, and most days during your ramp-up or when your leader asks.

Why Clara

• A high talent-density team driven to make an impact in Latin America — low ego, high ownership.
• Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP) from day one.
• An annual learning budget and accelerated development paths.
• English is our working language, with Spanish and Portuguese every day.

How we work

• Clarity — Open and direct communication: we say what we mean and give context where it matters.
• Simplicity — If it can be simpler, it should be.
• Ownership — We own everything we do, end to end. When something needs to happen, we don't wait.
• Pride — We hold ourselves to a high standard, and it shows in what we deliver.
• ABC (Always Be Changing) — We adapt fast, embrace change, and keep learning.
• Inclusivity — Diverse ideas, stories and perspectives build a better Clara.

If you meet the must-haves, apply — the nice-to-haves are a bonus, not a requirement.