Consumer Litigation & Regulatory Legal Director

Who we are:

Dave is one of the leading US neobanks and a pioneer in financial services, using disruptive technology to provide best in class banking services to millions of members at a fraction of the cost compared to incumbents. The anchor of our banking value proposition, ExtraCash, provides up to $500 of short term, interest free advances to members within minutes of joining. The speed to value, access and pricing of ExtraCash compared to traditional overdraft sets us apart from incumbents and is a key to our strategy to efficiently acquire transacting Dave debit card members.

About the team and role:

We are seeking an experienced Consumer Litigation and Regulatory Legal Director to lead our legal response strategy for consumer disputes and regulatory matters. This senior I/C role will report to the Chief Legal Officer and be responsible for managing all aspects of consumer litigation, responding to regulatory inquiries and enforcement actions from federal and state agencies, and developing proactive strategies to minimize litigation and regulatory enforcement risk across our fintech products and services. This role will also handle other types of litigation and disputes involving Dave on an as needed basis.

What you’ll do:

Litigation Management

• Oversee all consumer litigation matters, including escalated disputes, individual lawsuits, class actions, and mass and individual arbitration proceedings

• Develop and execute defense strategies in coordination with outside counsel

• Engage and manage outside counsel relationships, including staffing, strategy, work product, day-to-day case activity, and budget monitoring to effectively and efficiently represent Dave

• Prepare and report on these matters to a variety of stakeholders including management and the board of directors

• Manage insurance claims related to litigation

• Analyze litigation trends to identify systemic issues and recommend operational improvements

• Serve as primary point of contact for litigation holds and discovery processes

• Handle minor non-consumer focused litigation matters as needed (HR, SEC, IP, etc)

Regulatory Response and Compliance

• Lead responses to inquiries, investigations, and help with escalated issues from examinations from regulatory agencies including the CFPB, FTC, state attorneys general, state financial regulators, and other relevant authorities

• Coordinate with data, product, and operations teams to gather information and prepare comprehensive responses to regulatory discovery requests

• Develop and maintain relationships with regulatory agencies to facilitate constructive dialogue

Strategic Leadership

• Work with a high-performing team of attorneys and legal professionals; although this role will not have direct reports initially, there are paralegal and compliance resources that the role will indirectly manage to accomplish their objectives

• Partner with compliance, risk, product, and customer service teams to identify and mitigate emerging legal risks

• Design and implement policies, procedures, and training programs to reduce litigation and regulatory exposure

• Provide strategic counsel to senior leadership on consumer litigation and regulatory enforcement action trends

• Represent the company in settlement negotiations and alternative dispute resolution proceedings

Qualifications

Required

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing

• 7-10+ years of legal experience with at least 5 years focused on consumer financial services litigation and regulatory matters

• Deep knowledge of consumer lending and deposit/overdraft products, payments, and fintech related businesses and legal and regulatory issues

• Extensive knowledge consumer financial services protection laws, including TILA, TISA, EFTA, FCRA, GLBA, UDAAP, ROSCA (and related regulations) and state consumer protection statutes

• Proven experience managing litigation and responding to regulatory inquiries from agencies such as the CFPB, FTC, state AGs, and state financial regulators

• Strong leadership experience with demonstrated ability to communicate with internal and external stakeholders of all levels

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills

• Strategic mindset with ability to balance legal risk against business objectives

Preferred

• Experience in fintech, digital banking, payments, or financial services technology