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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Skills Required
- Law degree and valid license to practice in Mexico
- 1-3 years of legal experience in corporate, commercial, or financial law
- Working proficiency in Spanish and English
- Experience or interest in AI tools to automate workflows and document management
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- High attention to detail and strong sense of ownership
- Adaptability to fast-changing environments
- Previous experience in a startup, fintech, or technology environment
- Familiarity with Mexican financial regulation and AML laws
- Basic proficiency in Portuguese or a desire to learn it
- Independent analytical skills using spreadsheets
- A good sense of humor
Clara Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Clara and has not been reviewed or approved by Clara.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are emphasized across several descriptions, with stock options commonly included and in some instances available from day one. Feedback suggests this ownership component is a meaningful part of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off offerings are portrayed as flexible, including references to flexible vacation and flexible time off policies. Feedback suggests this supports work–life balance for many roles.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellness support is cited through mental‑health platforms, coaching and meditation programs, and monthly wellness reimbursements in some contexts. Feedback suggests these offerings complement core benefits where available.
Clara Insights
What We Do
Clara is the leading payment platform for companies in Latin America. Our end-to-end solution includes our locally-issued corporate cards, Bill Pay, crossborder payments, and our highly-rated software platform used by thousands of the most successful companies across the region. Clara is backed by top global and regional investors such as Coatue, DST Global, General Catalyst, monashees, Kaszek, Canary, A*, BoxGroup, SV Angel, GFC, Picus Capital, Avid Ventures, ICONIQ Growth, Goldman Sachs, and prominent angel investors. Driven by our six core values (Ownership, Pride, ABC, Simplicity, Clarity and Inclusivity) we’ve reached a unicorn valuation in record time, have been recognized as a Great Place to Work and as one of the most promising startups according to Linkedin’s ranking “Top Startups 2021”. We’re looking for the best talent worldwide to join our team and be part of this journey, so you can't afford to miss this chance! We are: * Shaping business finances in Latin America * Driven by our 6 core values * Proud of our inclusive and caring culture * Certified as a Great Place to Work and a Top LinkedIn Startup
