Hi, I’m Brian Axell.
After 15 years of practicing law, I began to realize that as financial services, technology and innovation continue to converge, the legal industry has stubbornly remained stagnant. Mahogany bookcases, ghastly (and impenetrable) memos, dragging feet, and a focus on billing have kept the end game of the firm a priority rather than the clients who hire them.
But if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that if we work together, and do so smartly, efficiently, and unconventionally, we can come out on top. My promise to you is to give you quick, clear and actionable advice that “gets” your business objectives and operational limitations. Much like life, there are usually no clear answers, but we’ll work together to reach a risk-based, operationalized solution that’s right for you and your business.
In the world of law, experience is everything and I have plenty of it to go around.
My expertise lies in the evolving regulatory ecosystem surrounding FinTechs, bank partnerships and payments products, with a strong emphasis on product development. I also have demonstrated experience in the rapidly-evolving web of federal/state regulations governing payment products. Not to mention that I’ve negotiated more contracts and structured more bank partnerships that I could shake a stick at.
After serving as a senior in-house lawyer for both sides of the payments coin (issuer and merchant), I bring a unique understanding of the gears that power the payments engine. I’m all too familiar with the pressure on in-house lawyers to bring risk-based, operational solutions to business teams that actually work in the real-world, while trying to control compliance uncertainty. I’ve also been on the business end of those less-than-helpful conversations about all of that with outside counsel.
Axell Law is here to help you “with all of that” from a position of experience and a “I’ve been there” practical mentality.
When you are your law firm, there’s no time for games.
Or writing a mission statement filled with buzzwords.
My success depends on yours and this is how I’ll take you there:
- Bullet points > Memos
- Brevity > Tl;Dr (I won’t get paid by the word, promise!)
- Business/legal integration > Business prevention department
- Meeting deadlines > “Working on it”
- Collaborative/integrative solutions > The dreaded shoulder shrug of indecision
- Right-sized fees > What you’re currently paying
While we’re here, yes, I have credentials.
- Top payments lawyer for a FinTech-centric bank whose business was built on structuring partnerships with payment innovators.
- Senior financial services attorney for an iconic retailer with a suite of its own branded payments products.
- Lead credit lawyer for an ecommerce retailer offering customers a variety of financing options.
- Attorney Admissions: Minnesota, 2006; New York, 2022
- J.D., Hamline University School of Law
- B.A., The George Washington University