Patrick L. Hayes
Assistant General Counsel | Product Counsel | Fintech | Payments, Privacy, & Digital Strategy | CIPP/US
- Role
- Assistant General Counsel and Vice President - Merchant Services at Wells Fargo
- Location
- Chicago, IL, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Patrick L. Hayes
Accomplished attorney specializing in the intersection of payments, privacy, digital innovation, and emerging financial technologies. Advises senior leadership, product, design, and engineering teams on complex regulatory, data governance, and consumer protection matters across the product lifecycle for card, merchant, fintech, and digital asset solutions.Brings deep expertise in the modern payments ecosystem—including digital wallets, tokenization, authentication, APIs, AI, biometric technologies, and digital assets such as stablecoins and crypto tokens—while balancing innovation, compliance, and risk management. Applies legal acumen and business analytics to translate regulatory requirements into actionable insights that shape product strategy, market positioning, and consumer trust initiatives.Possesses extensive knowledge of U.S. financial services and data privacy regulations, including EFTA/Reg. E, TILA/Reg. Z, FCRA/Reg. V, ECOA/Reg. B, Reg. CC, Reg. DD, TCPA, GLBA, CAN-SPAM, UDAAP, BSA/AML, UCC Article 4A, CIP/KYC, state money transmission laws, and oversight frameworks from the FTC and CFPB, as well as major payment network rules (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express). Recognized as a trusted advisor and strategic partner, developing compliant, scalable frameworks that support product growth, drive digital transformation, and strengthen data protection across the evolving financial-services landscape.
Experience
Assistant General Counsel and Vice President - Merchant Services
Apr 2025 — Present · Chicago, IL, US
Advance innovation and manage risk in the payments-acquiring space by delivering strategic legal counsel across merchant services throughout the United States. Provide guidance on cutting-edge products and oversee network compliance for the business units serving middle market businesses, heightened risk industries, healthcare providers, and government services. Lead high-stakes commercial negotiations that support nationwide business growth while maintaining strong regulatory and operational controls.
Education
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Doctor of Law - JD
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism
Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
MBA Candidiate, Analytics, Python, SQL, ETL, Digital Assets, Artificial Intelligence, and Strategic Management
Skills
- Financial Risk
- Legal Compliance
- Commercial Litigation
- Regulatory Requirements
- Portfolio Management
- Loans
- Trials
- Legal Assistance
- Bankruptcy
- Westlaw
- Marketing Strategy
- Civil Litigation
- Legal Research
- Consumer Law
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Legal Writing
- Litigation
- Motions
- Courts
- Hearings
- Legal Opinions
- Dispute Resolution
- Microsoft Office
- Legal Issues
- Trial Practice
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
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