Legal expenses are no longer a static line item for mid-market CFOs. Escalating compliance obligations, cybersecurity mandates, AI governance frameworks, and fragmented state-level enforcement are transforming legal spend into a core operational challenge that demands active oversight and strategic resource allocation.
For direct-acquiring PSPs and card-not-present merchants operating in high-risk verticals, this shift hits even harder. Regulatory scrutiny around iGaming, crypto on-ramps, and forex is accelerating across jurisdictions, while disputes and chargebacks introduce layers of legal exposure that can't be addressed with reactive counsel alone. Finance chiefs need embedded compliance structures, real-time risk monitoring, and payment infrastructure that supports settlement speed and transparency—whether through virtual IBANs, USDT settlement, or intelligent orchestration that reduces friction and regulatory surface area. Legal spend is becoming inseparable from payment operations.
Read the full report at PYMNTS.