Building Smarter Partnerships in Payments

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd is joined by James Huber, Partner at Global Legal Law Firm, for a practical discussion on the legal and strategic decisions that shape a successful payments business. From ISV partnerships and embedded payments to raising capital, protecting residuals, negotiating investor agreements, and planning for acquisitions, they share real-world advice on avoiding costly mistakes while building long-term enterprise value. The conversation explores how to structure partnerships that survive acquisitions, why software ownership and distribution matter more than ever, how to evaluate financing options without giving away too much control, and what every growing ISO should consider before signing its next agreement. Plus, Patti Murphy's Today in Payments segment covers new Buy Now, Pay Later regulations, Stripe's push for direct payment infrastructure access, PayPal's surprising transaction growth, and the latest developments in cannabis payments.