Meet Phil Chang, Method’s General Counsel

Phil, we’d love to learn more about you. Describe your role on the team.

I’ve been the GC for Method Financial since April 2023. I lead our legal function and work closely with our CCO to build our Compliance Management System. My typical responsibilities are generally bucketed among commercial, regulatory/product, and advocacy.

Describe your journey into law. How did you choose that career path?

Luck mostly. It was never on my radar. I tried a few things after undergrad and nothing really stuck. I figured law school might be a good option, and it turned out to be a nice fit. As a kid, I played with a lot of puzzles, brain teasers, and logic game books. I got beat up a lot. Law school felt much like that but without the beatings.

Did you do the New York Times mini crossword puzzle today and if so, what was your time?

39 seconds. Not good. We have this colleague who routinely does it in sub 20 seconds. One day.

What attracted you to Method?

A recruiter reached out about a product counsel position. Although I had no interest in the role, I wasn’t aware of Method so I did some research. I already had some familiarity with open banking, and was intrigued by what I found out about the company. But I still had some questions, so I decided to take the meeting to learn more. By the end of the call I was hooked. I spent a few years at Capital One where their mission is to Change Banking for Good, and a core value is Do the Right Thing. Method felt cut from that same cloth. The recruiter told me Method was looking for a GC and here we are.

How does your work impact people's financial lives?

Method’s mission is to help individuals better manage their debt. Our platform is a powerful tool that drives our customers’ refinance, balance transfer, debt consolidation, payoff, etc. use cases. I’ve seen how our services have helped people save thousands of dollars a year through lower APR products and gain access to credit that they otherwise would have been declined for. I work to ensure we’re providing this functionality in a thoughtful, well designed, responsible, and compliant way so that we can keep doing what we do.

Describe Method’s culture and an experience that encapsulates it.

Method’s culture is very inclusive. I learned early on how dedicated the company is to finding the right hire. Despite needing headcount in those earlier days, Jose (CEO) emphasized the importance of hiring talent who are both excellent in their roles and are great people to be around day to day. Our team members, though spread across three main offices, are tight knit, collaborative, and caring of each other. That becomes especially clear during company wide offsites.

Tell me more about the hub that you work in and what do you like about it?

I’m in the DC office (Bethesda). It’s the smallest office but obviously the mightiest. This is where the real work gets done by operations, accounting, legal, and (just recently) engineering. They’re a great group to spend time with.

What's been your favorite memory with the team so far?

Mexico City for sure, but that’s been shared a few times in previous spotlights. My second favorite has been our two bowling excursions. The first time, I started the game with five straight strikes before we had to leave for a dinner reservation. The second time I bowled over 200 which is a personal best by about 100 points. To be honest, I'm not a bowler. But maybe I could’ve been if law school didn’t stick either.

What's the secret to bowling?

Luck mostly, a couple of beers, and a desire to crush the opposition. And seemingly, a focus on making precisely the same movements with each roll.

Last question, Method is redefining financial connectivity. Why should people come and build with us?

Two main reasons:

1. As far as retrieving liability account data, we’re one of the best in the industry. We offer a safe and responsible approach to open banking. Our process allows for a much cleaner and a much lower friction experience for both our customers and their consumers. Our customers have reported dramatic reductions in drop offs, which obviously is a win for them, but also a win for each consumer who gets through the process and ends up in a financially better place than when they started.

2. Our people are smart, dedicated, driven, and fun. It’s a pleasure to work with professionals who don’t take themselves too seriously and are quick to laugh.