backWASHINGTON, D.C. January 20, 2026 – King & Spalding announced today that Betre Gizaw has rejoined the firm as a partner on its International Trade team. He is based in the Washington, D.C. office.
Gizaw returns to the firm from Stripe, Inc., where he advanced through the ranks to his most recent role as Chief Counsel for Global Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the General Counsel. In this role, he advised the global General Counsel, C-suite executives, and investors across the company on regulatory risk, strategic growth, and operational readiness. Prior to that, he served as General Counsel of Paystack, a Stripe subsidiary focused on online commerce across Africa. In that role, he scaled teams, built out Paystack’s legal and compliance function, and served on Paystack’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee.
At King & Spalding, Gizaw will focus his practice on advising global companies on international trade compliance, investigations, and policy issues with a particular focus on FinTech, Artificial Intelligence, Crypto, and other enabling technologies; his practice will include advising on sanctions and export controls, anti-money laundering, as well as cross-border regulatory strategy and risk.
“Betre has developed deep experience in key areas of focus for the firm and our clients, including the cross-border regulatory treatment of new technologies in financial services, payment systems, and artificial intelligence,” said Steve Orava, leader of the firm’s International Trade team. “Betre has built and scaled legal and compliance functions in fast-moving, high-risk environments, and his understanding of the trade-offs clients face position him to provide practical, commercial international trade guidance anchored in business realities.”
Prior to his move in-house to Stripe in 2018, Gizaw was a senior associate on King & Spalding’s International Trade team. He received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and his B.A. from Northeastern University.
"I look forward to combining my export controls, sanctions, anti-money laundering, and CFIUS compliance and investigations background with my recent in-house experience to help the firm expand its practices in emerging technologies such as fintech, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and artificial intelligence,” said Gizaw. “Developments in each of these areas are fast-moving, raise issues of first impression, and are increasingly viewed through the lens of national security. I look forward to helping clients navigate regulatory risk while taking advantage of the opportunities this period of rapid change presents."
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