About Us

Jenny E. Cieplak advises financial services clients on a range of corporate, intellectual property, and regulatory issues arising in fintech and other technology transactions. Ms. Cieplak provides broad-based corporate counsel to financial institutions, investors, startups, and newly created consortiums. She advises clients on collaborative arrangements between users and creators of market infrastructure initiatives designed to transform sectors of the financial industry, including joint development, investment, and governance agreements. Ms. Cieplak’s insights into the process of technology development, the needs of financial industry users as well as the legal issues surrounding the creation of new technologies provide clients with a unique skill set and perspective.

Stuart Davis advises a wide range of broker-dealers; investment, retail, and private banks; technology companies; market infrastructure providers; investment managers; hedge funds; and private equity funds on complex regulatory challenges.

Simon Hawkins focuses on financial regulation, including licensing matters, prime brokerage arrangements, securities dealing, financial market regulations, intermediary and distribution arrangements, product development and structuring, and fintech.

Markus Krüger advises a broad spectrum of German and international clients on complex mergers and acquisitions as well as financial regulatory issues. He has a particular focus on serving financial industry and fintech companies.

Arthur S. Long advises clients on all aspects of financial institutions regulation. Mr. Long draws on extensive industry knowledge to help non-US and US financial institutions navigate:

• The regulatory aspects of M&A and capital markets transactions
• Bank regulatory compliance issues
• Dodd-Frank issues, including the regulation of systemically significant banks and related heightened capital and liquidity requirements
• Resolution planning
• Volcker Rule issues with respect to bank proprietary trading and private equity fund/hedge fund operations

Fiona Maclean advises a diverse range of clients across industries on data privacy compliance and IT and business processing transactions, with a particular focus on cloud computing and data strategy. Ms. Maclean brings a unique cross-section of knowledge and experience spanning data, technology, and commercial contracts to help clients navigate complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions within the broader framework of data privacy laws. She advises a broad base of clients ranging from start-ups to technology giants and leading financial institutions. Her work at the nexus of the commercial and data worlds includes advising on operational resiliency risks and regulatory requirements including some of the most transformational cloud deals in the global market.

Christian McDermott is a partner in the Outsourcing and Technology Transactions Practices in Latham & Watkins’ London office. Mr. McDermott has a wide range of experience advising both publicly listed and private companies on technology, commercial law, intellectual property, and data privacy matters, focusing on large-scale technology and outsourcing projects and other complex commercial contracts.

Brian Meenagh is a partner in the Dubai office of Latham & Watkins. His practice focuses primarily on:

• Complex technology transactions, projects, and joint ventures
• Procurement and sourcing, including outsourcing and offshoring
• Data privacy and cyber-security compliance
• Financial technology (fintech) and block chain technology

Nima H. Mohebbi is recognized as a leading trial lawyer for innovators and global market leaders across the Fortune 500 and beyond. He has represented clients in the prosecution and defense of disputes involving billions of dollars in controversy, including in several highly publicized jury trials and appeals, and in bet-the-company regulatory matters before agencies such as the DOJ and the SEC. In particular, Mr. Mohebbi is a go-to advisor for some of the world’s most influential technology companies, studios, and artists, frequently counseling on complex and unsettled issues associated with digital assets, artificial intelligence, intellectual property in film and music, as well as the growing intersection between entertainment content development and technology.

Andrew Moyle is the Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Fintech Industry Group and a partner in the London office. He also heads Latham’s Outsourcing Practice and is a key member of the Technology Transactions Group. Mr. Moyle advises clients ranging from traditional financial institutions to new technology incumbents on the “tech” in fintech, including on payments and transfers, insurtech, and virtual currencies. In his broader technology practice, he advises clients on commercial contracts and collaborations, outsourcing, digital and disruptive technology, telecommunications technology, enterprise systems, and cloud computing.

Parag Patel advises financial services companies, financial institutions, and fintechs on transactional and regulatory matters, with a particular focus on emerging payments, innovative technology, consumer and small-business lending, and banking. Mr. Patel guides banks, non-bank lenders, payments and technology companies, and their vendors on regulatory compliance, supervision, money transmission, lending, anti-fraud and anti-money laundering, and transactional matters.

Marlon Paz counsels broker-dealers and other financial services firms in matters related to securities regulation, regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and examinations, and compliance. He also helps clients navigate acquisitions of brokers, dealers, and investment advisers.

Farhana Sharmeen focuses on both corporate (mergers and acquisitions, investment funds, and debt capital markets) and finance (acquisition finance, structured finance, and leveraged finance) transactions. She also advises on general corporate matters, including regulatory compliance and corporate governance issues.

Yvette Valdez advises dealers, intermediaries, and end-users in connection with derivatives (swaps and futures) legal and regulatory matters. She also advises emerging companies, financial institutions, and investment managers on complex regulatory challenges in the development of bespoke financial crypto-asset and cryptocurrency technologies including token sales, market infrastructure, trading, clearing, and settlement solutions on distributed ledger technology.

Barrie VanBrackle advises industry leaders on complex fintech transactions, specifically regarding payment technology and consumer financial services compliance. Ms. VanBrackle helps merchants, payment processors and fintech vendors navigate key areas at the intersection of technology and finance, including:

• Consumer-facing financial and banking
• Regulatory counseling and investigations, including for new US market entrants
• Payment card industry regulations, including brand operating rules and data security standards
• Money transmission
• Prepaid card access

Stephen Wink is the Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Fintech Industry Group and a partner in the New York office. He advises a wide range of market players including investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, exchanges, alternative trading platforms, transfer agents, other financial institutions, and fintechs on matters involving the regulation of broker-dealers and investment advisors, market regulation, and compliance and enforcement matters.

Douglas Yatter is Co-Chair of the Commodities and Derivatives Regulation and Enforcement Practice and a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. As a founding member of Latham’s Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, he advises cryptocurrency clients in their most significant litigation, regulatory, and enforcement matters, and assists large financial institutions, fintech ventures, and other clients in navigating a complex and rapidly developing regulatory and enforcement environment.