Latham & Watkins advises the businesses and institutions that power the global economy. We bring together the world’s best legal talent in every major jurisdiction to shape the deals and win the disputes that transform markets. Our experience at the cutting edge of commercial, financial, and legal innovation enables us to deliver results that fuel our clients’ success.
Latham’s multidisciplinary fintech team helps clients around the globe, from fintech startups to major financial institutions, navigate a fast-evolving legal and regulatory landscape. We draw on vast experience across financial regulatory, corporate, litigation, and tech capabilities to help fintech-focused clients innovate, invest, and thrive.
Asia
Simon Hawkins, an experienced and trusted advisor to financial institutions and fintech companies, advises on a range of regulatory matters and transactions. He leads the financial regulatory practice in Asia and co-chairs the firm’s Digital Assets & Web3 Practice. Simon advises a full range of financial industry and fintech clients — from traditional commercial and investment banks, private equity firms, broker/dealers, and insurers to innovative fintech companies, including payments companies, crypto exchanges and custodians, token issuers, and Metaverse and DeFi projects.
He provides confident and seasoned regulatory advice and transactional support to clients doing inbound and outbound business in Hong Kong. As an early mover in the fintech industry in Asia, he provides insight and skilled judgment on the dynamic fintech industry and rapidly evolving crypto regulatory landscape.
Resident in Hong Kong since 2009, Simon has developed strong working relationships with regulators at the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. He serves as an active member of ASIFMA and the Fintech Association of Hong Kong. Simon regularly steers clients safely through situations of high risk and uncertainty, coordinating a global team of Latham colleagues, and local counsel.
Farhana Sharmeen, Co-Deputy Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Asia offices and head of Latham’s Singapore law practice, advises clients globally on complex cross-border transactions with a Singapore nexus. Farhana combines over 20 years of extensive cross-discipline expertise and a sophisticated understanding of Singapore’s regulatory landscape to guide financial institutions and companies on corporate and finance transactions, compliance, and governance matters involving public and private M&A, private equity, emerging companies, fintech and financial regulatory issues, investment funds, and ESG issues.
Europe
Stuart Davis, Global Co-Chair of the Fintech Industry Group, is recognized as one of the world’s leading fintech lawyers. He specializes in all areas of digital financial services, including brokerage, payments, digital assets, and market infrastructure. Stuart counsels clients on the domestic and cross-border regulatory aspects of cutting-edge fintech initiatives, including digital assets and tokenization, market infrastructure, brokerage, clearing and settlement, lending (including crowdfunding), payments, and digital platforms. His extensive experience includes advising: broker-dealers; investment, retail, and private banks; technology companies; market infrastructure providers; investment managers; hedge funds; and private equity funds on complex regulatory challenges.
Dr. Markus Krüger specializes in complex mergers and acquisitions, with a particular focus on private equity transactions and transactions in the financial industry. He also frequently advises clients in corporate restructurings and general corporate law matters and has significant expertise with bank regulatory and restructuring matters.
Gabriel Lakeman, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, advises clients at the intersection of financial services, technology, and regulation.
Gabriel draws on a deep understanding of the financial regulatory landscape to advise C-suite executives, senior leadership, and founders across the fintech ecosystem on: super-apps and innovative securities platforms, including MiFID II and AIFMD; digital assets and Web3, including cryptoasset registration, VASP regimes, and MiCA; payment services and systems, including PSD2/3; financial services and Big Data, Big Tech, and AI.
Gabriel collaborates with leading global financial services firms to develop new products and platforms, focusing on creating solutions to help clients structure their businesses and develop new services that comply with rapidly evolving global requirements. His clients include broker-dealers, investment and retail banks, technology startups, central banks, market infrastructure providers, investment managers, hedge funds, and private equity funds.
Fiona Maclean, Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Data & Technology Transactions and Artificial Intelligence practices as well as the Technology Industry Group, advises market-leading clients on complex technology transactions and data privacy compliance, with a particular focus on AI, cloud computing, and data strategy.
Fiona combines commercial pragmatism with her sophisticated understanding of the global data privacy and AI regulatory landscape to help leading tech clients navigate complex, multijurisdictional transactions, and compliance projects.
Her work at the nexus of the commercial and data worlds includes advising on operational resiliency risks, AI governance, and some of the most transformational cloud deals in the global market.
Fiona has been recognized for her market-changing work from leading industry publications including Chambers, Legal 500, The Lawyer, and Law360.
Fiona serves on Latham’s Training and Career Enhancement (TACE) Committee.
Christian McDermott, an experienced technology lawyer and Co-Chair of Latham’s Payments Practice, advises global and UK-based clients on large-scale technology contracts, commercial collaborations, and fintech and payments transactions.
Christian advises major financial institutions, as well as publicly listed, private, and emerging companies, on the development, use, and commercialization of technology, in the context of large-scale technology and outsourcing projects; complex commercial collaborations, including joint ventures; fintech contracts; established and emerging payments technologies; licensing and distribution arrangements; technology licensing arrangements; IP development and licensing agreements; IP transfers; and general commercial law and intellectual property matters.
He also regularly leads the technology and IP aspects of M&A and capital markets transactions.
He has a keen sense of what is at market, utilizes effective collaboration strategies, and has developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator who knows how to get deals done.
Middle East
Brian Meenagh serves as Global Vice Chair of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice. His practice focuses primarily on a complex technology transactions, projects, and joint ventures; procurement and sourcing, including outsourcing and offshoring; data privacy and cybersecurity compliance; and fintech and blockchain technology.
He primarily represents customers procuring technology and services in such transactions and has significant experience advising against major technology and software vendors active in the Middle East. He has additional experience advising on cloud computing, complex technology and data separation issues in M&A transactions, distribution and procurement of goods and services, data protection, security, and privacy, e-commerce, m-commerce, and mobile apps, facilities management, financial services regulations applicable to technology and outsourcing, government procurement, global business services, media distribution and licensing, online gaming, open-source software technology development (including traditional and Lean and Agile development methodologies), distribution, and licensing.
Before he trained as a solicitor, he worked as a business and IT analyst at Accenture on a variety of outsourcing, business transformation, systems integration, and software development projects for blue chip companies and UK central government.
Brian has also previously been the technology, media, and telecommunications law editor at Lawtel (now part of Westlaw) and has co-written a number of articles and spoken at seminars and client events on the law and best practices in technology contracts and privacy and cyber-security compliance.
US
Jenny E. Cieplak advises financial services clients on the full spectrum of regulatory and transactional issues related to new technologies, including cryptocurrencies and AI.
Jenny leverages a broad industry perspective to provide clients with insights into the novel legal issues that arise from the development of new technologies and asset classes. She advises financial institutions and consortiums, fintech, and emerging companies on the full life cycle of technology-related matters, including: the development and commercialization of new fintech products; collaborative technology development arrangements; complex joint ventures; token launches; IPOs and capital markets transactions; and M&A and strategic transactions.
Jenny serves as a Global Ambassador for the Global Blockchain Business Council. Additionally, she frequently writes and speaks on the operational logistics of new technologies and their associated regulatory issues for financial industry participants.
Zachary Fallon, a former Senior Special Counsel at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, represents clients navigating the intersection of federal securities laws and innovative financial technologies.
Zachary draws on extensive practical legal and regulatory experience to guide companies, investors, intermediaries, and other market participants on: securities law compliance obligations and strategic considerations; cryptocurrency-related matters; financings, including smaller public offerings (e.g., Regulation A) and private venture capital and angel rounds; securities law defense in SEC and state agency investigations; emerging company issues; general corporate matters.
While at the SEC, Zachary served as Special Advisor to the SEC’s General Counsel, Attorney Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel’s General Litigation and Administrative Practice’s group, Senior Counsel in the Office of Small Business Policy in the Division of Corporation Finance, and later Senior Special Counsel to the Director of the Division of Corporation Finance.
He led key SEC-wide internal investigations in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and played an important role in many regulatory policy decisions following the JOBS Act’s adoption in 2012. He was the principal drafter of Regulation A and the SEC’s proposing release on Intrastate and Regional Crowdfunding exemptions, and participated in over a dozen SEC rulemaking efforts impacting securities issuers and intermediaries.
A recognized leader of the securities law bar, Zachary routinely works with and advises market participants on the implications of ongoing legislative and regulatory efforts in the financial technology sector. As part of these efforts, he frequently helps formulate policy and engages with policymakers on legislative and regulatory efforts, as well as presents as a thought leader on issues related securities laws and digital assets.
Before rejoining Latham, Zachary was co-founder and partner of a financial technology focused law firm, and founder of a crowdfunding marketplace.
Arthur S. Long advises clients on all aspects of financial institutions regulation. Arthur 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 matters, Dodd-Frank issues, resolution planning, and Volcker Rule issues relating to bank proprietary trading and private equity fund/hedge fund operations.
He has significant experience with bank securities offerings and issues unique to foreign banks operating or seeking to operate in the United States. Arthur also counsels fintech companies on the regulatory issues that relate to their businesses, as well as advises on virtual currency and blockchain technology regulation
Parag Patel advises financial services companies, financial institutions, and fintechs on transactional and regulatory matters.
Parag guides banks, non-bank lenders, payments and technology companies, from startups to global market leaders, as well as their vendors on: regulatory compliance; money transmission; consumer and small-business lending; anti-fraud and anti-money laundering compliance; complex arrangements and partnerships between fintechs and banks for payments and banking services; banking.
Parag strategizes innovative and practical solutions to clients’ complex regulatory and transactional issues that arise when revolutionary technologies integrate with heavily regulated financial activities. He leverages deep knowledge of the relevant regulatory regimes impacting payments, banking and consumer and small-business lending in the US, including the: Bank Secrecy Act; Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; Electronic Fund Transfer Act; Equal Credit Opportunity Act; Fair Debt Collection Practices Act; Banking laws, such as Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Bank Holding Company Act; Truth in Lending Act; banking privacy laws, such as Fair Credit Reporting Act and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; payment network rules, such as NACHA, Visa, and Mastercard rules; state money transmission, broker, and lending laws, as well as federal pre-emption of state financial laws.
Parag leverages his multifaceted experience — first within a fintech startup, and then at a leading bank — to bridge the understanding of Wall Street and innovators and connect leaders from finance and technology.
Yvette Valdez, Global Co-Chair of the Digital Assets & Web3 and Commodities and Derivatives Regulation & Enforcement practices, draws on more than two decades of derivatives regulatory and transactional experience to inform her cutting-edge advice to clients on digital assets, Web3, and bespoke financial regulatory matters. She advises a broad spectrum of clients, from leading global investment banks and broker-dealers to market makers across financial markets (including the Web3 and digital asset ecosystem). She helps clients navigate a range of high-stakes matters involving: cryptocurrency custodian and prime brokerage businesses; crypto derivatives and spot trading; structuring complex digital assets; trading, clearing, and settlement solutions on distributed ledger technology; and tokenization of real-world assets.
Yvette helps clients mitigate the unique risks inherent in digital assets and innovative products and structures commodities and derivatives value transfers accordingly, resulting in an emerging set of market standards against a regulatory backdrop that includes: the Dodd-Frank Act; the Commodity Exchange Act; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and prudential regulation; and margining, clearing, and trade execution requirements.
On the transactional front, she represents financial institutions in bespoke derivatives transactions, including: digital asset derivatives; prediction markets; interest rate and credit derivatives; foreign exchange transactions; total return swaps; commodity transactions, futures, and options.
Barrie VanBrackle, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Payments Practice, advises industry leaders on complex fintech transactions, specifically involving payment technology and consumer financial services compliance.
Barrie 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.
An authority on payments and consumer financial services compliance, she regularly guides clients on transactions involving payment systems participants, including large merchants and financial technology companies, with respect to payment acceptance, payment issuance, co-brand agreements, payment card industry data security issues, and payment regulatory matters. Barrie’s deep experience also includes advising corporate and private equity clients within the context of mergers and acquisitions and other fintech investments.
Stephen Wink, Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Fintech Industry Group, advises fintech companies, investment banks, exchanges, trading platforms (traditional and cryptocurrency), private funds, and other financial institutions on matters involving the regulation of markets, as well as related compliance and enforcement matters.
Widely regarded as one of the preeminent lawyers advising on fintech, digital assets and broker-dealer regulations, Stephen leverages in-depth knowledge and broad experience to advise clients on the overlapping patchwork of regulations covering the securities markets. He provides regular commentary on regulatory initiatives and rule-making proposals on behalf of clients and trade associations. He has frequently obtained no-action relief and interpretive guidance on behalf of clients from the Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA.
Stephen frequently develops market-leading resources, including the US Crypto Policy Tracker, to help investors, innovators, and market participants stay updated with legislative and regulatory developments in rapidly evolving areas, including blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets. He recently concluded his tenure as Chair of the ABA’s subcommittee on Trading and Markets, and frequently speaks and writes about fintech, crypto, and securities regulatory topics.
Stephen spent nine years in-house as executive managing director and general counsel of First Albany Companies Inc., a full-service investment bank, merchant bank, investment advisor, and listed company. He began his career at another leading law firm after serving as a law clerk to Judge George E. MacKinnon of the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Douglas Yatter, Global Vice Chair of Latham’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, Co-Chair of the Commodities and Derivatives Regulation and Enforcement Practice, and a founding member of the Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, advises clients across the financial services and fintech industries and the energy and agricultural sectors in government and internal investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters.
As a former Chief Trial Attorney in the Division of Enforcement of the US CFTC, Douglas’ experience with commodities regulation enables him to assist large financial institutions, commodity trading firms, energy companies, fintech ventures, and other clients in navigating a complex and rapidly developing regulatory and enforcement environment. He also draws on his experience to represent clients in class actions and other litigation involving financial instruments and market conduct.
At the CFTC, Douglas was a leader of two of the agency’s highest profile enforcement matters, including both the ISDAFIX benchmark investigation and the investigation of the collapse of MF Global. He also conducted and supervised various other matters involving violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, including fraud, manipulation, false reporting, spoofing, trade practice abuses, customer protection, insider trading, and cybersecurity. His work addressed swaps, futures, and other derivatives across various markets, often in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Futures Association (NFA), and other domestic and international authorities. In all, his cases resulted in orders for sanctions totaling nearly US$1.6 billion.
In addition to traditional commodities, Douglas advises cryptocurrency clients on a range of compliance, litigation, and enforcement matters at the forefront of regulatory developments involving digital assets and blockchain technology. His recent cryptocurrency matters have included investigations by the CFTC, SEC, and Department of Justice on regulatory compliance for token offerings, centralized and decentralized trading platforms, insider trading, money laundering, and market manipulation.
In his extensive civil litigation practice, Douglas represents clients in federal and state courts and arbitration proceedings in a wide array of complex matters, including securities and shareholder derivative suits, antitrust cases, and transactional disputes.
Douglas serves on the Advisory Board of NYU School of Law’s Program on Corporate Compliance & Enforcement and the Board of Directors of the Fund for Modern Courts. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the ABA Derivatives & Futures Law Committee and the Futures Industry Association Law & Compliance Division. Early in his career, he clerked for Judge Dennis Jacobs of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Douglas is a frequent speaker on enforcement topics and industry trends, including prediction markets, digital assets, artificial intelligence, and other areas of innovation.