Fintech

This evolution is exemplified by the comprehensive approach of A&O Shearman's fintech practice, which has established a significant presence in major fintech hubs and financial centers globally.

We advise a diverse range of clients including financial institutions, high-growth companies, technology leaders, corporations and investors, to navigate the intricate fintech landscape.

Our practice comprises a cross-disciplinary team of lawyers with extensive experience spanning regulatory, investment advisory, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, cybersecurity, capital markets, finance, human capital, emerging growth, and litigation.

Lawyers with diverse experience

Our group includes lawyers with tenures as government regulators, in-house counsel and outside counsel, as well as industry specialists. This strength, together with our established relationships with regulators globally, provides our clients with a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the legal and regulatory challenges inherent in the fintech ecosystem.

In addition to traditional fintech, our expertise extends to digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and initial coin offerings (ICOs), which are built on blockchain or distributed ledger technologies.

While these digital assets present opportunities for business innovation and product development, they come with a complex set of legal and regulatory considerations around their creation and use.

We leverage our deep understanding of the technology and business landscapes to advise on a wide array of legal and regulatory issues surrounding digital assets, and stay on top of the latest trends and legal developments to help our clients.

As the market matures, the difference between success and failure increasingly hinges on achieving regulatory compliance, forging the right partnerships at the right time on the right terms, and driving adoption through an excellent user experience.

We guide market participants through the complex business and legal issues in this thriving sector globally.

Fintech Foundry by A&O Shearman

We are committed to investing in the long-term growth of the global fintech ecosystem. Fintech Foundry by A&O Shearman serves as a hub for multi-disciplinary legal and industry knowledge and thought leadership, and a forum to connect new and key players in the wider Fintech community.

To explore further, visit our Fintech Foundry by A&O Shearman Digital Hub. 

Representative matters

• Checkout.com, the global payments processor, on its USD1 billion fundraising in its Series D funding round. 
• Standard Chartered in a multibank partnership with DekaBank, LBBW and Comyno building the blockchain platform SWIAT.
• A financial services and digital payments company in connection with founding the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance, a non-profit community formed to encourage the adoption and advancement of cryptocurrency technologies. 
• Facebook and WhatsApp in connection with various international payments matters, including serving as lead fintech transactions counsel in the technology, commerce and product integration deal associated with the US$5.7bn investment by Facebook into Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, India’s largest telecom operator. 
• A bank consortium on European Investment Bank’s issue of a digital bond on Ethereum public blockchain, representing the market’s first multi dealer led, primary issuance of digitally native tokens using public blockchain technology. 
• Bankers Securities on the USD172.5 million IPO and Nasdaq listing of units of Global Blockchain Acquisition, a U.S,-based SPAC targeting blockchain-related technology, economy, industries, and solutions companies.
• SAP on its acquisition of a majority stake in Taulia, a leading provider of working capital solutions.

• Intercontinental Exchange on its USD13.1bn acquisition of Black Knight, a leading provider of integrated software, data and analytics solutions.
• Gemini Galactic Markets with its registration as a broker-dealer and an alternative trading system with the U.S. SEC and FINRA membership.
• Greenidge, the first publicly traded, vertically integrated bitcoin mining and power generation company that is 100% carbon-neutral, on its merger with Support.com and listing on Nasdaq.
• A bank consortium on European Investment Bank’s issue of a digital bond on Ethereum public blockchain, representing the market’s first multi dealer-led, primary issuance of digitally native tokens using public blockchain technology.
• U.S. and non-U.S. banks with numerous non-controlling investments in fintechs.
• Intercontinental Exchange in connection with its acquisition of TMC Bonds LLC and Virtu BondPoint, each U.S. registered broker-dealers that operate ATSs.
• SS&C Technologies in connection with its acquisition of EZE Software Group.
• Thomson Reuters on its acquisition of REDI, a cross-asset execution management system (EMS) property.