Fintech

Fintech products, services and transactions are facing increased scrutiny and the threat of stiffer penalties. We assist clients on legal and regulatory and policy issues, including regulatory, compliance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), fundraising, financing and litigation.

Our regulatory team covers compliance with mandates from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), Department of Justice (DOJ), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and securities laws and money transmission regulations, among other laws and regulatory bodies.

At the same time, our lobbying and public policy team is heavily engaged with key lawmakers and agency officials, in Congress and the Administration, whose actions define the legal landscape for the companies and individuals operating in this growing space.

Spotlight on Cryptocurrency

Now more than ever before, companies and investors are seeing the value of blockchain technology, virtual currencies and tokenized assets. Akin has significant experience advising on cryptocurrency-related matters in the fintech sector, including assisting clients in transactions and investigations involving digital assets.

Learn more about our digital assets, cryptocurrency and blockchain practice.

Established Presence in Fintech Markets

We have an established presence in key fintech markets, including San Francisco, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., among other locations. For decades now, Akin has counseled clients navigating the host of legal and regulatory issues prompted by financial technologies.

Breadth of Experience

Akin’s technology team has a great depth and breadth of experience. Our lawyers advising on fintech matters also integrate seamlessly with public law and policy, litigation and enforcement, and other areas. The fintech practice comprises partners and advisors with leading-edge experience, including as related to:

• Anti-money laundering
• Bank regulatory
• Capital markets
• Corporate and finance
• Cybersecurity, privacy and data protection
• Digital assets, cryptocurrency and blockchain
• Disputes, investigations and enforcement
• Financial regulatory
• Financial restructuring and special situations
• Formation and operations of funds investing in fintech
• Government contracts
• Insurance
• Intellectual property
• Investment management
• Lobbying and public policy
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Payments
• Private equity
• Projects and energy transition
• Regulatory and compliance
• Securities
• Tax considerations
• Venture capital
• White collar defense and government investigations.

Learn more about our work in the technology sector.

Representative Matters

Transactional

• Acted as the financial advisor to MasterCard in its acquisition of DataCash Group plc, a payment services provider.
• Provided advice to XYZ Films in a cryptocurrency-funded, blockchain-distributed film financing deal in which it will partner with others to finance and produce a science fiction anthology. This was the first film production ever to be financed and distributed using blockchain technology and Ether currency.
• Advised Credible Labs in sale of Majority Stake to Fox Corp. Limited on its merger with Interswitch Limited, an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company, and one of Africa’s first tech unicorns.
• Advised LeapFrog Investments, a leading impact investment fund, in connection with the acquisition of a minority stake in JUMO, a company that provides African consumers mobile phone access to insurance, savings and credit products.
• Advised New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed Endava on its acquisition of Comtrade Digital Services (CDS). Formerly a division of Comtrade Group BV, CDS provides fintech companies, as well as business across other industries, with strategic software engineering services and solutions.

• Advised Value Added Network Solutions Limited on its merger with Interswitch Limited, an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company.
• Advised Piraeus Bank in the €300-million sale of its Merchant Acquiring Unit to Euronet Worldwide and on the formation of a long-term strategic partnership between the Bank and Euronet Worldwide.
• Advised European payments provider Online Payments Group on English law and U.S. law aspects of its acquisition by Pennsylvania-based integrated payments company Shift4 for $125.9 million.
• Advised Alpha Bank SA on its successful strategic partnership with payments specialist Nexi SpA (Nexi). The partnership has resulted in the creation of Nexi Payments Greece, which will provide innovative merchant solutions and digital payment acceptance products and services to the Greek market.
• Advised Admaius Capital Partners, the lead investor, in the $100-million investment in MFS Africa, the largest digital payments network in Africa.
• Advised on the fintech acquisition of Capricorn Digital by MFS Africa, the largest pan-African digital payments platform.
• Advised TPG’s Growth Rise Fund on a $47.5-million Series C funding round in Cellulant Corporation, a digital payments platform for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, governments and mobile network operators that reaches 40 million people across 11 African countries.
• Advised OneFi, one of Nigeria’s leading technology-focused consumer finance businesses, on its debt facility from Lendable.

Disputes and Investigations, and Regulatory and Compliance

• Provided regulatory and compliance advice to an investment advisor in transactions involving cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, including initial coin offerings (ICOs).
• Advised a U.K. video games retailer in respect of a payment systems outsourcing to ensure Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance.
• Provided regulatory and corporate advice to a global alternative investment firm in the acquisition and related financing of a fintech company focusing on merchant advances and credit card payment processing.
• Representing a co-founder of a leading bitcoin derivatives trading platform in a Southern District of New York (SDNY) criminal case alleging willful violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, as well as parallel Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) civil enforcement arising from alleged failure to register with the commission. Also handling the defense of numerous civil lawsuits for the same client.
• Advising a UAE-based entity seeking to become the first entity licensed by the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) to establish a crypto asset exchange and conduct crypto custodian services in the UAE, pursuant to the SCA’s new crypto asset regulations.
• Advised Reliant Funding LLC in connection with the blast fax class action lawsuit and an indemnity claim.
• Advised on the successful launch of a cryptocurrency hedge fund with a dual trading/mining strategy. Provided creative and focused guidance in the context of a nascent investment strategy with very little regulatory guidance.