As the leading law firm for technology enterprises, Wilson Sonsini represents an expansive group of companies in the financial services sector, including companies harnessing innovative, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, or blockchain; alternative investment platforms; robo-advisers; peer-lending platforms; and innovative payment systems. Our fintech practice evolves and grows as our clients adopt new technologies and pursue innovative business lines.
At the heart of our work is regulatory counseling. We advise companies with financial products and services on the requirements of statutes and regulations that range from the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Investment Company Act of 1940 (’40 Act), the Investment Advisers Act, the Commodity Exchange Act, and the Bank Holding Company Act, to the rules of self-regulatory organizations such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the National Futures Association (NFA), to state money transmission and trust company statutes.
And regulatory counseling is just the beginning of the story. Wilson Sonsini supports the unique needs of each fintech client across almost every area of the law and throughout its lifetime. Our corporate attorneys have deep expertise in guiding fintechs from founding and early-stage seed financings through later-stage venture financings, mergers and acquisition transactions, and beyond as public companies. Our technology transactions, intellectual property, tax, national security, privacy, and other specialist teams take a creative and practical approach to addressing the unique issues that fintech clients face. Working together on a comprehensive basis, we help companies avoid foot faults that can lead to future problems and we point them toward success.
Our attorneys have extensive experience across all fintech and financial services sub-sectors, including the following:
- Blockchain and digital currency-related businesses:
- Web 3.0 projects, including blockchain-based gaming platforms
- Blockchain-based securities clearance and settlement platforms, alternative trading systems, and money transmission providers
- Decentralized finance platforms
- Raising capital through the sale of equity and token warrants in a compliant regulatory manner
- Crowdfunding and alternative investment platforms:
- Platforms offering investments in alternative asset classes, including angel, movie development, gaming, collectible, real estate, drug and medical device, and other specialized investment platforms
- Broker-dealers and funding portals facilitating Regulation Crowdfunding offerings
- Peer-lending platforms offering payment-dependent notes or other investments in consumer, mortgage, or small business loans, publicly or privately
- Financial services providers:
- Neo-banks
- Virtual credit cards
- Online personal finance platforms
- Innovative money services businesses and money transmitters
- Investment advisers, broker-dealers, alternative trading systems, and other intermediaries:
- Robo-advisers
- Social media investment platforms
- Artificial-intelligence-based models for investment and wealth management
- Neo-factoring platforms
- Alternative trading systems and exchanges for private securities and alternative asset classes
- Broker-dealers involved in digital assets
- Commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators, and futures commission merchants
