Clifford Chance‘s offering is underpinned by its expertise in banking and finance, incorporating experience in banking, payments and export finance transactions as well as non-contentious and contentious regulatory issues across the financial sector, including derivatives, automated trading systems and payments. The team also leverages its ‘expertise across multiple jurisdictions’ to handle regulatory investigations, a key area of work for expert litigators Kabir Singh and Janice Goh. Lena Ng heads up the team. Her broad practice runs the gamut of financial regulatory work, with licensing, exemptions, and innovative new financial products all areas of expertise. Counsel Mae Yen Teoh is at the forefront of transactional derivatives work.

Financial institutions, technology companies and crypto exchanges trust Herbert Smith Freehills LLP with mandates in areas such as digital banking, strategic investments into the fintech space and the use of distributed ledger technology in financial services. On the contentious side, the practice is well placed to assist with internal and regulatory investigations in relation to fraud, cybersecurity and anti-money laundering. Harry Evans leads the team, which also boasts extensive regulatory and compliance expertise in relation to financial services licensing matters. Senior associate Chee Hian Kwah is frequently sought out by payment services providers and other financial institutions for assistance with issues such as outsourcing and anti-money laundering compliance. Dispute resolution lawyer Daniel Chia joined in April 2023 from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, while Natalie Curtis left the firm in September 2023.

Linklaters is active across an extensive array of matters, with expertise extending to global reorganisations, digital assets, innovative payments work, programmable money issues and private law development. The team is additionally well placed to advise on ESG-related initiatives, including those with a blockchain dimension. Peiying Chua heads up the financial regulation group and frequently guides clients through regulatory change projects and transactional work in the financial services sector. Global co-head of TMT Niranjan Arasaratnam and head of Asia TMT Adrian Fisher are both well versed in transactional work in the technology sector, while Jonathan Horan’s equity expertise is brought to bear on a wide range of capital markets work. Evan Lam, who joined from Ashurst LLP in January 2023, is a key contact for fintech clients ranging from global banks that are active in the fintech space to payment institutions and blockchain exchanges. Managing associate Anil Shergill frequently advises on licensing frameworks and exemptions.

Home to ‘go-to contacts for financial regulatory advice’, A&O Shearman‘s team is also well versed in fintech matters and regularly advises on cryptocurrency, digital assets, and blockchain matters. Data compliance in the banking sector and regulatory requirements imposed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore are other standout areas of activity for the ‘extremely dedicated’ outfit. The firm’s offering is spearheaded by Shuhui Kwok, who is praised for her ‘extremely helpful advisory solutions for product launches across Asia-Pacific and the wider Middle East and Africa regions’. Senior associate Yu Jia Ang‘s busy caseload includes advising financial institutions on anti-money laundering and other compliance requirements. Cédric Lindenmann left the team in December 2023.

Dentons Rodyk is described as being ‘very strong in the blockchain space’, with the team possessing expertise in areas such as capital raisings, privacy and data protection, regulatory compliance and tax. Kenneth Oh and Li Chuan Hsu co-lead the practice with the latter winning plaudits for his work alongside senior partner Jacqueline Loke in Ripple’s successful application for a major payment institution licence. S Sivanesan is highly skilled at handling cross-border and regional transactional work.

The ‘strong team’ at Gibson Dunn wins plaudits for its work on technology transactions and outsourcing, sensitive privacy matters and emerging issues such as generative AI technologies. The practice is also a trusted port of call for payment firms looking for assistance with the launch of innovative products and services. Practice head and of counsel Grace Chong is described as an ‘exceptional standout in complex regulatory, privacy and AI matters’. She is also a certified cyber security professional and regularly conducts cybersecurity assessments and investigations in Asia. At associate level, Alfie Lim counts assisting payment service providers and fund management companies with licensing applications as a key area of activity, while Toh Qingxiang is a key contact for cross-border digital assets exchanges and decentralised autonomous organisation, and Alwyn Chan has a notable focus on regulatory work connected to the Payment Services Act 2019.

With particular strength in regulatory advice, Norton Rose Fulbright‘s fintech practice blends expertise in P2P platforms, blockchain, data privacy, disputes and technology consultation. The team frequently assists major clients with fintech expansions and has seen an increase in instructions relating to emerging platforms and the use of disruptive technologies, particularly for clients who wish to launch new products in Singapore before rolling them out globally. Practice head Etelka Bogardi has longstanding experience of advising on a wide array of regulatory issues in the fintech area; she is well placed to advise on the regulation of digital assets and innovative payments solutions. Anna Tipping‘s wealth of insurance expertise is frequently brought to bear on contentious and non-contentious matters including alternative risk transfer insurance transactions. Instructions relating to securities often fall to financial markets expert Colin Rice, while Craig Loveless is a key contact for cross-border transactional work in the fintech space. Wilson Ang is a name to note for disputes, while counsel Mabelle Tay further extends the regulatory expertise at the firm.

Reed Smith LLP‘s practice is described as being ‘deeply immersed in the cutting edge of fintech and web3 developments’, and is praised for its ‘deep knowledge of Singapore financial regulations, ranging from payment services to traditional securities to licensing and regulatory issues’. Hagen Rooke and Bryan Tan co-head the practice. Rooke frequently assists banks, payment services firms and digital asset exchanges with regulatory issues such as financial services licensing and approvals, while Tan has a proven track record of advising on strategic venture capital investments into fast-growing fintechs and crypto projects. Senior associate Jun Qi Chin is particularly strong in work that requires engagement with regulators such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Banks, digital asset exchanges brokers, and payments companies trust Simmons & Simmons with an array of licensing, regulatory and product development projects. Cross-border regulatory matters and new digital platform development are areas of particular strength for the team. Practice chair Yingyu Wang has a wide-ranging practice that takes in niche issues in the metaverse and NFT space. She is additionally well placed to advise clients from sectors such as music and digital media who seek to incorporate blockchain technology into their products. At associate level, Ashleigh Low is well versed in matters with a cryptocurrency dimension.