The flow of money doesn’t end at any nation’s borders, with financial technology often crossing multiple jurisdictions. Fintech companies need business and legal solutions not only in their home nations, but in any country in which they and their customers do business.
Our multidisciplinary Fintech Team leverages Womble Bond Dickinson’s global capabilities to provide global solutions for financial institutions, financial services, insurance, and technology companies operating in the fintech space. These international resources include:
39 offices in the U.S. and UK;
More than 1,300 attorneys worldwide; and
Membership in Lex Mundi, the world’s largest network of independent law firms providing seamless service in more than 120 countries.
Team members are based in five key locations: Charlotte, NC, the nation’s second largest financial market; Atlanta, a hub for the payment processing industry; London, the center of the UK’s fintech industry and a global leader in financial technology; Nashville, TN, the tech hub of the Southeast; and Washington, D.C., the epicenter of fintech regulation and enforcement in the U.S.
Representative Experience
Counseling a UK company on comprehensive cloud outsourcing to an Australian-listed fintech/wealthtech software company. We have advised this evolving long-term relationship since 2015 and have played a key role in the shaping of this engagement. Our current role involves advising on the AWS cloud migration of the system.
A UK client has developed an advanced automation solution to help global financial institutions in their fight against financial crime. We assisted this company in negotiating a suite of contracts with one of the first global financial institutions that engaged with the company. When a supply chain software company decided to build a vendor payment portal, the company needed legal counsel and drafting of documents supporting the portal, including negotiation with financial services vendors. The client targeted several industrial countries to offer the portal, and WBD attorneys worked with allied attorneys in Europe, Canada and Asia to confirm contract commitments and regulatory compliance of portal contracts and business models. The portal is now in worldwide operation.
Advised a software company in building a payment portal, including negotiation with financial services vendors. WBD attorneys worked with allied lawyers in Europe, Canada and Asia to confirm contract commitments and regulatory compliance of portal contracts and business models. The portal is now in worldwide operation.
Counseled multiple payment processors through data breach incidents, including one of the largest losses of credit card data in U.S. history.
Represented Heartland Payment Systems, Inc., the fifth largest payments processor in the U.S., in more than 35 acquisitions of technology and payment companies, enabling Heartland to become a leading provider in the K-12, Higher Education and POS markets.
Guided NCR Corporation in the acquisition of Radiant Systems, a provider of point of sale solutions in the retail and hospitality industries for approximately $1.2 billion.
Represented Zillow and others in a $180 million patent dispute that invalidated Lending Tree’s online lending patents.
Completed a competitive request for proposal project for a major quick service restaurant resulting in a 37 percent reduction in processing fees generating $1.5 million in savings over three years.
Conducted an optimization review for a large payment facilitator PayFac and identified cost optimizations of more than $600,000 per year resulting in a 20 percent reduction in processing costs.
Developed a payment monetization strategy for a private equity firm completing a strategic acquisition, improving payment margins from less than 30 basis points on card volume to a payment facilitator program providing 85+ basis points of payment margin.
Womble Bond Dickinson’s Fintech team represents financial technology start-ups, large Fintech market leaders, and more established financial services companies expanding into the Fintech industry by integrating new technologies into their existing business models and operations.
We advise consumer credit Fintech programs, marketplace lenders, payments programs including licensed money transmitters and other money service businesses, direct lenders, online mortgage lenders, servicers and brokers, auto finance companies, providers of mobile finance and payments solutions, and many other Fintech companies.
We have guided and advised numerous start-up Fintech companies, helping them to build out their business models and operations from inception to Initial Public Offering (IPO), addressing a wide range of legal, business, and regulatory issues. And when these young companies are ready for liquidity events or their IPO, we advise on the financial services regulatory compliance implications and obligations of the deal as well.
Womble brings deep experience with regulatory compliance issues throughout the financial services and insurance sectors to the advice we provide to financial technology innovators. We work closely with technology developers, providers, and users – analyzing the business applications of new technologies, including the regulatory implications of using various algorithms and APIs – to help them comply with both federal and state financial services regulations.
Our practice is recognized as a national leader in consumer financial services regulatory compliance by Chambers USA, and in FinTech Legal: Payments and Lending in the Chambers FinTech guide.
Fintech Services
Consumer Lending Fintech Companies We advise many companies that hold a wide variety of roles in the extension of consumer credit – brokers, debt collectors, banks, non-depository lenders, marketplace lenders, auto finance companies, and more. We also represent many members of the Marketplace Lending Association in this capacity.
Regulation and Compliance With our firm’s nationally recognized capabilities in consumer financial services regulatory compliance, we can advise Fintech companies on all relevant federal and state-level regulations and to represent them before state agencies for purposes of licensing, examinations, and regulatory enforcement. We know what state regulators say and do in day-to-day routine examinations and in enforcement actions relating to the Fintech industry, which enables us to anticipate and forestall complications for our clients. Our team also advises Fintech companies in meeting payment card industry guidelines. In addition, we advise on licensing obligations in all 50 states.
Data Security and Management We help clients develop business strategies that take full advantage of their data while also safeguarding it. Our work includes advising clients on federal, state, and international privacy compliance matters as well as data commercialization and monetizing opportunities. We also stand with clients during data breaches and other cybersecurity events such as cyber intrusions and cyber ransom attacks. This includes defending clients in bet-the-company litigation, advising during investigations, and crisis communications.
Transactions (M&A/Commercial Agreements) Our Fintech transactions attorneys have extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions of deals of up to more than $1 billion. We guide clients in licensing agreements, technology transfers, investor financing, software licensing, joint ventures, vendor contracts and other important business transactions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) As financial services providers introduce AI and machine learning algorithms to various aspects of their operations, they must also address a host of regulatory issues that these technologies implicate.
Identify Verification Introducing unorthodox factors to the identity verification (anti-fraud) or underwriting process has brought scrutiny by regulators – which we help clients to address.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) We work with mortgage and non-mortgage brokering and lending entities to address regulatory issues affecting the incorporation of robotic process automation into their operations.
Blockchain and Digital Currencies We assist Fintech companies in integrating the use of digital currencies, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies into their business models and operations.
Payment Processing and POS Management Agreements We represent both vendors and customers of payment gateways and payments processing systems.
Litigation and Class Actions As nationally recognized leaders in this high-profile, high-stakes arena, we regularly defend Fintech companies facing individual and class action litigation, multidistrict lawsuits, and enforcement actions alleging violations of consumer fraud and deceptive practices and other laws in state and federal courts and arbitration proceedings nationwide.
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Examples of our work and how we’ve helped companies of all sizes with a wide range of challenges.
Regulatory compliance matters when developing new payment platforms. Counseled a national financial technology company operating in the consumer finance sector in federal and state regulatory compliance for the development of an innovative point-of-sale model. We worked with the company to ensure compliance with federal and state laws applicable to bank partnership programs. This included federal and state regulatory compliance advice regarding prepaid cards, point-of-sale loan financing, and other services.
Successful launch of online lending portal through deep knowledge of technology and consumer financial services regulatory compliance. Guided a global investment bank successfully in launching an online lending portal, including detailed guidance on product development, consumer lending, and the operation of servicing and collection mechanisms for the various consumer financial services products. We also counsel on managing vendors to meet regulatory obligations, and we provide strategic legal and business advice regarding potential partnerships with high-profile third parties, including direct integration of third parties with the bank’s financial products.
Comprehensive knowledge of multi-state licensing requirements enables licensing of marketplace lending platform. Advised a national provider of unsecured personal loans operating from an online marketplace lending platform in meeting its regulatory compliance obligations. Our Fintech team conducted a complete review of the company’s consumer lending products, its business model and operations related to loan origination and servicing, and the regulatory compliance obligations applicable to the products and services offered. Our team also worked with state regulatory agencies to get the company approved to operate in states where it had historically had difficulty in getting the requisite approval to operate or faced other challenges in launching its products.
Testimonials
“The team has strong and deep bench on licensing, consumer financial services and bank regulatory.”
“The provide best in class regulatory advice. The firm is reliably knowledgeable on bleeding edge of the current regulatory issues.”
“We have found the staff to be knowledgeable on relevant subject matter areas, and also willing to provide thoughtful and prompt analysis on emerging regulatory and policy issues.”
Chambers FinTech 2026 Guide
“The team provides us with excellent advice that is easily digestible and in an extremely timely manner. The lawyers provide us with excellent customer service and are so pleasant to work with.”
“They’re great, they know the industry so well; they have lived and breathed it for decades and have a wealth of knowledge that is so valuable.”
“They have deep knowledge of state lending laws and regulations, as well as experience with state regulators. They have deep subject matter expertise in matters spanning 50 states.”
“As a group, the firm is rock-solid. The complexity and nuance they bring to state licensing surveys and new program risk assessments are incredible.”
“They were able to quickly learn about our business and product offerings and quickly translate that to the regulatory and compliance requirements we needed to adhere to.”
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