Sarah Williams

Sarah advises both traditional financial institutions and fintech clients, with a particular focus on advising clients in relation to new and innovative business models and products, including payments products, retail investment platforms, consumer lending and crypto-assets.

She has particular experience on cross-border matters and has advised large fintech clients on their global expansion strategies, including advising on application of regulation and international compliance obligations.

• Advising a retail stock-broking platform on its UK launch, including obtaining FCA authorization and advising on UK compliance issues. 
• Advised a household name banking and payments FinTech on its international expansion and the launch of new products globally, including in the EU. 
• Advised a UK electronic money institution and banking as a service provider on various matters, including reviewing safeguarding models and advising on Brexit planning and transition. 
• Advised on the global regulation of crypto-asset providers and anti-money laundering compliance strategies when onboarding crypto-asset business as clients. 
• Advised a global technology platform on its payments offering and the application of EU payments regulation to e-commerce and payment platform models. 
• Advised various merchants on the implementation of strong customer authentication requirements and the availability of exemptions to enable frictionless check-out processes. 
• Advised an international insurance group on its pan-European distribution model.
• Obtained FCA equivalence recognition for a Luxembourg fund managed by a large EU investment fund manager and advising on an ongoing basis on the applicable recognition requirements. 
• Advised various US hedge funds and third-country institutions on compliance with securities financing transaction reporting under the EU SFTR. 
• Advised a large international bank on its global custody and fund servicing arrangements.  