Alston & Bird LLP

Alston & Bird LLP’s London fintech practice advises on complex cross-border M&A, commercial alliances, and regulatory matters across the payments ecosystem, often working in collaboration with the firm's US offices. The team advises on merchant agreements, ISO agreements, bank processing deals, insolvency issues, and data privacy matters, with support from Brussels-based EU experts and competition specialists. Clients include leading U.S. banks and major global payments companies, with recent work involving major joint ventures and strategic alliances, often with a transatlantic element. Practice co-head Richard Willis leads the international payments practice, bringing over 20 years of experience advising on new market entries and the regulatory aspects of global payments transactions, having led matters across six continents. Jonathan Garforth, a seasoned regulatory expert, supports clients across the credit, payments, and digital asset spaces. Gupinder Assi leverages in-house and international experience to advise on complex payment contracts and regulations, including crypto and card scheme rules.