Rhys McWhirter leads Latham’s Data & Technology Transactions Practice in Asia, representing public and private sector clients on their most complex commercial and digital transformation projects.

Rhys leverages a comprehensive understanding of technology sectors across Asia to guide financial institutions, corporations, and public sector organizations through every stage of high-value and strategic commercial agreements. He guides companies with interests in the region on a broad spectrum of data and technology transactions, including:

  • Complex supply and service agreements
  • Payments and digital assets
  • Technology outsourcing
  • Digital transformation
  • Data privacy & cyber projects
  • Data center/colocation and other digital infrastructure arrangements

Rhys draws on a wealth of experience to advise clients on matters related to artificial intelligence, novel fintech and payment arrangements, privacy, and cybersecurity, particularly across the financial services and technology / ecommerce sectors. Further, he regularly guides global and regional airlines on complex commercial and technology transformation projects involving digital payments, passenger service system (PSS), global distribution system (GDS), and new distribution capability (NDC) matters.

Prior to joining Latham, Rhys led the technology and data practice in Asia for another international law firm.

Rhys’s experience includes advising/representing:

Technology

  • Multiple global and regional airlines across Asia and the Middle East on the renegotiation of their PSS and distribution arrangements with Amadeus IT Group, Sabre, Travelport, Travelsky, Accelya, and Farelogix*
  • A global bank over several years on its colocation data center strategy across Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Korea*
  • A global bank on the implementation of a new core banking solution to support their retail and wholesale business units*
  • A global technology provider in relation to the licensing of its core banking solution to multiple global and regional financial institutions throughout Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Australia*
  • A global data center provider in relation to various regulatory and outsourcing compliance matters in Singapore and Australia*
  • A global consortium of banks in Hong Kong in relation to the establishment of and operation of eTradeConnect*
  • A global insurance company in relation to the implementation and operation of a new EPOS Solution to support its business operations throughout Africa*

Privacy & Cyber

  • A global airline in relation to the end-to-end due diligence of surveying up to 5,000 third party arrangements to assess compliance with Hong Kong, Mainland China, and UK/EU data protection laws*
  • A global manufacturing client in relation to their end-to-end data privacy compliance program regarding Mainland China’s PIPL*
  • A critical financial services institution over several years in relation to its cross-border data privacy disclosures, direct marketing, cyber-readiness program, including preparing the necessary data cyber incident framework documentation and associate collateral*
  • A global insurance company in relation to its Mainland China compliance program*
  • An aerospace and defense industry company in relation to its Mainland China compliance program*
  • One of the world’s largest eCommerce and technology companies in relation to data breach incident matters throughout APAC*

Fintech

  • A global bank in Hong Kong in relation to Hong Kong’s first tokenized deposit service*
  • A global technology and organization over several years in relation to their payment regulatory compliance matters (i.e. merchant acquiring and payment remittance arrangements) throughout Asia and LATAM*
  • A global bank in relation to the deployment of a blockchain platform to facilitate treasury management operation for a large corporate customer*
  • A global payments company in relation to their APAC compliance matters*
  • A global scheme / network provider in relation to regulatory compliance matters regarding wallet top-up and disposal*
  • A global fintech company on its award-winning innovative distributed ledger repo (DLR) solution in Hong Kong*
  • A global bank on a significant global digital merchant acquiring project, such that the bank will offer comprehensive end-to-end payments and settlement clearance services to a diverse range of merchants, encompassing various payment methods*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • Hong Kong (Solicitor)
  • New South Wales (Australia)

Education

  • Diploma in Legal Practice, The College of Law, 2012
  • BS and LLB, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2011