“An awesome partner; he's practical and pragmatic. His advice is actionable. He's knowledgeable about the crypto industry and very knowledgeable on the securities side especially.”
Chambers FinTech 2025
“Deep knowledge of this area; what makes him different is he has very good common sense and can communicate in a way that's understandable to laypeople.”
Chambers FinTech 2025
“Offers great client service, he is proactive, very keyed into regulatory developments in his area, and very reliable when we need an opinion.”
Chambers FinTech 2025
Profile
Stephen Wink, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Fintech Industry Group, advises fintech companies, investment banks, exchanges, trading platforms (traditional and cryptocurrency), private funds, and other financial institutions on matters involving the regulation of markets, as well as related compliance and enforcement matters.
Widely regarded as one of the preeminent lawyers advising on fintech, digital assets and broker-dealer regulations, Stephen leverages in-depth knowledge and broad experience to advise clients on the overlapping patchwork of regulations covering the securities markets. He provides regular commentary on regulatory initiatives and rule-making proposals on behalf of clients and trade associations. He has frequently obtained no-action relief and interpretive guidance on behalf of clients from the Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA.
Stephen frequently develops market-leading resources, including the US Crypto Policy Tracker, to help investors, innovators, and market participants stay updated with legislative and regulatory developments in rapidly evolving areas, including blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets. He recently concluded his tenure as Chair of the ABA’s subcommittee on Trading and Markets, and frequently speaks and writes about fintech, crypto, and securities regulatory topics.
Stephen spent nine years in-house as executive managing director and general counsel of First Albany Companies Inc., a full-service investment bank, merchant bank, investment advisor, and listed company. He began his career at another leading law firm after serving as a law clerk to Judge George E. MacKinnon of the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
New York
Education
JD, University of Notre Dame Law School magna cum laude, Editor-in-Chief, Notre Dame Law Review
BS, State University of New York, Empire State College
Stephen Wink, Global Co-Chair of the Fintech Industry Group, and Yvette Valdez, Global Co-Chair of the Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, discuss the development of Latham’s US Crypto Policy Tracker, which helps innovators, investors, and market participants stay updated with legislative and regulatory developments in the rapidly evolving blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital asset landscape.
Firm’s Capital Markets Practice once again earns top legal advisor league table rankings across debt and equity products and industries globally in Bloomberg, Dealogic, Deal Point Data, and LSEG.
Firm shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year and earned recognitions for litigation, transactional, and regulatory prowess and innovative office and practice leadership.
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