Stuart Davis counsels clients on the domestic and cross-border regulatory aspects of cutting-edge fintech initiatives, including technology innovations in legislation, market infrastructure, tokenization, trading, clearing and settlement, lending (including crowdfunding), payments, and regulatory surveillance. 

Stuart is Co-Chair of the Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice, and a member of the Emerging Companies Fintech Practice and the Fintech Industry. He advises financial institutions on the impact of regulatory change on their businesses, including MAR and MiFID II, CASS, CSDR, PSD2, AIFMD, and Brexit, as well as strategically advising on their FX remediation projects, market conduct issues, best execution compliance, systems and controls, and governance.

Stuart has a wide range of experience advising broker-dealers; investment, retail, and private banks; technology companies; market infrastructure providers; investment managers; hedge funds; and private equity funds on complex regulatory challenges.

Stuart is ranked Band 1 by Chambers FinTech 2023, Legal 500 UK 2022 as a Next Generation Partner for Fintech, was named as a 2019 Rising Star by Law360 in its Fintech category, and was honored by the Lawyer Magazine in the Disruptors section of its Hot 100 2018, an annual report identifying the UK’s “most daring, innovative and creative lawyers.”

Mr. Davis’ experience includes advising:

  • Airbnb in connection to its initial public offering
  • Goldman Sachs on the build of its first UK Retail Investment Platform – Marcus Invest
  • Silver Lake Partners on an equity investment in Klarna, a Sweden-based provider of payments and shopping service
  • Square in the acquisition of Verse, a Spanish P2P payments app that allows customers to send and receive payments from friends and family instantly, safely, and free of charge
  • The Central Bank of Egypt on the formulation of a new banking law / regulatory regime
  • A number of central banks and governments on drafting substantial financial services, market infrastructure, payments, and fintech legislation
  • A broad range of global investment banks, market infrastructure providers, and technology companies on structuring innovative and efficient technology platforms and/or products, including through the use of blockchain technology, covering areas such as clearing and settlement, netting, and the tokenisation and digitisation of products
  • A national payment system operator on its establishment of a new retail payment system
  • A number of global technology, payments, and media companies on regulatory implications of launching stablecoins
  • eToro on the structuring and launch of eToro Digital Assets, an innovative platform for the tokenisation of assets
  • Nivaura on structuring its regulated custody and issuance platform for the tokenisation of equity, a deal which was highly commended by the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards
  • The World Economic Forum on its blockchain initiatives as part of its Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
  • A broad range of global cryptocurrency exchanges on their compliance with regulatory requirements
  • A range of payment institutions on compliance with payments regulations, including PSD2, SEPA, Wire Transfer Regulations, and AML/KYC requirements
  • A leading Chinese technology company on the expansion of its payments business into Europe
  • A number of financial institutions on the regulatory implications of establishing trading venues or systematic internalisers in the EU
  • A peer-to-peer lending platform on its application to the FCA for Part IV permissions and the launch of new products*
  • StepEx Limited on the structuring and launch of its innovative student finance platform, including its successful application to the FCA for for Part IV permissions
  • A broad range of clients on their implementation of post-financial crisis regulatory reform measures, including MiFID II, MAR, EMIR, CASS, AIFMD, Benchmark Regulation, consumer credit, payments, and mortgage reform
  • A number of international banks and broker-dealers on the impact of Brexit on their businesses and developing contingency plans for the potential restructuring of their EU operations*
  • A leading investment bank on its implementation of the PS14/9 changes to the CASS rules*
  • The group of banks and credit card issuers behind the CPP consumer redress scheme under section 404F(7) of FSMA for mis-sold insurance products, representing the largest consumer redress scheme of its kind involving over seven million customers*
  • A leading private bank on redrafting and simplifying its suite of secured and unsecured wholesale and retail ending documentation, including a complex cross-currency Lombard facility*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • MA (Hons), University of Cambridge, 2011
  • BA (Hons) Law, University of Cambridge, 2007
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December 2, 2022Recognition

Latham Earns Top Fintech Rankings Globally

Chambers and The Legal 500 recognize Latham’s deep global fintech capabilities and track record of landmark mandates; firm earns Band 1 ranking in Chambers’ inaugural US Crypto-Asset Disputes category.

General Recognition Thumbnail
February 11, 2021Recognition

Latham Earns Top Fintech Rankings Globally

Firm recognized in Legal 500 and Chambers for depth and breadth of capabilities across globally integrated practices and track record of landmark mandates.