Financial Products & Technology

Financial markets are in a period of significant technological disruption following the development of new financial products and platforms.   These innovations are changing everything, from the way in which employers pay employees, to the way employees pay for products and services, and the way risks are managed at every stage of the economic life cycle.

The Financial Products and Technology practice at Seyfarth has deep expertise and leadership in risk management products and electronic platforms, such as futures and over-the-counter derivatives and new electronic exchanges and clearing houses where new financial products are executed and settled.  Many of the financial products used today did not exist a decade ago and the way in which consumers make payments, sign mortgages, contribute to their retirement and transfer funds continues to change; and this change outpaces the law in many respects.

HOW WE HELP

Our Financial Products and Technology attorneys practice ahead of the evolution of the law to cover evolving financial products and technologies.  Our attorneys have been instrumental in influencing regulators of financial products and are among pioneers in the law governing these new platforms.  We have written comment letters to regulators, published articles in leading trade journals, and speak in leading global markets on the law governing new financial assets and markets such as the Swap Execution Facilities mandated by Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for products within the $595 trillion OTC derivatives market, the largest financial market in the world.

OUR SERVICES

We understand the complexities of this financial frontier and the critical importance of successfully navigating the legal, business, and regulatory issues that can lead to uncertainty and confusion. Our Financial Products and Technology attorneys represent the largest institutional investors in the world as well as leading investment banks, international integrated financial services companies, broker-dealers, insurance companies, hedge funds and private equity firms, investment advisers, local, regional, national and foreign banks, and venture capital groups.  Our experience also extends to additional sectors of the industry, including retail brokerage, institutional sales, insurance, equities and fixed income trading, equities research, investment banking, retail and commercial, derivatives, securities lending, custody and middle and back-office functions in each of these sectors.

Financial services market participants are increasingly using “bots” (robots), or automated programs utilizing a range of software and technologies and transactions, as well as artificial intelligence. These technologies trigger legal issues, rights and protections which our Financial Products and Technology attorneys are focused on across a range of disciplines.

THE SEYFARTH EXPERIENCE

Our Financial Products and Technology practice works closely with our client-facing technology team, Seyfarth Labs, to build new tools and customize our advanced technology platform for the seamless delivery of legal services. Our service is powered by SeyfarthLink, an online platform that lets you log into a customized website to view all documents, amendments, and other progress-tracking materials at any time. This gives clients a higher level of autonomy in a site designed just for them while allowing our team to deliver services in a uniquely efficient and transparent way.

To thoroughly address myriad issues related to new and evolving services in this field, our Financial Products and Technology practice works with other Seyfarth groups, including financial securities, labor and employment, litigation, real estate, data protection and technology, immigration, derivatives, energy and renewable energy, and corporate.

Included within our Financial Products and Technology practice are members of our Employee Benefits and international Labor and Employment practices who advise employers with respect to the law governing cyber-markets both internationally and more locally in cyber micro-markets.