Sara K. Weed is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Co-Chair of the Fintech and Digital Assets Practice Group. Sara ’s fintech’s practice spans both regulatory and transactional advice for a range of clients, including traditional financial institutions, non-bank financial services companies and technology companies.

Sara ’s outstanding achievements in private practice have been recognized by various organizations. Recently, Lawdragon  recognized Sara as one of their Leading Global Cyber Lawyers. In 2021, she was named a Rising Star in Fintech by Law360. She was also shortlisted for The Financial Times  Innovative Lawyers Award North America in 2018 in the “Access to New Markets and Capital” category.

Prior to working in private practice, Sara held various roles in the financial services industry, including serving as in-house counsel to IBM’s financial services group and as a policy counsel with a national financial services research organization. She also served as director and counsel with the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks, where she oversaw supervision of non-bank mortgage lenders and brokers, money services businesses, and consumer finance companies.

Experience*

Sara ’s fintech practice provides support to clients throughout their life cycle, including: product development, regulatory strategy, including chartering, licensure and partnerships, supporting supervisory examinations and regulatory inquires, regulatory diligence related to acquisitions, investments, and exit events, and the defense of regulatory enforcement actions.

Her recent experience includes:

• Advised Nubank in connection with its launch of a stablecoin product, in partnership with Circle, that will enable Nubank customers in Brazil 24/7 access to USDC.
• Provided counsel to a multinational technology conglomerate during the introduction of an international e-commerce payment solution.
• Offered legal advice to a worldwide electronic manufacturing company during the launch of integrated third-party consumer finance products.
• Assisted a cryptocurrency exchange platform in the legislative process to amend the North Carolina Money Transmitters Act and enable crypto platforms to continue operating in the state.
• Advised a joint venture supporting fiat stablecoins during the release of a governed network backed by a cryptocurrency with a stable value.
• Provided legal guidance to an eCommerce discount aggregating company during the introduction of a point of sale credit product, which ultimately led to the company’s acquisition.
• Offered counsel to a human capital management company during the launch of a product that allows users to access their earned wages in real time, and in the formation of a new uninsured national trust bank that received approval from the OCC to open in 2023.

*Includes work performed at a previous firm.