Financial Services

From crowdsourcing and e-wallets, to robo-advisors and digital currencies, innovative technologies continue to disrupt the financial services and capital markets sectors.

Investment in FinTech has risen sharply and continues to climb, with global investment in 2014 estimated at US$12.2 billion (source: Accenture) and more than 80 FinTech companies launched in New York to date. Exponential growth and proliferation of FinTech, in turn, puts pressure on the various regulatory regimes governing banking and securities, which seek to safeguard the Canadian financial system and ensure a level playing field among all participants without stifling innovation.

Whether a start-up looking to grow a business and navigate applicable regulatory regimes, a private equity firm seeking investment opportunities, a financial institution developing a new service offering through a collaborative alliance,  or a company seeking to purchase or sell FinTech products or services, Squared, regarded as one of the top FinTech law firms in the U.S. by Chambers FinTech 2019, has the cross-disciplinary expertise and experience to provide the necessary critical insight and guidance.

We assist FinTech companies by addressing their business and legal risks to ensure they grow and thrive beyond the start-up phase and remain compliant with relevant bank, securities and consumer protection legislation. Financial institutions and other users of FinTech products and services benefit from our knowledge and understanding of the FinTech market – our lawyers can help them remain competitive, evolve their technology and business models and tap into the potential offered through financial technology.

OUR EXPERTISE INCLUDES

• Blockchain
• Capital Markets
• Emerging and High Growth Companies
• Employment and Labour
• Financial Services Regulatory
• Financial Services
• Investment Funds and Asset Management
• Intellectual Property
• Marketing and Distribution
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Privacy and Data Management
• Technology
• Venture Capital

“The major winners will be financial services companies that embrace technology.”

– Alexander Peh, PayPal and Braintree

EXPERIENCE

• 3iQ:
  3iQ and the Bitcoin Fund in its approval to offer the word’s first publicly traded Bitcoin investment fund
• WealthBar:
  WealthBar Executives in their equity sale to CI Financial Corp.
• Wealthsimple:
  Wealthsimple for Advisors in its acquisition by Purpose Advisor Solutions
• Verafin:
  Verafin in its $515 million venture funding – the largest venture funding deal in Canada’s history
• FlexPay:
  FlexPay in its $6 million late seed round led by Impression Ventures
• Drive Capital:
  Drive Capital in KOHO Financial’s $25 million Series C financing round
• Wealthsimple:
  Wealthsimple in its acquisition of SimpleTax

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

• Chambers USA Awards: Named ‘Technology Law Firm of the Year’, 2020
• Chambers FinTech: USA’s Leading Lawyers in FinTech (Band 1)
• Chambers USA: Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Capital Markets (Band 1);  Information Technology (Band 1)
• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Capital Markets (Band 1)