Morrison Foerster strengthens Financial Services and Fintech offerings with the appointment of senior Bank of England adviser

Morrison Foerster strengthens Financial Services and Fintech offerings with the appointment of senior Bank of England adviser

Morrison Foerster, a leading law firm, has hired Samantha Riley, a senior advisor from the Bank of England, as a partner in its transactions team to enhance its financial services and fintech offerings in London.

Riley has a background in financial regulation, fintech, digital innovation, emerging technology, and derivatives from her six years of work at the Bank of England.

According to Paul Friedman, Morrison Foerster's managing partner for Europe. Riley will be a "terrific asset" for the firm's clients.

"The combination of her legal experience with her role at the Bank of England, in which she interacted extensively with senior UK and global policymakers and regulators, will prove invaluable to our clients, in particular on their cross-border matters," Friedman said.

At the Bank of England, Riley most recently advised Sir Jon Cunliffe, the chair of the Committee for Payments and Market Infrastructures.

Riley also worked on developing international policy related to financial market infrastructure and policy and regulatory development related to innovation in financial services, including digital assets.

She was also involved in international work on the G20 cross-border payments roadmap and worked on the response to the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Riley joined the Bank of England in 2017. Prior to that, she served as assistant general counsel at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), where she led industry working groups and developed regulatory implementation initiatives.

Before her tenure at ISDA, Riley was in private practice for almost nine years at Allen & Overy, where she advised clients on matters related to banking, securitisation, derivatives, regulation, and structured finance.

According to Riley, the regulatory landscape affecting the financial services sector is constantly evolving, covering a wide range of areas such as cryptocurrency, cross-border payments, derivatives, and digital innovation.

"I am excited to join Morrison Foerster's London office and work closely with my new colleagues across multiple transactional and regulatory practices both in London and globally as we amplify the firm's offering across financial services and fintech," Riley said.