Bio

Increasing and evolving regulation has led to a more pressing need for thoughtful legal counsel when navigating the banking and financial services industries. Clients trust Sara Lenet to provide practical and strategic advice with respect to complex regulatory issues across the financial services landscape. Her clients include U.S. and foreign banks (and their holding companies), Fintech entities, digital currency and NFT creators and exchanges, gaming operators, and other entities outside of the financial industry that are considering offering financial services ancillary to their businesses or entering into relationships with regulated counterparties. Sara advises depository institutions and their holding companies on a variety of regulatory matters, including permissible activities and investments, Bank Holding Company Act "control" issues and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, Volcker Rule compliance, and partnerships with Fintech entities. Sara also advises financial services innovators, including those in Fintech, virtual currency, NFTs, and gaming in connection with a variety of regulatory issues, such as AML compliance and licensing. Sara is uniquely situated in that she advises both traditional financial institutions and entities in emerging areas, so she has a deep understanding of the different regulatory regimes applicable to different types of entities and financial services and the overlap and interplay among them. Sara represents clients in dealings with their U.S. federal and state regulators, including in connection with examinations, obtaining required approvals for mergers and other transactions, and responding to regulatory inquiries. She has vast experience representing clients before the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, FinCEN, the New York Department of Financial Services, and other state bank regulatory agencies.