Leeds Financial and FinTech Law Conference 2023

Transforming FinTech in Leeds: Lessons from the U.S. and Singaporean Models

Introduction

Hosted by the Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP), in collaboration with the Singapore Management University Centre for AI and Data Governance (CAIDG), and partly sponsored by the Michael Beverly Innovation Fellowship Programme, this pioneer international conference will identify the key elements of success of secondary financial and FinTech centres in the U.K., the U.S. and Singapore in order to make legal-regulatory and policy recommendations for UK regulators and policymakers. Secondary financial and FinTech centres have not received much attention from a legal-regulatory perspective to date. The conference will focus on the Leeds Financial and FinTech Centre. The chief aim of the conference is to facilitate a regional network across academia, legal services, the financial and FinTech industry, regulators, and policy makers. Ultimately, the goal is to facilitate the UK becoming the most innovative jurisdiction and economy in terms of financial regulation and FinTech while also protecting the stability of its rapidly transforming financial services sector.

The Leeds Financial and FinTech Centre

Over the past 15 years, building upon a strong financial services presence, Leeds has become a financial and FinTech centre for companies across many areas of specialisation. The number of investment funds funding FinTech companies has also multiplied in recent years. Leeds-based FinTech companies provide, among others, businesses with affordable ways to process card payments, crowdfunding platforms where people invest in property, regulation platforms for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, and identity verification. These services create value; they can save money and time for both customers and financial institutions. Therefore, they have a positive impact on the economy.

About the programme

The conference will feature a keynote speech by Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL (Senior Business and Strategy Adviser, Squire, Patton, Boggs, Leeds; Chair, NP11 group of Northern Local Enterprise Partnerships; Chair, Piece Hall Trust; Commissioner of The Global Britain Commission) and three panels. Confirmed panellists include:

• Richard Squire (Fordham University School of Law, New York, NY; Liberty Fellow 2023, CBLP, University of Leeds School of Law)
• Aurelio Gurrea Martinez (Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law)
• Nydia Remolina Leon (Assistant Professor of Law; Head of Industry Relations and Fintech track Lead, Centre for AI and Data Governance (CAIDG), Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law)
• Alison Lui (Reader in Corporate and Financial Law, Liverpool John Moores University School of Law)
• Stephen Harris (Regional Director, Head of SME & Mid Corporate North East & Yorkshire, Lloyds Banking Group)
• Andrew Northage (Regulatory & Compliance Partner, Head of International Trade, Walker Morris LLP, Leeds)
• Paul Anderson (Partner, Financial Services, Squire Patton Boggs LLP, Leeds)
• Nabi Omidvar (University Academic Fellow of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services, University of Leeds Business School)

Registration

All are welcome. This is a free in-person event, though registration is required via Eventbrite. The event will not be recorded; however, we will take pictures and brief video-shots (visuals) during the event for event promotion purposes.