Overview
Heena Merchant is Of Counsel in the Global Fintech and Payments Group of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Houston office. She advises a broad range of clients including traditional depository institutions, non-bank financial institutions, financial services companies, payment processors, trusted platform companies, payment networks, digital asset platforms, and private equity and investment firms investing in Fintech companies. Ms. Merchant’s practice involves advising such clients on issues ranging from ongoing regulatory compliance, product development and commercialization of payments product offerings, digital asset product development and regulatory compliance, transactions and matters before federal and state regulatory agencies, strategic partnerships and commercial transactions between parties in the global payments space, and capital-raising activities.
Ms. Merchant has deep expertise in federal and state financial services laws, money-laundering laws, and payments regulatory laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act, Regulation E, federal and state money transmission laws, federal and state gift card laws, and consumer protection laws.
Education
- Cornell University, J.D., 2012
- Vanderbilt University, B.A. in Psychology and Political Science (cum laude), 2008
news
insights
- U.S. Proposes a National Framework for the Regulation of Fintech - August 9th, 2018
- CFPB Payday Rule: A Ban or a Blueprint for the Future of Short-Term Consumer Lending? - October 19th, 2017
- Compliance Alert: CFPB Releases New Guidance Regarding Phone Pay Fees - August 11th, 2017
- OCC to Banking Entities—Give Us Input to Help Improve Implementation of the Volcker Rule - August 10th, 2017
- State Regulators Mount Counter-Offensive Seeking to Stop OCC’s Fintech Charter - May 3rd, 2017
- The OCC’s Proposed Fintech Charter: If It Walks Like a Bank and Quacks Like a Bank, It’s a Bank - December 13th, 2016
- Back to the Future—Trump Administration Seeks to Roll Back Financial Services Regulation - November 30th, 2016
- The CFPB’s Project Catalyst: Is It Worth the Risk? - November 4th, 2016
- Money Transmitters Face New Requirements under Proposed New York Cybersecurity Rule - October 6th, 2016
- Online Lenders Beware—CashCall Decision another Example of True Lender Risks - September 29th, 2016
- Addressing ECOA Risk in Marketplace Lending - August 25th, 2016
- Are You Ready to Comply with the CFPB’s Final Amended Mortgage Servicing Rules? - August 10th, 2016
- CFPB Proposes New Rule Targeting Small Dollar Loans, Relies on UDAAP Rulemaking Authority for First Time - June 14th, 2016
- FinCEN Guidance Highlights Continued Regulatory Focus on Anti-Money Laundering Risks Posed by MSB Agents - March 29th, 2016
- CFPB—2015 in Review and What is Ahead for 2016? - January 14th, 2016
- Has the CFPB Essentially Banned Marketing Services Agreements Under RESPA? - October 21st, 2015
- Banking on the Green Rush: Financial Institutions Face New Challenges in Serving the Legal Marijuana Industry - September 29th, 2015
- Cybersecurity as a Global Concern in Need of Global Solutions: Some Recent Financial Regulatory Developments - September 1st, 2015
- Elder Financial Abuse on the Rise: What Financial Institutions Can Do to Address Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny Designed to Protect At-Risk Customers - August 25th, 2015
- Is Your Business Ready to Comply with the Final Amended Department of Defense Military Lending Act Regulation? - August 5th, 2015