Molly Swartz is a partner in the Global Fintech & Payments practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's San Francisco office.

Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Law360 in 2023 and a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 in 2023, Molly advises Fintech and financial services companies, internet marketplaces, and commercial and consumer lenders regarding a broad spectrum of product, regulatory, and transactional matters. As part of Paul Hastings’ Band 1-ranked Fintech and Payments Practice, she is one of a few preeminent financial services attorneys in the US that companies turn to as they seek to commercialize their product offerings further.

She has extensive experience with financial services and consumer protection laws, including the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, state money transmission and licensed lending laws, gift card laws, payment network rules such as the Nacha, Visa and Mastercard Rules, and other state and federal statutes related to money movement.

Ms. Swartz advises household name companies regarding a host of product and regulatory issues. ​From ideation and strategy through launch and beyond, Molly assists in all aspects of product development. She frequently negotiates commercial agreements in the financial services space, including bank-Fintech partnership agreements and commercial agreements between Fintech companies. Molly drafts user-facing documentation for financial services clients including foundational contracts between clients and their customers, and advises on design elements of the user experience. Beyond product development, Molly supports clients through financing services licensing, and registration, and assists clients in responding to regulatory inquiries.

Molly is one of the foremost experts in non-recourse liquidity and earned wage access (collectively, “NRL/EWA”). She was part of the original legal team that helped define the space and lobbied the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to carve out NRL/EWA from its Payday Lending Rule. She has helped numerous clients to develop no-fee, non-recourse forms of financing.

Beyond client work, Molly regularly engages with the tech community, acting as an advisor to several early-stage Fintech companies. A key part of the California Fintech ecosystem, Molly is often a first call from investors as they seek input on the market.

Within Paul Hastings, Molly dedicates her time to mentorship and, specifically, services as Partner Advisory to Paul Hastings’ San Francisco Women’s Affinity Network. Focused on driving change within the legal industry, Molly is also a member of the Paul Hastings Policy Committee and a Global Committee Member of PH Balanced, a committee dedicated to achieving greater work-life balance.

• The Legal 500 USA, Next Generation Partner, Fintech (2023)
• Law360, Rising Star, Fintech (2023)
• The Legal 500 USA, Rising Star, Fintech (2022)