Firm wins ‘Partner Initiative’ accolade at Central Banking FinTech and RegTech global Awards

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has been named the ‘Partner Initiative’ winner at this year’s Central Banking Journal’s FinTech and RegTech annual global Awards for advising on the establishment of a new investment-based crowdfunding regime in Armenia.

London Financial Services Partner Matthew Gregory led the project, providing a combination of policy, legal and regulatory support to develop and implement the new regulatory framework. Norton Rose Fulbright acted as International Legal Expert and Technical Legal Expert for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in support of the Central Bank of Armenia.

The new regime will support SMEs seeking to access new sources of capital and provide a way for companies to raise capital from private individuals, including retail and consumer investors. It is set to make a significant difference to a broad range of businesses and investors across Armenia and the wider Armenian diaspora, providing a key source of funding to fuel growth and ensure that businesses and individuals are properly supported and protected.

This is the second accolade won by Norton Rose Fulbright at the Central Banking FinTech and RegTech Awards, following the firm receiving ‘Technology Advisor of the Year’ in 2020 for its work advising on the world’s first consumer-ready central bank digital currency.

The Central Banking Awards described the firm as having built a ‘track record of providing legal support for a number of central banks, often in developing new technologies,’ citing previous work carried out by the firm for Bahamas-based fintech company NZIA, Natixis and the Bank of England.