DAVID TEITELBAUM is co-leader of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services practice and co-leader of the firm’s Fintech group, which is recognized as a Band 1 practice by 2025 Chambers FinTech. David has a broad regulatory practice for all types of entities involved in U.S. and international payments and financial systems, including insured depository institutions and their holding companies, virtual currency and other digital asset businesses, payment processors and systems, money transmitters, prepaid program managers, technology providers, investors, and retailers. He assists these companies in the wide range of regulatory issues that impact their businesses by providing a combination of thoughtful regulatory guidance, solution-oriented transactional assistance, and strategic legislative planning. He routinely helps companies structure payment, blockchain, and other fintech products to minimize regulatory burden, negotiate commercial agreements for the support and distribution of those products, and create customer interfaces and disclosures that balance regulatory requirements and business needs. David has been involved in the evolution of payment technology from its roots in credit, debit, and ACH through on-going developments in prepaid, internet, mobile, and digital asset models. For example, he has assisted clients in projects involving blockchain-based technologies both as a form of payment and as an asset class for investment. David is able to combine a keen understanding of the underpinnings of various financial ecosystems with the creativity necessary to provide cutting edge legal advice to today’s fintech leaders.
David is a frequent writer and speaker in the financial services area, including at the NACHA Payments conferences. He has participated as a member of the editorial board of FinTech Law Report, and his publications include numerous articles in The Journal of Payments Strategy and Systems and The Business Lawyer as well as co-authorship of The Community Reinvestment Act: Policies and Compliance (Prentice-Hall Law and Business), the U.S. chapter of the International Monetary Fund book, Payment Systems of the World and contributions to The Law of Electronic Fund Transfers (Warren, Gorham and Lamont).
Strong advocacy on behalf of clients has earned David numerous accolades, including:
- Chambers FinTech, USA FinTech Legal: Payments & Lending (2018–2025) (Band 1) and USA FinTech Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies (2023–2025) (Band 2); clients praised David for the way he “brings together traditional banking and financial services expertise and applies it to new and innovative financial technologies … is deeply involved in the payments sector and the evolution of new digital payments systems. … ‘His depth of knowledge is kind of stunning in a sense. When it comes to the Bank Secrecy Act, he knows everything, including what amendments occurred and what policy decisions were behind those amendments.’ … ‘He also has a very practical take on things. When things are uncertain, he gives advice on how to move things forward.’” (2022)
- The Best Lawyers in America, “Best Lawyer,” Banking and Finance Law (2016–2022), Financial Services Regulation Law (2017–2022)
- Chambers USA, Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Compliance) (2011–2024)
- Law360, “MVP,” Fintech (2020), Retail & E-Commerce (2017)
- Chambers USA Award, “Financial Services Regulation Law Firm of the Year” (2019)
- The National Law Journal, “Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and Fintech Trailblazer” (2018)