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April 26, 2022
New partner brings private practice, FTC and bank-in house experience to the firm.
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP has expanded its Financial Services capabilities with the addition of partner Mercedes Tunstall in Washington, D.C.
Tunstall has earned a reputation as a leading innovator in the financial services space, with a particular focus in fintech and consumer financial services regulation and compliance. She advises banks, lenders, payments companies, digital asset companies and fintechs on how to incorporate new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, distributed ledgers and digital assets into financial products and services in a compliant manner.
“Mercedes brings unique experiences as a former Federal Trade Commission lawyer and bank in-house counsel, as well as her private practice,” said Cadwalader managing partner Pat Quinn. “Our clients are addressing significant challenges with the boom in fintech and increasing consumer protection regulation. Mercedes is a go-to resource in these important areas.”
Added Financial Services Group co-chair James Frazier: “At a time when innovation is one of the watchwords in financial services, Mercedes counsels clients on some of the most in-demand areas, including mobile apps, blockchain and cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens. These are areas of high demand, and Mercedes has distinguished herself as a true industry leader.”
Added Financial Services Group co-chair Ivan Loncar: “Mercedes has deep experience working across practices, including antitrust and litigation, and we envision great synergy with our existing teams in serving our clients.”
Tunstall regularly counsels clients regarding federal banking regulators and defends clients against enforcement actions taken by these regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). She also draws on her experience to work with companies in a wide variety of industries, including the burgeoning Web3 and metaverse spaces, on advertising law, privacy and cybersecurity issues, as well as to represent clients in FTC and National Advertising Division defense.
Tunstall has been recognized by Chambers USA and by The Legal 500 US.
“Cadwalader is so well known for its leadership in financial services and for representing fintechs and more traditional banking clients,” Tunstall said. “There is so much going on in this space these days, particularly with the emphasis on consumer financial protection. I look forward to providing support to Cadwalader clients in this area and to introducing my own clients to Cadwalader’s broad financial services capabilities.”
The arrival of Tunstall, who joins from Loeb & Loeb where she was a partner, follows a number of recent partner additions, including Helen Maher in global litigation, Matthew Smith and Bevis Metcalfe in private credit, and Kiran Kadekar and Michael Bergmann in Corporate.
