Sidley Austin has been joined by a highly experienced fintech lawyer and expert in crypto issues with Jess Cheng joining the firm from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati where she was a partner in the Fintech and Financial Services practice.
The firm’s media release is below –
Sidley is pleased to announce that Jess Cheng has joined the firm’s Banking, Payments and Fintech practice as a partner in Sidley’s office in New York. Ms. Cheng joins from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati where she was a partner in the Fintech and Financial Services practice.
Ms. Cheng represents clients on all aspects of payments law and regulatory matters critical to designing and bringing new payment solutions to market, as well as strategically mitigating potential risks. She advises companies across the payments ecosystem, including payment systems, stablecoin networks, fintech companies, digital marketplaces, neobanks, technology service providers, and crypto and blockchain enterprises, helping them adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment. She also has served as senior counsel at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where she led the drafting of modernized payments regulations and interagency policymaking on digital assets and stablecoins, and as an officer at the New York Fed, a provider of central bank payment services and master accounts.
“Jess combines sophisticated knowledge of federal and state payment system regulation with firsthand experience at the Federal Reserve, uniquely positioning us to help clients navigate a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and capitalize on emerging opportunities,” said Perry Shwachman, a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee and global co-leader of Sidley’s M&A and Private Equity practice. “In addition to her technical strength, Jess is widely respected in the market and an excellent cultural fit for the firm.”
“Jess brings a rare combination of technical depth and practical insight across both consumer and commercial payments,” said Nancy Chung, managing partner of the New York office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee. “She will be an exceptional partner to the broader team, complementing our existing strengths, supporting cross-practice growth, and ensuring continuity at the highest level as we continue to expand our fintech practice.”
Ms. Cheng’s arrival follows the addition of several partners to Sidley’s New York office in 2026, including Juan Arteaga in Antitrust and Competition; Ji Hye You and Leah Edelboim in Global Finance; and Cliff Cone, Michael Sabin, and Dan Drabkin in Investment Funds. In 2025, Sidley added multiple partners to the office, including Mary Marks in Antitrust and Competition; Matthew Podolsky in White Collar Defense and Investigations; Ian McGinley in Securities Enforcement and Regulatory; David Grubman, Adam Cromie, George Hunter, and Demetrius Warrick in M&A; Andrew Colosimo, Patrick Greeley, Shant Manoukian, Andrew Fadale, and David Perkins in Private Equity; Chris Jackson in Global Finance; Kristin Lee in Banking, Payments and Fintech; Amy Rubin in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation; and Bonnie Neuman, Nicholas Brandfon, and Melissa Hinkle in Real Estate. The firm also added Dallas-based Banking, Payments and Fintech partner David Monteiro in 2025.
Sidley’s Banking, Payments and Fintech practice is widely recognized as a market leader, consistently ranked Band 1 by Chambers in Fintech: Payments and Lending and Fintech: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies. The team advises a broad spectrum of financial institutions, payments companies, technology platforms, and digital asset businesses on complex regulatory, transactional, enforcement, and supervisory matters. With deep experience before federal banking agencies and state regulators, and a strong bench across consumer and commercial payments, digital assets, and emerging financial infrastructure, the practice delivers integrated, forward-looking counsel to clients operating at the forefront of financial innovation.
Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters.
Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.
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