Gowling WLG has once again been recognized as one of the top Canadian law firms in the 2020 edition of Chambers FinTech. In addition, Usman Sheikh, head of the firm's Blockchain & Smart Contracts Group, has been named the top FinTech lawyer in the country.

This is the second consecutive year Gowling WLG has been ranked as a leading law firm in the area of FinTech. The firm received praise from its clients in the guide: "Gowling gets straight to the message - they figure out what we have to focus on and only deal with those issues. They identify the critical things that you need to address and they address them properly."

Sheikh was the only lawyer in Canada to achieve a Band 1 ranking - the highest possible level of achievement. He received glowing feedback in the guide, including from one client who said that he "has the theoretical and conceptual framework to think about new technology. And he is an effective and fierce fighter to change the paradigm in financial services and technology in this country."

In recent years, Gowling WLG has distinguished itself as a leading law firm when it comes to all things tech - particularly in the areas of FinTech, emerging technologies, AI, big data, privacy and data, cyber security, blockchain and InsurTech. In 2019, partner Parna Sabet-Stephenson was named among the top five lawyers for FinTech in the 2020 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada.

This year, Chambers FinTech 2020 expanded its global coverage from 22 to 37 jurisdictions. Legal expertise was assessed in four main categories: Payments & Lending, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, Data Protection & Cyber security, and Corporate, Securities & Financing.

Listings in the Chambers FinTech guide are the result of several months of research led by a dedicated, independent team conducting hundreds of in-depth interviews with leading innovators and experts worldwide.

Gowling WLG operates at the forefront of FinTech's emerging business landscape, helping companies understand and navigate the complex regulatory and operational challenges that new products and technologies bring with them. Learn more about our FinTech Group