Partner
Latham & Watkins
Barrie VanBrackle, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Payments Practice, advises industry leaders on complex fintech transactions, with a particular focus on payment technology and consumer financial services compliance.
Barrie helps merchants, payment processors, and fintech vendors navigate key issues at the intersection of technology and finance, including:
A recognized authority on payments and consumer financial services compliance, Barrie regularly guides clients through transactions involving payment systems participants. Her experience includes advising large merchants and financial technology companies on payment acceptance, payment issuance, co-brand agreements, payment card industry data security issues, and other regulatory matters.
Barrie also has deep experience advising corporate and private equity clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other fintech investments.
She has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Legal 500 US and is nationally ranked for FinTech Legal: Payments & Lending by Chambers USA.
Barrie frequently speaks at industry events and writes on evolving regulatory and compliance issues related to payments and other e-commerce matters.
She is active in the payments community and regulatory space and volunteers with the Merchant Acquirers’ Committee (MAC), a nonprofit trade association within the payment processing ecosystem. Barrie holds a leadership position within MAC’s Government Relations Strategic Insights Group.
The U.S. digital banking landscape in 2026 is undergoing a profound transformation as regulators shift toward a more innovation-friendly and deregulatory stance, moving away from previous cycles of caution and restriction toward a mandate for technological integration. Experts will discuss the “regulatory sea change” under the current administration, including the rescinding of restrictive crypto guidance and the push for standardized licensing for digital asset service providers.
The panel will also consider the maturation of AI-driven lending regulations, meeting enhanced cybersecurity mandates for real-time payment systems, and managing the evolving balance of power as state regulators increasingly step into consumer oversight roles. This discussion will provide attendees with actionable insights on how these 2026 shifts redefine compliance from a cost center into a strategic driver of operational stability and competitive advantage.