William Hallatt is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Global Financial Regulatory group and heads the Asia-Pacific Financial Regulatory practice. He provides comprehensive contentious and advisory regulatory support to global financial institutions, including major investment banks, wholesale and retail banks, hedge funds, private wealth managers, investment managers, insurers, major fintech firms and cryptocurrency exchanges.

His experience includes both internal and external regulatory investigations, in particular high-stakes enforcement matters brought by key financial services regulators, including the Hong Kong Securities & Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), covering issues such as IPO sponsor conduct, anti-money laundering and terrorist financing compliance, systems and controls failures, and cybersecurity breaches.

He routinely advises on new regulatory developments and compliance advisory matters, as well as the extraterritorial impact of third-country regulation. He has also led the industry response on a number of the most significant regulatory change issues, working closely with senior figures from major regulators, including the SFC, HKMA, Hong Kong Insurance Authority (IA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), together with associations, including the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) and the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA).

William has particular expertise on the regulation of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, and has advised leading cryptocurrency exchanges as well as regulated financial institutions on a range of key strategic matters in this space.

He has been consistently recognised as a leading lawyer in Chambers Asia-Pacific for both contentious and non-contentious regulatory work and is also listed as a leading lawyer by Chambers Greater China Region. His practice is also recognised by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.