Ballard Spahr, LLP issued the following announcement on Jan. 7.
Judy Mok, an attorney with extensive experience negotiating complex payments transactions for some of the world's largest retailers and financial institutions, has joined Ballard Spahr as Of Counsel in the Consumer Financial Services Group, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today. She will be based in the firm's New York office.
Ms. Mok, who spent nearly a decade at Morrison & Foerster and most recently served at Apple Inc. as its Senior Payments Counsel, has a wealth of experience in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements, with a focus on strategic partnership arrangements. Her substantial experience includes negotiating and drafting co-branded and private-label credit card agreements, payment network agreements, merchant agreements, servicing agreements, processing agreements, and portfolio purchase and sale agreements.
Ms. Mok's arrival further bolsters the firm's offerings in the consumer payment systems space, as she reunites with two former Morrison & Foerster colleagues who joined Ballard Spahr in 2018: Chris Ford, a noted Fintech attorney who has led some of the country's largest and most innovative payment systems transactions, and David Medlar, who has negotiated intricate deals involving payment systems, merchant acquisition, and gateway payment services.
"Fintech, particularly for payment systems, is a constantly changing landscape, and our clients rely on us to keep them up to speed—especially on the growing trend of payments going digital," said Alan S. Kaplinsky, who leads Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group. "Judy brings a strong transactional background and knowledge of the payments ecosystem that not only will complement and strengthen Chris' and David's practice, but will round out the capabilities of the whole group. She will be a formidable addition to our team."
Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group has more than 120 attorneys across the country, including a growing number who are based in the firm's New York office. Lawyers in the New York office also serve clients in white collar litigation, real estate, antitrust, First Amendment law, commercial litigation, corporate law, and bankruptcy.
In addition, Ms. Mok has handled numerous transactional matters for clients relating to the launch and marketing of business initiatives, such as e-commerce platforms, online-lending programs, and mobile payment solutions.
"Coming to Ballard gives me an exciting opportunity to align my expertise in the area of payments with the firm's strong consumer financial services practice," said Ms. Mok. "I'm eager to work with Chris, Dave, and the rest of the team to build a comprehensive platform that will be at the forefront of the payments industry, and will allow us to service clients on the entire spectrum of issues affecting their businesses."
Ballard Spahr's consumer financial services attorneys represent clients ranging from global financial institutions to entrepreneurial enterprises and internet-based providers. They advise on regulatory matters, assist in the design and documentation of new products, and advocate for clients in class actions, regulatory enforcement proceedings, and other lawsuits nationwide. They also provide strategic counsel on large-scale commercial transactions involving payments systems, merchant acquiring, Fintech, outsourcing, and related business issues.
Original source can be found here.