Yvette Valdez > Latham & Watkins LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile
Latham & Watkins LLP Offices
1271 Avenue of the Americas
NEW YORK
NY 10020
United States
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Yvette Valdez
Position
Yvette Valdez is counsel in the New York office of Latham & Watkins, and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department and the Derivatives Practice.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
(Next Generation Partners)Based in New York, Latham & Watkins LLP covers the full range of over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivatives products, advising on swap, option and structured-note transactions involving interest rates, currencies, commodities, securities and credit, as well as derivatives relating to cryptocurrencies and digital assets. In addition to housing a robust commodities and derivatives regulation and enforcement practice, other key areas of expertise include equity-linked products and acting for US and international lenders and borrowers on margin loan transactions. Rafal Gawlowski chairs the financial institutions industry group and Witold Balaban, who splits his time between the firm’s New York and London offices, is noted for his standout experience advising on equity derivatives. Yvette Valdez acts for emerging companies, financial institutions and investment managers on regulatory issues associated with crypto-assets, and jointly leads the commodities and derivatives regulation and enforcement practice alongside enforcement expert Douglas Yatter. Courtenay Myers Lima advises on the structuring and distribution of innovative structured products, while Catherine Lee and Reza Mojtabaee-Zamani focus on equity-linked matters. Eric Rice, who was promoted to partner in January 2023, is another key contact in the group.
United States > Finance > Financial services regulation
Latham & Watkins LLP stands out for its comprehensive advice to major financial institutions, global banks, investment firms, broker-dealers, trade associations and large fund complexes. Within this field of expertise, the team is regularly retained for derivates regulation, restructurings, financings, fintech matters and compliance with FINRA, NFA and SEC rulemaking, with further emphasis on broker-dealer IPO and other registered securities transactions. The three-partner leadership team in New York is made up of Stephen Wink, Alan Avery and Yvette Valdez, focused on securities regulatory, federal and state banking laws, and digital assets, respectively. As co-chair of the firm’s global digital assets and Web3 practice, Valdez is a key contact for derivatives work as well as cryptocurrency matters. Counsel Pia Naib is another standout for work relating to crypto assets, showcasing further expertise in anti-money laundering and issues relating to the US Bank Holding Company Act. Arthur Long joined the team in September 2022, previously at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
United States > Finance > Fintech
Latham & Watkins LLP‘s lawyers are ‘able to opine not only on “nuts and bolts” legal issues, but also market trends and norms where legal clarity is lacking‘. The firm has built up an excellent track record on fintech transactions and their regulatory implications, where it represents a mix of established technology companies, startups, and investment funds. The transactional side ranges from IPOs and M&A, through to joint venture agreements, data protection and broker-dealer arrangements. Coupled with this is an increasingly strong track record in blockchain and cryptocurrency. Yvette Valdez jointly leads the team with fellow New York partner Stephen Wink who is praised for his ‘great experience and depth of knowledge‘. Barrie VanBrackle, a recent high profile recruit from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, ‘really understands the intersection of fintechs and banking‘. Clients also rate Mitchell Rabinowitz and Jenny Cieplak (New York) for their ‘deep expertise’. Todd Beauchamp is another well regarded partner. All partners are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.
Lawyer Rankings
- Fintech United States > Finance
- Next Generation Partners United States > Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Structured finance: derivatives and structured products United States > Finance
- Financial services regulation United States > Finance
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Insurance > Advice to policyholders
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Finance > Fintech
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Finance > Project finance
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
- Industry focus > Sport
- Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
Firm Rankings
- International Trade > CFIUS
- Intellectual property > Copyright
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious
- Dispute resolution > International litigation
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Healthcare > Service providers
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- International Trade > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Government > Government contracts
- Healthcare > Health insurers
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)