Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM135: Fintech law and regulation

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The underlying aim of this module is to identify and explore the fundamental principles of financial regulation relating to financial technologies. The module covers UK, EU and international regulatory initiatives for some technologies such Blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and Big Data in financial markets. Among the regulatory fields which are covered are: conduct of business, financial promotion and investor protection; market abuse; issues of securities; financial crime and data governance.

The more detailed aims of this module are therefore for you:

1: to analyse the principles of regulatory sandbox for Fintech and to explore the policies underpinning UK and EU regulatory structures for Fintech

2: to analyse the legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, online lending, new payments and wealth management technologies, and financial account aggregators.

3: to examine the evolving relationship between Fintechs, regulators, and traditional Financial institutions

3. to analyse the liabilities of financial institutions for wrongs and breaches of fiduciary duty in financial transactions when using Fintech

4. to explore Fintech regulation and the challenges posed by data protection and cyber security

5. to identify legal and regulatory mismatches with, and adaptation to, emerging Fintech business models

6. explore some of the tools government use to regulate financial markets and discuss potential challenges for FinTech innovators in complying with these regulations.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Discuss detailed knowledge of principles of financial regulation and of the substantive law relating to financial technologies
2. evaluate critically the effectiveness of financial regulation for financial technologies
Discipline-Specific Skills3. apply principles of the common law and equity to factual problems arising out of financial technologies
4. analyse critically the nature and policy objectives of the law and regulation relating to financial technologies
Personal and Key Skills5. analyse issues arising from the inter-action of principles of substantive law and financial regulation in a specific commercial context
6. exercise critical judgment in relation to commercial issues