This specialised LLM will equip you with expert knowledge in Financial Technology (FinTech) law and regulation. Recent developments in FinTech are having an increasing effect on the way individuals, businesses and governments save, borrow, spend and invest. This Masters will introduce key alternative finance products and services such as mobile payments, crowdfunding, cryptoassets, private digital currencies, stablecoins, decentralized finance and the approaches to central bank digital currencies. These services have been facilitated by technologies such as distributed ledger technology (DLT) blockchain, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

You will also enhance your professional skills, awareness, and ability to locate, interpret, analyse and criticise laws, rules, policies and practices on international financing, financial markets and the impact of technology in the financial services industry. This programme will also provide specialist knowledge of the key role that the law and technology play in facilitating international financial transactions such as syndicated lending and international bond issues.

All our LLM courses are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops with six contact hours a week taking place during weekday evenings from 6 – 9pm. We extensively use problem-based learning, class discussion and case studies to ensure our teaching is brought to life, while all our lectures are issued as podcasts to give you greater access to learning resources and allow you to revisit specific classes.

A variety of teaching methods will be used, and you will be expected to lead discussions based on your own research activities and reflective practice. You will also be expected to work in groups and present findings and solutions to problems. At all times you will be encouraged to reflect on and take responsibility for your own learning. Seminar and workshop groups are a key component of the course and aim to assist you with analysing underlying principles and practices of accounting and asses your application to specific issues.

The main approaches to teaching and learning can be summarised as an emphasis on the role of learners in acquiring knowledge and understanding, the development of skills for self-managed learning and self-assessment and a critical approach to study.

Knowledge is developed through:

• Directed and general reading in the module
• Knowledge based participation in lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops including reflective activities with feedback
• Online discussions and activities
• Research using collection and analysis of research materials.
• The use of information technology to undertake legal research.
• Familiarity with legal concepts, case studies and legal arguments in the selected areas of law.

Thinking skills are developed through:

• Preparation of tasks set for tutorials, seminars and workshops and linking theory to practice
• Satisfactory completion of the assessment process including essays, presentations, reports, case studies and projects
• Preparation for major assignment, such as dissertation/work-based project
• Problem-solving and critical analysis in seminar activities including reflective activities with feedback
• Online discussions and activities

Practical skills are developed through:

• Academic and research skills session, which will take place at the beginning of the semester.
• IT activities with feedback
• Case studies and workshops
• Analysis of legal argument
• Planning and staging presentations
• Research skills-based activities with feedback

Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through

• Time management to be achieved through either working in groups or individually
• Forming and working in teams which will develop organizational, motivational and communication skills
• Being able to produce clearly argued solutions when problem solving
• Academic writing ability
• Oral presentation of arguments
• Planning activities with feedback

Who teaches on this course

Dr Iwa Salami

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

You’ll learn about the role that financial regulation plays in key FinTech developments such as mobile payments, crowdfunding, cryptoassets, private digital currencies, stablecoins and decentralized finance. You’ll develop an understand of the role that law and technology play in facilitating international transactions such as syndicated lending and international bond issues.

Develop the skills to critically engage with the major theoretical legal debates surrounding international financing, financial markets and financial technology. Be able to deal with policy arguments on international financing, financial markets and financial technology law. Have the ability to apply critical and contextual approaches to the developing legal issues emanating from international financing, regulation of financial markets and financial technology.

Develop the ability to analyse, articulate and write on the subject, by linking previous or current experience with an academic inquiry, particularly via dissertation or work-based project. You’ll also develop an advanced knowledge of the legal discourse and doctrines relating to international financing, financial markets and financial technology.

You’ll gain detailed knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts, terminologies, practices and structures dealing with international financing, financial markets and technology. Have detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the topics studied by linking previous or current experience with current scholarly and legal debates on international financing, financial markets and technology, particularly via dissertation or work-based project.

You’ll develop the ability to engage with principal debates in the field of international financing, financial markets and technology. Build awareness of the contribution of non-legal discipline to debates surrounding international financing, financial markets and technology.

After completing this programme, you would be able to work in roles including: financial/FinTech compliance specialists; lawyers within financial/FinTech institutions and law firms that have finance practice areas (they would need to have qualified in their chosen jurisdiction of practice); financial regulators and policy makers within government departments such as the ministry of finance/ treasury.