Jess Cheng

Biography

Jess Cheng is a Partner in Wilson Sonsini’s Corporate Practice.  In this role, she represents fintech clients on sophisticated regulatory, transactional, and product development projects involving financial services.  Cheng advises clients on navigating complex and evolving regulatory frameworks governing payments, emerging technologies, and related bank-regulatory matters.  She regularly counsels fintech companies, digital marketplaces, neobanks, and innovative payment service providers on structuring sophisticated commercial and bank-partnership arrangements that minimize regulatory risk while advancing business objectives.

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Cheng served as Senior Counsel at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where she spearheaded the drafting of modernized payment regulations and analysis of novel activities such as those related to crypto assets.  She also worked with congressional staff on stablecoin legislation and central bank digital currencies.  Cheng also served as Counsel for the International Monetary Fund, where she advised on the Fund’s fintech work agenda and was the lead expert in payments and digital assets.  Earlier in her career, she was Deputy General Counsel at Ripple, Counsel and Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and an Associate at Wachtell Lipton.

Cheng received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her B.A. from Yale University.