Winston Hosts New York Financial Services Symposium

Winston’s Financial Services Industry Group is pleased to host our inaugural Financial Services Symposium in our New York office on Thursday, September 18, 2025. This event will include a half-day of programming led by top industry thought leaders. Below you will find details about each panel.

Round 1 of Rountable Discussions, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Panel 1 – Hot Topics in Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement 

This panel will address recent trends in securities and complex commercial litigation, government enforcement, and more.

Speakers

• Kerry Donovan, Securities Litigation Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Matt Graves, White Collar & Government Investigations Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP; Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (2021–2025)
• George Mastoris, Co-Chair, New York Litigation Practice, Winston & Strawn LLP

Panel 2 – New Frontiers in FinTech, Digital Assets & Crypto 

Explore this rapidly evolving sector with discussions on the GENIUS Act, litigation trends, regulatory compliance, supervision and enforcement, and more.

Speakers

• Steve Aquino, Head of Legal, Mesh Connect
• Juan Azel, Chair, Fintech, Banking & Payments Group, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Chris Capitanelli, Global Finance Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Thania Charmani, Complex Commercial Litigation Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Yulia Makarova, Financial Innovation & Regulation Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Kimberly Prior, Co-Chair, Digital Assets Group, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Alyson Villano, Executive VP, General Counsel of Consumer Banking and Digital Transformation, Santander Bank, N.A.

Round 2 of Rountable Discussions, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Panel 3 – The Latest in Lending

This panel will discuss the latest trends in lending, including private credit markets, structured finance, and more.

Speakers

• Aaron Benjamin, Global Finance Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Chris Gavin, Co-Chair, Structured Finance & Co-Chair, Residential Mortgage Finance and Securitization Practices, Winston & Strawn LLP

Panel 4 – What’s Trending in Strategic M&A and Private Equity?

Examine recent trends in strategic M&A and private equity, including shifts in deal structures, regulatory changes, exit strategies, and more.

Speakers

• Teresa Bernstein, Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, ACON Investments
• Oscar David, Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Beth Kramer, Funds Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Scott Naidech, Co-Chair, Funds Group & Co-Chair, Secondaries and Liquidity Solutions, Winston & Strawn LLP

Special Guest Speaker Chris DeSantis, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

We are honored to have Chris DeSantis as our special guest speaker. Chris is an independent organizational behavior practitioner, speaker, podcast host of Cubicle Confidential, and author of the book “Why I Find You Irritating: Navigating Generational Friction at Work.” Chris will share valuable insights on understanding, appreciating, and leveraging generational perspectives to benefit our companies and teams.

A networking reception will follow the guest speaker. 

If you are interested in attending, please submit a registration request here.