Introduction

• Publication year: 2017

Introduction

Nicole Morris

INTRODUCTION

Nicole Morris^*

I am pleased to present the ECGAR Law & Innovation issue. This issue is devoted to innovative regulatory approaches to corporate governance. The majority of the articles in this issue deal with some of the complex governance issues for companies in the financial technology ("fintech") industry.

As the name of the publication implies, ECGAR understands the importance of effective corporate governance practices. This issue is focused on how fintech companies will monitor their systems for data breaches and how they manage the risk associated with data privacy breaches.

Atlanta is home to over 100 companies in the fintech space, with players such as First Data, Global Payments and NCR all headquartered in Atlanta. In 2015, FinTech Atlanta was formed to develop Atlanta as the recognized global leader in the FinTech industry. Protecting data and information from cyberattacks is a dominant concern for fintech companies and the failure to adequately manage these risks are addressed by the articles in this issue.

In the article, Electronic Equity Management Platforms for Privately-Held Companies: Benefits, Risks and Costs, George Akers explores the use of various electronic equity management platforms ("EMP") in paper-based security transactions such as issuing options and other securities electronically. The author highlights the benefits of EMPs as well as the risks and barriers to their implementation.

In the article, "The Evolving Landscape of Data Privacy and Cybersecurity in the Financial Services Industry," Craig Nazarro, Matt White and Eric Setterland discuss the regulation of data privacy and cyber security in the financial services sector. The...