Grace Chong
Of Counsel (Regulatory), Simmons & Simmons JWS
Grace has over a decade of experience in advising banks and asset managers on regulatory and fintech matters in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Singapore and Hong Kong. She has broad experience of advising on various regulatory topics, including in relation to licensing and conduct of business requirements, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, implementation of AI, cross-border marketing, derivatives reporting, and senior management accountability. A former in-house counsel at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, she regularly interacts with key regulators, is closely involved in regional regulatory reform initiatives and has led discussions with regulators on behalf of the financial services industry.
Grace is a strong advocate for digital innovation, investments and critical infrastructural transformation. She is a payments specialist and has advised digital assets exchanges and brokers, stored value facilities, merchant acquirers, and other trade finance and e-commerce companies in relation to licensing and payments services regulations in Asia. Grace sits on the board of Singapore's key blockchain association, ACCESS, and is part of the AML Working Group of GDF.
Grace leads the firm's regulatory fintech initiatives in Asia, and is a certified cybersecurity (GLEG) and data privacy (CIPP/A/E, CIPM) professional and has spearheaded multijurisdictional projects relating to privacy compliance, data transfers, data retention and cybersecurity readiness. She is an IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy, and sits on the IAPP Women Leading Privacy Board where she is the key representative for Asia.
Grace brings a strategic outlook from an in-house perspective having worked as counsel in the Global Internal Investigations Group in the Hong Kong headquarters of a global financial institution. She is a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Committee of the Law Society of Singapore, and is part of the Derivatives Reporting Working Group in AIMA.