Melissa M. Winchester

Melissa Winchester advises companies, investors and fintech businesses on mergers and acquisitions, negotiating high-stakes contracts and navigating regulatory obligations.

Her previous experience as General Counsel for the country’s then largest privately-held payment processor enables Melissa to assist a variety of clients in the payment systems industry. Merchant acquirers, financial institutions, private equity investors and software companies all trust her to close deals, launch new products and comply with contractual and operational requirements. Her practice also includes general corporate counsel services and executive compensation negotiations.

Melissa takes pride in making complex deals understandable for her clients. She provides them with clear, timely legal advice that supports their business goals throughout the business life cycle. With firsthand experience as a client in demanding transactions, Melissa brings empathy, efficiency and a strong commitment to finding solutions that make her clients’ jobs easier.

Experience

• Represented a seller in the merchant acquiring industry in its sale to a private equity firm, including extensive negotiation of terms of continued minority ownership by selling founders.
• Represented a seller in the merchant acquiring industry in the sale of a division, navigating complex post-closing integration issues and preserving ongoing business relationships.
• Advised a financial institution on launching multiple payment products, including FedNow and digital payments, addressing regulatory and operational challenges to support successful product deployment.
• Represented executive management in the recapitalization of a professional services firm with a new lead private equity investor, achieving favorable terms for management’s equity stake after extensive negotiations.
• Counseled multiple private equity funds on potential investments in fintech portfolio companies, identifying and mitigating regulatory and contractual risks to support informed investment decisions.
• Represented an independent sales organization in the portfolio sale to a peer firm, helping the client maximize valuation and ensure continuity of agent and processor relationships.