Ryan F. Helmrich

Ryan Helmrich advises investment managers, broker-dealers, fund sponsors, custodial banks, transfer agents and other regulated financial organizations on a broad range of regulatory and transactional matters, including enterprise risk management, governance, and deployment of artificial intelligence and other technologies. He also counsels asset managers on a range of regulatory issues, including registration, interpretive guidance, new product development, regulatory examinations and enforcement actions. His work increasingly focuses on emerging technology and digital‑asset‑related initiatives, including the development and operation of blockchain enabled platforms for transfer agency and recordkeeping.

In addition to his broad experience in asset management, Ryan regularly represents financial institutions in lift-out transactions, master servicing arrangements, derivatives-trading arrangements, as well as other matters affecting their domestic and global asset-servicing activities (custody, administrative, sub-accounting, and transfer agency). Ryan also advises sponsors and managers of private and registered funds, including ETFs, pursuing cryptocurrency‑related and digital‑asset investment strategies on product development, distribution, disclosure, custody, valuation, and regulatory risk considerations. He works with state sponsors, private program managers and other providers of retirement savings (SECURE Act) products, Section 529 college savings programs, Section 529A (ABLE) disability savings programs, and regularly represents investment advisers, broker-dealers, and program administrators.

Ryan has deep private sector experience, having served as Director and Assistant General Counsel with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he advised the Chief Investment Office and global wealth management division, focusing on new product development and augmentation, cross-product issues, performance reporting and advertising, product supervision, risk management, internal audit, and compliance. He also led a legal team in the transition of legacy Merrill Lynch investment platforms, which included registered funds, 529 Plans and alternative investments, and supported the Wealth Management and U.S. Trust advisory platforms with new product origination, distribution, client and third-party relationships, and trading issues.