JUAN AZEL

PARTNER & CHAIR OF THE FINTECH GROUP, WINSTON TAYLOR, MIAMI

Winston Taylor is a transatlantic law firm driving capital and innovation with more than 1,400 lawyers spanning the U.S., the United Kingdom, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. It has a longstanding commitment to pro bono work. Azel joined Winston's then-fledgling Miami office in 2022 and drove significant local and national growth by co-founding and co-chairing the firm's fintech, banking and payments group. In May 2025, he was appointed as the group's sole chairperson.

EDUCATION: Florida International University (BS), University of Miami (JD)

DAILY RITUAL: I routinely keep abreast of regulatory changes affecting the industry, including both final and proposed rulemaking, distill the regulations into simple form and proactively advise clients on the practical considerations those changes might bring to their business and regulatory compliance obligations.

NEXT BIG FOCUS: In recent months many fintech companies have applied to become banks. I am focused on assisting these companies beyond the charter and with running a bank in a safe and sound manner, including risk and regulatory compliance. Personally, taking care of my mom as she gets older.

IN MY DOWNTIME: I am a gamer. As a kid I started gaming on the Apple II+ and Atari 2600 and have owned many gaming computers and consoles since, including the PlayStation 5 Pro. When I can find the time, I still game today with my kids and hopefully one day with my grandkids!

NEXT GEN ADVICE “My advice can be summarized in the immortal words of Winston Churchill: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.'”