Carl Fornaris

Florida

Winston Taylor LLP
200 S. Biscayne Boulevard
Suite 1700
Miami, FL 33131

Tel: +1 305-910-0626

Email: carl.fornaris@winstontaylor.com
Web: www.winstontaylor.com

Professional Biography

With over 32 years of legal experience in the financial services industry, Carl advises a broad range of financial firms, including banks and their holding companies, trust companies, money services businesses, FinTech and payments companies, cryptocurrency and other digital assets firms, investment advisers, securities broker dealers, gaming firms, and other financial institutions and their institution-affiliated parties, including financial institution officers and directors, on all aspects of their business from licensing and chartering to capital-raising, business combinations, new products, BSA/AML compliance, prudential regulation, examination issues, federal and state enforcement defense, and troubled institutions.

Carl is chair of the Financial Innovation & Regulation Practice. He represents clients in an extensive range of regulatory, transactional, and administrative enforcement matters, including institution formation and licensing, capital-raising transactions, acquisitions and divestitures, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) compliance and The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs—including the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)—digital assets regulation, FinTech and payments, Dodd-Frank Act compliance, federal and state agency enforcement proceedings and failed bank receivership and resolution advice. Throughout his career, he has counseled clients in their dealings with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and other supervisory authorities.

Carl represents lenders and credit parties in financing transactions, particularly credits to non-U.S. loan parties, asset-based credits, acquisition financing, and stand-by letters of credit. In addition, Carl is a member of the firm’s Venezuela Task Force, advising clients on risk assessment across a range of complex matters.

Previously, Carl served as head of legal and compliance for the Latin America region of Barclays Bank PLC, with responsibility for managing legal and compliance matters throughout the region. Carl is a past General Counsel of the Financial and International Business Association (FIBA), Inc., and he presently sits on the board of directors of FIBA.

Winston Taylor’s Finance practice advises banks, asset managers, direct lenders, credit funds, private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers, and other financial institutions on the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border financing transactions. With approximately 200 finance lawyers across major financial centres in the United States and Europe, the team provides sophisticated counsel on leveraged, asset-based and reserve-based lending, fund finance, structured finance, derivatives, project finance, real estate finance, and financial restructuring.

The practice is particularly recognized for its market-leading structured finance and securitization capabilities, having played a pioneering role in the development of the asset class and completing hundreds of high-value transactions. The team regularly represents many of the world’s largest financial institutions, as well as non-bank lenders, insurers, and alternative capital providers, on transactions ranging from middle-market financings to multi-billion-dollar cross-border deals.

Combining transactional, regulatory, and restructuring expertise, the firm delivers fully integrated advice throughout the lifecycle of a financing. Its finance lawyers work closely with financial services regulatory specialists to address complex compliance issues, while restructuring and insolvency practitioners provide strategic support on workouts, enforcement actions, and cross-border restructurings when transactions become distressed.

Winston Taylor is a transatlantic law firm advising businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, and private clients on the legal and commercial issues driving capital, innovation, and growth. With a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, the firm combines international reach with a collaborative, business-focused approach tailored to the evolving needs of clients operating in global markets.

The firm is particularly recognized for its capabilities in major litigation, complex transactions, strategic intellectual property, and private wealth matters. Its multidisciplinary team works across jurisdictions and practice areas to provide integrated legal solutions, supporting clients through high-value disputes, transformative transactions, business expansion, and the protection of valuable assets and intellectual property.

With more than 1,400 lawyers, Winston Taylor emphasizes close client partnerships, combining deep legal knowledge with sector-specific insight and practical commercial advice. By integrating seamlessly with clients’ businesses and anticipating emerging opportunities and risks, the firm delivers strategic, forward-looking counsel designed to help clients navigate complex legal challenges and achieve their long-term objectives.

“Carl combines more than three decades of private practice with senior in-house leadership experience, giving him a valuable perspective on the challenges facing financial institutions. His experience before the OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, SEC, FinCEN, and other regulators has earned him a reputation for delivering practical, commercially focused advice.”
The Banking & Finance Lawyers, 2025