Firms To Watch: Fintech

The fintech practice at Houthoff is well versed in advising on financial regulatory matters. Berry van Wijk heads up the practice, in which IT specialist Thomas de Weerd and Juan Vervuurt are names to note.

Fintech in Netherlands

Allen & Overy LLP

The fintech team at Allen & Overy LLP has an excellent reputation for its ‘comprehensive knowledge and experience‘. The practice is led by M&A specialist Gijs Linse after former co-head and fintech expert Daphne van der Houwen left the firm in January 2024. The group’s workload includes handling a wide range of complex fintech-related regulatory issues and M&A transactions. Other key practitioners include the ‘helpful, creative, hardworking and intelligent’ Jort de Groodt and financial regulatory specialist Pien Kerckhaert.

Responsables de la pratique:

Gijs Linse


Autres avocats clés:

Pien Kerckhaert; Gerard Kastelein; Christiaan de Brauw; Jort de Groodt; Mirte Miltenburg


Les références

‘The A&O team is one of the few teams in the Netherlands that has comprehensive knowledge and experience regarding tokenising securities in the Dutch market.’

‘The A&O team is able to assist on different aspects of transactions, making such processes very efficient.’

‘I love working with Allen & Overy. They are very experienced, intelligent and know our business well allowing them to provide pragmatic solutions to our problems. They are always responsive.’

Principaux clients

Coinbase


EPI SE


Silverflow


Paypal


ABN AMRO


Remitly Global, Inc.


Jumbo Supermarkten B.V.


Amdax


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Coinbase on Dutch regulatory matters, including obtaining a registration with DNB in the Netherlands for providing crypto services.
  • Advised the European Payments Initiative (EPI) on the acquisition of Currence iDEAL and Payconiq International.

Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance‘s 'commercial and tech-savvy' fintech team is well placed to handle the full range of fintech matters. The group regularly acts for a client base of start-ups and large corporations on financial regulatory matters and high-value acquisitions, to name a couple of areas of strength. Practice head Marian Scheele is 'a great communicator', and senior associate Wouter van den Bosch stands out for his 'substantial knowledge of the fintech sector'.

Responsables de la pratique:

Marian Scheele


Autres avocats clés:

Bas Boris Visser; Wouter van den Bosch; Jaap Tempelman


Les références

‘Very strong cross-border capabilities, where they really work as a single integrated team to deliver a seamless customer experience.’

‘We seek out external counsel for specialist topics – the team really do have the industry expertise we need at their fingertips. Further, their delivery is exceptionally good. They really listen to what we need and deliver that.’

‘The team is very hard working, knowledgeable and kind. They are hands-on and always happy to help.’

Principaux clients

Adyen


Tencent


WeChatPay Europe


ING


ABN AMRO


Rabobank (Project Elevator)


Mollie


Adevinta


D2X


OKCoin


MarketAxess


Net Zero Company


Hartwig Houdstermaatschappij


Oreades


FlatexDeGiro


Prosus


Naspers


Fourthline


MTN Group


Litebit


Anycoin


Multifund


Groendus Energie


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising Tencent on financial regulatory issues relating to financial services provided in the EU.
  • Advising ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank in relation to the acquisition of Currence iDEAL (iDEAL) by European Payments Initiative (EPI).

Dentons

The fintech practice at Dentons has a strong reputation for handling a broad spectrum of work in the area, with particular expertise in payment services matters. The group is well versed in assisting domestic and internationals clients with the regulatory and contractual aspects of PSD2 licensing, crypto and Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA), IT and data protection, and banking work. Team lead Arno Voerman receives plaudits as 'a master' in the Dutch fintech market. Marc Elshof left the firm in October 2023.

Responsables de la pratique:

Arno Voerman


Autres avocats clés:

Anouschka van de Graaf


Les références

‘The team takes a pragmatic approach, is available and flexible, and provides the best technical legal knowledge at great value for money.’

‘Arno Voerman is a master; he is best in class. He has a very good understanding of the business, great legal knowledge and provides very pragmatic advice.’

‘The team is very pragmatic and in-the-know, not only on the legal side but more importantly on related technological advances.’

Principaux clients

Aegon


ibanXS


Payaut


Rabobank


Vitesse PSP


Aplauz NL B.V.


Bitstamp


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisted Aplauz NL B.V. with obtaing an lectronic money institution (EMI) license from the Dutch National Bank.

NautaDutilh

NautaDutilh‘s team has a strong reputation in the fintech space in the Netherlands. The group regularly handles cross-jurisdictional matters, and has particular expertise in advising on the regulatory aspects of cases involving financial products and the establishment of online platforms. The practice is led by the quartet of the 'pragmatic' Larissa Silverentand, the 'excellent' Jasha Sprecher, Sven Uiterwijk, and Frans van der Eerden. Specialist counsel Roel Theissen is a key contact.

Responsables de la pratique:

Larissa Silverentand; Jasha Sprecher; Sven Uiterwijk; Frans van der Eerden


Autres avocats clés:

Roel Theissen


Les références

‘The NautaDutilh regulatory team is exceptional. They have in-depth knowledge of the laws and serve many clients. In addition, they know the regulators well, resulting in very valuable insights.’

‘Jasha Sprecher is an excellent lawyer. He has in-depth knowledge of financial regulatory laws, extensive experience in dealing with the regulator, and very valuable insight in the fintech market.’

‘Larissa Silverentand and Jasha Sprecher combine in-depth knowledge of the sector and the rules and regulations with a practical approach. The partners are very approachable and flexible.’

Principaux clients

ABN AMRO Clearing Bank


ABN AMRO


American Express


Airwallex


BinckBank


BrandNewDay


Captin


Deutsche Bank


European Merchant Services


First Data


Franx B.V.


Geldmaat/GSN


ING Bank


Klarna


Prosus / PayU


NIBC Bank


Payoneer


Rewire (now part of Remitly)


Rabobank


Takeaway


Triodos


Uber


Vantiv


Wex


Worldline


WorldFirst


WorldPay/FIS


Xe (part of Euronet)


Booking.com


Modulr


Knab (Aegon Bank)


Ingenico


Moneyou


Moka


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisting Worldpay/FIS on the acquisition of a 55% stake by GTCR in Worldpay.
  • Assisting Robeco of the sale of its online distribution platform to Van Lanschot Kempen.
  • Assisting ABN AMRO Bank N.V. with tokenised securities matters.

Bird & Bird

At Bird & Bird‘s office in The Hague, the fintech practice is jointly led by Brussels-based payments regulation specialist Scott McInnes and Germany-based financial markets regulation expert Michael Jünemann. Marjolein Geus is a key practitioner in the group, with a solid track record in advising clients on blockchain and distributed ledger technology matters. In February 2024 associate Daniëlle van de Vijver left the firm.

Responsables de la pratique:

Scott McInnes; Michael Jünemann


Autres avocats clés:

Marjolein Geus


Principaux clients

Emesa Nederland B.V.


Bizcuit B.V.


Bizcuit Payments B.V.


Geldvoorelkaar.nl


CCV Group B.V.


Zeekr


European Commission


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisting the EU Commission with establishing a regulatory sandbox for blockchain and decentralized data solutions.
  • Advising a fintech client on the design and launch of an un-hosted, multi-signature cryptocurrency wallet.

CMS

The practice at CMS has Tessa Penninks, who has particular expertise in lending and insurtech matters, and crypto and digital assets specialist Clair Wermers at its helm. The team's workload includes advising retail companies and investment banks on the regulatory aspects of a broad range of fintech work, including blockchain and crypto. The group has an excellent track record in assisting foreign entities with the licensing aspects of tech-based payment options in the Netherlands. Associate Laurens Pronk is very experienced in acting for national and international fintech companies.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tessa Penninks; Clair Wermers


Autres avocats clés:

Karsten Bruinsma; Laurens Pronk


Les références

‘Laurens Pronk is a pleasure to work with, and Tessa and Laurens work together efficiently.’

‘Both Tessa and Laurens are easy-going, approachable lawyers. They are hands-on and pragmatic.’

Principaux clients

2Tokens


ABN Amro


Blocklab/Port of Rotterdam


Tradetrust (EBL token)


Commerzbank


Crowdz


Lemonade


Volkswagen Pon Financial Services


PayPal


Rabobank (Rabo Frontier Ventures)


Renault Finance


SurePay


Principaux dossiers


  • Provides ongoing advice to Lemonade (Insurtech) on financial regulatory and data protection matters related to the client’s online content, marketing and the use of AI.

Finnius

Financial regulatory boutique Finnius is sought after by Dutch and international financial institutions, global banks and fintech start-ups to advise on a wide range of fintech matters. Bart Bierman is ‘sharp, knowledgeable and pragmatic‘, and Casper Riekerk handles payment and fund matters. Tim de Wit specialises in crypto work. Daniëlle van de Vijver joined the team in February 2024.

Autres avocats clés:

Bart Bierman; Casper Riekerk; Tim de Wit; Daniëlle van de Vijver


Les références

‘Finnius is our go-to in the Netherlands for fintech.’

‘They can cover the whole spectrum of relevant rules and regulations, including investments, payments and e-money, bank capital, and data privacy.’

‘Good value-for-money, business-oriented and client-focused. Absolutely recommended.’

Principaux clients

Aegon Bank


Van Lawick & Co


Acrisure Group


Amdax B.V.


Biller B.V.


Bitonic B.V.


Bitvavo B.V.


bunq B.V.


Credit Europe Bank N.V.


Ecco Nova SPRL


FINOM Payments B.V.


Floryn B.V.


Jex


Kwynt Management B.V.


Mastercard Europe SA/NV


Midaspay Europe


Mizuho Bank Europe N.V.


Nederlandse Waterschapsbank N.V.


OBAM Investment Management B.V.


Pelican Payment Services B.V.


Plaid B.V.


Quintet (f/k/a InsingerGilissen Bankiers N.V.)


Semmie.nl B.V. / Sem.nl B.V.


Tele2 Finance


Tencent


Triodos Bank


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisted Tencent with a payment institution license application in the Netherlands.
  • Advised Fleetcor Technologies, Inc. on the Dutch legal aspects of the acquisition of Global Reach Group, a UK-based cross-border payments provider and investment firm.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke's practice garners praise for its 'in-depth knowledge of fintech rules and regulations'. The group advises on a broad range of matters in the fintech space, including the establishment of  alternative payment methods, e-money and distribution issues. Practice head Johannes de Jong has an excellent reputation for handling financial regulation of funds, alternative finance matters and payment services issues. Associate director Juliet de Graaf 'always gives high-quality legal advice'. Associate Anka Langedijk brings experience in crypto.

Responsables de la pratique:

Johannes de Jong


Autres avocats clés:

Juliet de Graaf; Anka Langedijk; Gijs Versteegh


Les références

‘The team has extensive experience with license applications in the fintech space. As a result, they have a clear view on the regulator’s expectations, which expedites any regulator interaction.’

‘The team has in-depth knowledge of fintech rules and regulations, and is really good at giving practical and pragmatic advice.’

‘Juliet de Graaf is great to work with. She always gives high-quality legal advice, whilst remaining pragmatic and practical.’

Principaux clients

Airbnb


BUX


ClearBank Ltd


Fiat Republic Netherlands B.V.


PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l.


Plaid, B.V.


Van Eck Asset Management B.V.


ING Bank N.V.


ASOS Plc


Banking Circle


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisting Fiat Republic with an e-money licence application in the Netherlands for serving crypto platforms.

FG Lawyers

Boutique firm FG Lawyers is home to 'a diverse team of committed lawyers' in the fintech practice. The group regularly acts for crypto providers and foreign institutions, and in the case of the latter, advising on market entry matters. The department was bolstered by the arrival of Thom Beenen in January 2023; he co-heads the team with Anne Hakvoort, who has extensive expertise in assisting with platform-driven business models, and financial regulatory specialist Joost van Hunnik.

Responsables de la pratique:

Anne Hakvoort; Joost van Hunnik; Thom Beenen


Les références

‘An experienced and diverse team of committed lawyers. They not only deliver as requested and on-time, but provide excellent advice and suggestions on a wide-range of legal topics.’

‘Joost van Hunnik is pragmatic, quick, knowledgeable, solutions-oriented and professional.’

‘FG Lawyers punches above its weight thanks to the strong experience base of its partners.’

Principaux clients

2525 Ventures B.V., a.k.a. Litebit


AION Bank SA/NV


Brxs B.V.


Capchase Inc


Crowdpartners B.V.


DELA Natura- en levensverzekeringen N.V.


Ebury Partners Belgium NV


Lendahand


NPEX B.V.


Oney Bank S.A.


Peaks B.V.


Sponsorvisie B.V.


ZIB Beleggingsonderneming B.V.


Principaux dossiers


  • Assisted ZIB Beleggingsonderneming B.V. with obtaining authorisation under the ECSPR.
  • Advised LiteBit on the contemplated discontinuation of its business.

Loyens & Loeff

At Loyens & Loeff, the team has a solid track record in handling fintech-related fund raisings, acquisitions, sales and licensing matters. The group is also adept at assisting cross-border crowdfunding platforms on compliance issues relating to the European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR). The practice is led by the triumvirate of Martijn Schoonewille, Kim Lucassen and Marc Wiggers. At senior associate level, Wendy Pronk is a name to note.

Responsables de la pratique:

Martijn Schoonewille; Kim Lucassen; Marc Wiggers


Autres avocats clés:

Wendy Pronk; Pepijn Pinkse


Principaux clients

Ava Labs, Inc.


KEB Hana Bank


Barclays


D2X


Goldman Sachs


WeChat Pay


Unigestion


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted as Dutch counsel to GTCR on the regulatory aspects of its acquisition of a majority stake in Worldpay.
  • Assisted Fourthline with the financial regulatory aspects of a €50m fund raise and shareholder restructurings.
  • Assisted Wefunder with obtaining a license as a crowdfunding service provider under the European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR).

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons‘ fintech team specialises in handling crypto work, and is active on matters involving registration, referral deals and a broad range of regulatory issues. Practice head Rezah Stegeman is very well known for advising on financial regulatory matters. At associate level, Koen van Leeuwen has an established track record in handling prudential supervision and crypto regulation.

Responsables de la pratique:

Rezah Stegeman


Autres avocats clés:

Koen van Leeuwen; Harmen Wielens


Principaux clients

Binance


Hidden Road


Jane Street


World First


Bitpanda


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Binance on a referral deal with a Dutch crypto service provider.
  • Assisted Hidden Road with being registered as a crypto service provider with DNB.
  • Advising World First on Dutch regulatory matters.