Financial Regulatory and Technology

Financial Regulatory & Technology

Technology has changed the financial sector, including the previously existing license requirements and prohibitions for banking, intermediation, consumer credit and insurance. Instead, digital activities such as payment and crypto processing services have also been brought under licensing requirements, even when the cash equivalent was (or is) allowed.

Our Financial Regulatory Team helps both commercial and financial institutions determine which rules apply and discern the best solution for the activities planned (or outsource to specialist service providers to avoid gaining a regulated status). We help licensed institutions interact with supervisory authorities (Autoriteit Financiële Markten, "AFM" and De Nederlandsche Bank, "DNB") and with compliance on AML or sanctions screening, outsourcing arrangements, conducting business regulations (complying with duty of care obligations with the aid of AI) or in the context of acquisitions.

  • “The quality of Houthoff's drafting is very good across the board.”
    Chambers Europe, Banking & Finance (2022 Edition)
  • “I believe the most important part of a relationship with a law firm is to trust the advices that are provided - on this we cannot find any fault with Houthoff.”
    Chambers FinTech (2021 Edition)
  • “Houthoff's knowledge of the Insurance Distribution Directive and the impact it has on the online distribution of insurances is outstanding.”
    Chambers FinTech (2021 Edition)
  • Advised GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, on the joint venture agreement with Equinix for more than USD 1 billion to develop and operate hyperscale data centres in Europe. The joint venture will acquire two operational data centres in London and Paris and plans to futher develop data centres in Amsterdam, Frankfurt (two sites) and London. Houthoff was co-counsel to Kirkland & Ellis on this transaction.
  • Represented Paypal in their acquisition of iZettle, a Swedish payment platform and supplier of mobile credit card readers for USD 2.2 billion in a successful process lead by Roschier.

Publications

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Key Contact

Rotterdam
Advocaat | Partner

Key Contact

Amsterdam
Advocaat | Senior Associate
Gijs Hamelijnck

Key Contact

Rotterdam
Advocaat | Senior Associate