Employment Pensions

Financial Regulatory

Financial companies increasingly need to implement new Dutch and European laws and regulations in their organisation. These new laws and regulations are a challenge for legal and compliance departments and they also have an impact on the day-to-day business. 

Due to increasing and more complex regulations, careful and up-to-date legal advice is required. Our multidisciplinary Finance Regulatory Team has the required experience and expertise to advise you in this area. We represent financial companies and other parties that are involved with financial supervision. This gives our specialists an unparalleled understanding of this complex financial playing field.

WHAT ARE THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE?

Our team has extensive experience in financial supervision matters (both prudential and market conduct supervision). The team advises and assists in matters including:
  • market access, including license applications;
  • applications for a declaration of no objection;
  • scope of issues;
  • governance;
  • FinTech and innovative products, including cryptocurrency;
  • implementation of new laws and regulations; and
  • outsourcing. 

We have thorough knowledge of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wft) and regulations such as MiFID II, PSD II, AMLD, AIFMD, Solvency II, CRD and IDD

OUR FINANCE REGULATORY EXPERTISE 

Our Finance Regulatory Team has a good relationship with the Dutch supervisory authorities AFM (the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets and DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank). The advice we provide always takes into account the interpretation of the supervisory authorities. We are able to offer strategic solutions, as our Finance Regulatory specialists work closely together with our experts on employment law, privacy & data protection, IT, tax and banking & finance.

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Thanks to our offices in Brussels, London and New York, and our friend firms, we have an extensive international network, which gives us access to relevant expertise in foreign legislation and regulations. Please contact one of our key contacts for more information.
  • “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)
  • Houthoff advised Corporation Service Company on the signing of the definitive agreement to acquire TCS-Groep, a Netherlands-based service provider for alternative investment funds. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals in the Netherlands.
  • 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.