Financial Institutions & Fintech

+ 16 other experts

unique expertise for a unique type of client

Financial Institutions are subject to myriad and ever-evolving regulation affecting their products, services, governance, and processes. Therefore, they need lawyers with a deep understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities they face.

With leading experts in their respective fields, our integrated, multidisciplinary practice has an established track record working both alongside, and within, major financial institutions.

We advise on the most important deals in the financial services market and successfully represent major institutions in litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings around the globe.

We help existing market players to navigate fintech developments and to adapt to upcoming regulations, and we advise them seamlessly across borders on the most innovative and complex tech-driven projects and financing.

We also frequently work with emerging fintech companies to achieve their business objectives and protect their intellectual property and know-how within the boundaries of a vast, and sometimes daunting, regulatory regime.

Our Financial Institutions Group is also part of the European Financial Institutions Group set up by our Best Friends Network.

Recent Matters

4 September 2023

De Brauw advises DIF Capital Partners on sale to CVC Capital Partners

De Brauw is advising the Partners of leading infrastructure manager DIF Capital Partners on the sale of the business to CVC Capital Partners.The acquisition provides CVC with a leading infrastructure platform, directly adjacent and highly complementary to its existing private equity, secondary and credit strategies. In addition, the acquisition accelerates the growth of DIF, which will continue to operate under the DIF brand and retain independence over its operations and investment decisions. DIF will continue to be led by its current CEO and Partners. The combination creates a global private markets manager with seven complementary strategies and approximately €177 billion of total assets under management. DIF is headquartered in Amsterdam with €16 billion of assets under management, a team of over 225 professionals across 11 offices and operating two different investment strategies – the Core / Build-to-Core funds and the Core-plus funds. DIF was founded in 2005 and has built a leading position in mid-market infrastructure investments, primarily in Europe, North America and Australia.
28 August 2023

De Brauw takes court appointment in combined US-NL restructuring, a Chapter 11-cum-WHOA for Diebold Nixdorf

De Brauw partner Ferdinand Hengst was appointed by the Amsterdam court as the first observer to monitor the interests of the joint creditors in a combined US Chapter 11, Dutch scheme (WHOA) and US Chapter 15 proceedings. The successful global preventive restructuring process were initiated by Diebold Nixdorf (the cash-strapped cash machine manufacturer) in the US and in the Netherlands, reducing its debt burden by USD 2.1bn. Although supported by a large group of creditors, the cross-border restructuring was complex, involving two parallel restructuring proceedings in the US and the Netherlands, subsidiaries in multiple jurisdictions and creditors under 13 different tranches of notes and term loans. The role of the observer in this case was to supervise the drafting and negotiation of the restructuring plan for the benefit of the joint creditors. Ferdinand provided an extensive opinion on the plan and its implications, an opinion that was followed by the court. The WHOA plan is recognized as a foreign main proceeding under Chapter 15 in the US so that the WHOA plan can also be enforced against creditors in the US. This is the first time that the WHOA is recognized in the US, making the WHOA even a more compelling option for cross-border restructurings.
2 July 2023

Aegon to change its legal seat to Bermuda

On 30 June 2023, Aegon announced its intention to change its legal seat to Bermuda. As a result of the sale of its Dutch business to a.s.r., Aegon will no longer have a regulated insurance business in the Netherlands. DNB will therefore no longer be able to be Aegon's group supervisor, with group supervision to instead transfer to the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA). Aegon will maintain its headquarters in the Netherlands, will remain a Dutch tax resident and will continue to be listed on Euronext Amsterdam and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Aegon will also make certain amendments to its governance pursuant to becoming a Bermuda Ltd., including changing to a one-tier board. The matter involved many interesting aspects such as: - designing an unprecedented double cross border conversion: first a conversion from Aegon N.V. into Aegon S.A. - a Luxembourg entity - and subsequently from Aegon S.A. into Aegon Ltd. This was further complicated by the pending implementation of the Mobility Directive into Dutch law, which would have far reaching implications on the structure of the conversion if implemented prior to publication of the conversion proposal- designing a new governance structure for Aegon Ltd that (i) continues to take into account the interests of Aegon and its stakeholders, (ii) applies well-recognized and accepted international governance standards and (iii) preserves the current governance to the extent possible and practical in view of the change in legal domicile- extensive regulatory analysis and interaction with the various involved supervisors in order to arrive at a suitable solution for group supervision following the transaction with a.s.r.- due to Aegon's US listing, a US prospectus is required for the change in legal domicile, impacting the potential timelines for implementation- ensuring a set-up that would ensure that Aegon remains tax residence in the Netherlands, a key aspect for AegonThe matter showcased perfectly the integrated offering by De Brauw, with MACM, Corporate Advisory, FMR, Tax, F&R, EEB and Litigation teams working together seamlessly to be able to advise Aegon on the myriad of questions and issues that arose during the project.
Landscape debrauw paper blackstone duo high res 1

Banking, Finance & Debt Capital Markets

Few firms in the Netherlands can match the quality of our people and our leading position across the full range of corporate, asset and project financing, debt restructuring, and debt capital markets. Our integrated Banking, Finance & Debt Capital Markets practice has a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the design, negotiation and documentation of both general corporate finance transactions and complex high-impact finance transactions.

Landscape debrauw paper warm grey high res 1

Investment Management

Against a continually changing legal, economic and regulatory backdrop, our Investment Management experts are at the forefront of all new developments across the full fund lifecycle.

Our Investment Management Experts
Landscape debrauw paper burgundy duo high res 1

Insurance

We advise many of the largest internationally operating insurance groups and financial institutions based in the Netherlands (to include the largest healthcare insurer in the Netherlands) on the application of the rules and regulations on the supervision of financial markets. Our clients trust us with significant mergers and acquisitions, regulatory capital-raising transactions, large outsourcing arrangements, global custody and securities lending, and investment management mandates. Clients also recognise our expertise when seeking advice on which complex supervisory rules they are subject to.

Our Insurance Experts

Insights

19 July 2023

PSD3 & PSR: get ready for regulatory changes in the payment services landscape

On 28 June 2023, the European Commission proposed a new set of rules to further modernise payment services and open financial services data. In part, this package revises the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and introduces a new Payment Services Regulation (PSR). According to the Commission, a revision of PSD2 was necessary as the payment services market has changed rapidly in recent years.
19 July 2023

Future of Pensions Act – our new guide

On 1 July 2023, the Future of Pensions Act (WTP) entered into force, leading to a major overhaul of the Dutch pension system, with future pension accrual being based on a defined contribution scheme. In our new guide – available in Dutch and English – we discuss the key elements of the WTP.
11 April 2023

Digital Operational Resilience Act: time to start implementing

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) – EU legislation in force since 16 January 2023 – sets out requirements for ICT security systems that support the business processes of financial entities. DORA's aim is to centralise legislation related to ICT compliance, but this does not mean it is a mere collection of existing obligations. The requirements laid down in DORA are likely to have a substantial impact on how financial entities arrange the governance of their ICT risks. The industry has been given two years to prepare and implement the necessary changes before DORA starts applying on 17 January 2025. While this may seem far away, significant action is likely to be needed, and financial entities are advised to start preparations as soon as possible.