Financial Services and Institutions

Liedekerke’s Financial Services Regulatory Team (FinReg Team) advises financial institutions on all legal and regulatory aspects relating to their activities.

The FinReg Team consists of 4 specialized lawyers supported by 2 knowledge professionals. Team members have daily contacts with the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) and the National Bank of Belgium (NBB).

In 2022 the team was promoted as Thought Leader and Global Leader in both Regulatory and FinTech sections of Who’s Who. The team is ranked in all major legal guides, including Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and IFLR.

Regulated companies face new challenges year-round: changing regulations, increased competition, stricter enforcement by regulatory authorities, and so on. This testing environment manifests itself in all stages of business life, from applications for approval to maturity. The balancing act our clients are confronted with is to ensure they comply with the regulations, while at the same time remaining competitive.

Our Offer

We help financial institutions to achieve this goal, advising on all legal aspects of their business. Our experts offer practical and pragmatic advice tailored to the needs of the client.

Members of the FinReg Team have done secondments with leading financial market players, including KBC and AG Insurance. We also participate to workshops with clients or organize practical trainings, e.g. on ESG, innovation, product governance or AML.

The FinReg Team has interactions on a daily basis with the supervisory authorities (the NBB and the FSMA as well as the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Economic Affairs).

Our practice includes:

• assisting clients in obtaining a license or authorization as credit institution, e-money institution, investment firm, crowdfunding, payment institution, virtual asset provider (VASP), insurance company, consumer credit lender, mortgage lender, etc

• implementing ESG, SFDR and sustainable finance

• advisory on crypto-assets and NFTs

• advising clients in devising new payment solutions

• assisting clients in setting up online platforms, FinTech tools, including the interaction with AI, designing new apps (including data related questions and including outsourcing aspects)

• advisory on AML and sanctions/embargos including assistance in AML audits and AML investigations

• assisting clients in developing, designing, distributing and promoting new investment products (banking, funds, crypto, insurance linked products (branch 21 or branch 23), structured products or alternative asset classes)

• approval processes of marketing materials

• all questions relating to MiFID2 (including rules of conduct, capital requirements, governance and internal organisation, internal audit, and relationships with the regulatory authorities)-

• assisting clients in relation to inspections or audits by the FSMA or the NBB

• negotiations with the supervisory authorities, with a vast experience in assisting clients in settlement or sanction procedures initiated by the FSMA

• compliance, audits, procedures and internal policies.

Our Relevant Experience

Banking clients include:

• KBC Bank

• Belfius

• ING Belgium

• BNP Paribas Fortis

• Euroclear

• Deutsche Bank

• Triodos Bank

• Degroof Petercam

• Capitalatwork

• CKV

Insurance clients include:

• KBC Verzekeringen

• AG Insurance

• Allianz

• Munich Re

• Patronale Life

Fintech/crypto clients include:

• Binance

• e-Toro

• Monese

Payment clients include:

• Lexoo

• Skipr

• Elyps