Bird & Bird‘s fintech practice stands out for its wide-ranging expertise across financial regulatory, IT, transactional and data protection matters, which enables the team to maintain a standout client base of banks and financial institutions, fintech and IT services, retailers, and payment providers. Regularly advising on the regulatory and licensing aspects of new product launches and Belgian market entries, the team is particularly noted for its ability to handle matters in the e-commerce and e-banking spaces, with digital authentication and cybersecurity representing growing areas of focus. Practice head Scott McInnes is noted for his ability to handle cross-border work for payment providers, while Cathie-Rosalie Joly is well-versed in financial and tech regulatory matters. Payments and insurance expert Cedric Berckmans was promoted to partner in May 2023. Julien Sad, who also handles contentious and non-contentious matters in the payments space, is another name to note.

Noted as constituting 'one of the best-connected fintech teams in Belgium', DLA Piper combines financial services and insurance regulatory expertise with IT capabilities to advise on the full gamut of issues in the fintech space. The team is particularly well-regarded for its ability to advise banks, fintech service providers, and investment funds on the roll-out of innovative tech products and services, maintaining a strong reputation for handling work in the crypto and blockchain space while also providing regulatory advice in connection with an increasing number of AI service launches. Further areas of specialism include ESG compliance, regulatory and licensing issues around e-payment and e-money platforms, contentious and non-contentious cybersecurity matters, and digitisation projects in the insurance sector. The team is led by Pierre Berger, who is widely regarded as an expert on financial and insurance regulation. Michaël Heene, who advises fintech clients on transactional matters, is also recommended.

Crypto platforms, e-money and payment institutions, digital banks, and tech service providers instruct Simont Braun‘s ‘highly specialised‘ team to advise on complex regulatory matters, with the firm focusing particularly on assisting international clients with the establishment of domestic products and activities in Belgium and Belgian clients on their cross-border expansion. The team regularly handles data privacy matters, licensing and regulatory questions surrounding the establishment and disestablishment of neo-banks, and contentious and non-contentious issues in the e-commerce space. Joan Carette, a financial regulatory expert who is increasingly active on blockchain regulation matters, co-leads the practice with Philippe De Prez, who advises on all aspects of fintech product launches. Another key contact in the team is Thomas Derval, whose financial and insurance expertise encompasses contractual matters as well as disputes.

Allen & Overy’s fintech practice comprises multidisciplinary practitioners capable of handling regulatory, data protection, and financial matters, with a pronounced focus on questions surrounding the development of digital financial services. The team acts for financial institutions, banks, and digital service providers on a wide range of transactions and product launches and has been instructed to provide advice in connection with cross-border e-payment systems, NFT services, and digital verification tools. The practice is jointly lead by Filip Van Elsen, who focuses on transactions in the TMT sector, and Sylvia Kierszenbaum, who is noted for her financial regulatory and capital markets expertise. Data protection expert Peter Van Dyck is also recommended.

Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL offers both fintech start-ups and scale-ups as well as established banks and financial institutions a 'high level of service and competence' in connection with financial and tech regulatory matters. The practice's multidisciplinary structure is reflected in its leadership: Michael Van Acker is an expert on financial law who drives the team's increasing PSD2 licensing work around e-payment services, Elisabeth Dehareng is an IP and data privacy expert who handles regulatory matters in innovative areas such as AI, and Olivier Van Den Broeke's expertise spans the regulation of digital financial and insurance services as well as e-commerce platforms. Further areas of expertise for the team include anti-money-laundering considerations as well as restrictions surrounding the launch of blockchain-based products.

Besides assisting a number of digital banks, payment providers, and IT startups with an array of regulatory, tax, and project support questions, CMS also leverages its TMT expertise to advise international companies in a wide range of sectors on the launch of e-insurance, e-payment, and verification projects. The team is particularly well versed in providing regulatory advice on cross-border fintech transactions and partnerships as well as on Belgian market entries. Benoît Vandervelde assists financial institutions and fintech companies with regulatory matters, with an increasing focus on the crypto space; he co-heads the team with electronic communications and competition specialist Dirk Van Liedekerke and data privacy expert Tom De Cordier.

The ‘client-driven and pragmatic‘ fintech team at Linklaters is noted for its regulatory understanding of the sector, which enables it to advise banks, financial institutions and IT startups on a wide range of issues. In addition to advising on the regulatory and negotiation aspects of blockchain and cloud development projects, the team handles a large volume of investments and transactions in the fintech space as well as assisting with outsourcing and acting in contentious matters. The practice’s leadership encompasses data protection and IT specialist Guillaume Couneson, financial regulation expert Etienne Dessy, and Andreas Van Impe, who is a key contact for advising on the development of digital services, including blockchain technology.

Noted for its extensive regulatory expertise, the team at Timelex focuses on advising fintech companies on PSD2 licensing and on GDPR compliance, while also assisting with a growing volume of regulatory questions surrounding cryptocurrency, electronic money and payments, and e-commerce. The team is also capable of handling contentious matters and additionally provides project-supporting advice to a number of international clients seeking to enter the Belgian market. Data regulation expert Edwin Jacobs, who is increasingly active on blockchain and NFT matters, heads up the team.