Our Fintech Group has considerable experience in assisting established financial institutions, challenger banks, investors and early stage start-ups with realising the potential of Fintech while navigating associated challenges. From complex regulatory requirements to structuring commercial arrangements, we help clients innovate with confidence – without compromising compliance or user experience.

Our Clients

Our Fintech Group delivers results by connecting our clients with the right lawyers from our market-leading practices in Financial Regulation, Technology and Innovation, Corporate and M&A and Tax. This cross-practice expertise means we effectively advise a broad range of clients including:

• Fintech start-ups and scale-ups
• Crypto exchanges, crypto banks and blockchain ventures
• Crypto-asset service providers
• Neobanks and challenger banks
• Payment service providers and e-money institutions
• Investors and private equity funds
• Established financial institutions adopting new technologies

Our Expertise

We advise on a wide range of Fintech matters, including:

• Central Bank of Ireland authorisations for payment institutions, e-money institutions and crypto-asset service providers
• Financial services regulatory perimeter matters (including where clients operate in multiple jurisdictions)
• Structuring of payment services, including merchant acquiring and digital wallet models
• Establishment of Bitcoin-based online platforms
• Private equity investments into Fintech start-ups
• Procurement and deployment of novel technologies by financial institutions
• Commercialisation of blockchain-based technologies
• Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer financing
• Compliance with cyber, digital and data regulations impacting Fintech businesses
• Intellectual property invention, exploitation, and protection for Fintech businesses
• Tax structuring for Fintech and digital asset businesses

We also have wide experience engaging with the relevant regulators in Ireland (including the Central Bank of Ireland and the Data Protection Commission), which means that we anticipate potential regulatory issues associated with Fintech and guide our clients in their dealings with relevant regulators.

Whether you are launching a new platform, adopting a new financial technology, scaling your operations or navigating regulatory change, our Fintech Group has the track record to help you succeed.

Relevant Experience

• Assisting numerous regulated Fintechs applying for authorisation to the Central Bank of Ireland
• Advising regulated Fintechs on AML and safeguarding remediation programmes
• Assisting numerous regulated Fintechs on compliance with cyber and digital regulations impacting their business (including DORA and the AI Act)
• Advising leading domestic banks on business critical transformation projects and technology procurements to enhance the digitalisation and automation of their back-end operations and product offerings