Bird & Bird's well-recognised cutting-edge know-how in communications, e-commerce, IT and media means that it has been natural for our international Financial Services Group to focus on the provision of banking and financial services using electronic means.
We have advised a wide range of clients from household names providing new internet-based financial services to start-up companies with innovative financial services products relying on electronic delivery.
However, our work is not just limited to the electronic delivery of financial services and we have well-established expertise in conventional banking and financial services regulatory work.
Work undertaken includes:
- Structuring electronic banking products for several major banks (including the provision of these services on a cross-border basis)
- Structuring financial information web sites, including "aggregation" sites
- Advice on internet-based share broking services (including on one of the first of such services to reach the market)
- Electronic cash product advice, both to established players and start-up enterprises, including lobbying work
- Advice on portal web sites
- Obtaining authorisations for the conduct of financial service business
- Foreign exchange and derivatives product advice (including eFX)
- Advice on web site content and structure for financial services businesses (including compliance with regulatory requirements for web site operation)
- Outsourcing work for banks, including dealing with the relevant regulatory complexities
- Advice to start up enterprises on whether their activities require regulation
- Consumer credit lending (both in a real world and e-commerce context)