Rising Stars

Firms in the Spotlight Fintech

Anne O'Connell Solicitors

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Anne O’Connell Solicitors (AOC Solicitors) is a leading and award-winning Irish specialist Employment Law firm which was established in 2017 by our Principal, Anne O’Connell.

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Fintech in Ireland

Arthur Cox

Arthur Cox impresses with the breadth of its offering in the fintech space, acting for an array of global financial institutions and leading fintech companies. The team has recently been highly active in advising major banks and investment firms on the procurement of new tech, and also stands out for its expertise in financial regulatory work, with a strong record of assisting international fintechs establishing entities in Ireland. Robert Cain leads the financial regulatory practice, where Belfast and Dublin-based Sarah Thompson is also a key contact, while Ian Duffy specialises in outsourcing, digital transformation projects and data protection.

Practice head(s):

Robert Cain; Sarah Thompson; Ian Duffy


Other key lawyers:

Aaron Tangney; Kim O’Dowd


Key clients

EML Payments


PFS Card Services (Ireland) Limited


Bridgepoint


Astorg


Hg Capital


AIB


Permanent TSB


Mason Hayes & Curran LLP

Mason Hayes & Curran LLP‘s ‘commercial, responsive and knowledgeable‘ practice spans fintech and payments; insurtech; financial services outsourcing and privacy; and AI, where the firm expanded its offering with the arrival of Brian McElligott from an in-house role in January 2023. The team advises an enviable roster of leading fintechs on regulation, e-money and crypto licensing, and on the rollout of new products in the Irish market. It also counts major global tech companies amongst its clients. Liam Flynn, a go-to adviser on insurtech, leads the team with Rowena Fitzgerald, who is a ‘master‘ of fintech regulatory issues. ‘Strong advocateSarah Cloonan is also noted.

Practice head(s):

Liam Flynn; Rowena Fitzgerald


Other key lawyers:

Sarah Cloonan; Mark Fry; Dermot McGirr; Brian McElligott; Katie Keogh


Testimonials

‘It has invested in key people in certain sectors with deep industry knowledge, great communications and events for clients, as well as an open and engaging manner when dealing with clients.’

‘Sarah Cloonan is a strong advocate for her clients with the regulator who makes herself available as necessary to clients and delivers for them every time.’

‘They offer a wide-variety of services and are always providing advice/seminars that are bespoke to your market area.’

‘They are always available, responsive and give the correct advice.’

‘Dermot McGirr provides commercially-focused expertise to managing outsourcing contracts and a range of related matters, such as privacy and sector-specific regulatory issues. He is a good strategic partner for in-house lawyers.’

‘The team is commercial, responsive, knowledgeable and approachable.’

‘The team have the ability to convey their expertise in a practical and approachable manner, which is essential when obtaining advice on complex financial services law.’

‘Rowena Fitzgerald stands a head and shoulders above others in the market. Dynamic, un-stuffy and the master of her area.’

Key clients

Stripe


Companjon Insurance DAC


Work highlights


  • Continuing to provide legal advice to Companjon to support the development of its innovative digital add-on insurance business.
  • Advising Stripe on all aspects of the adoption of ChatGPT.

Matheson LLP

Matheson LLP fields a ‘market-leading team with superb regulatory insights‘ in the fintech sector, which acts for a host of major international fintechs. The team has significant expertise in advising such clients in the virtual assets space and frequently advises on the authorisation of e-money institutions and virtual asset providers, and it is also skilled in assisting financial services clients with tech and outsourcing projects. Joe Beashel, who is an ‘expert in the field‘ of payments and e-money, heads the financial institutions group, where Ian O’Mara, who was promoted to partner in January 2023, and Louise Dobbyn are also key contacts. Anne-Marie Bohan leads the tech and innovation group.

Practice head(s):

Joe Beashel; Anne-Marie Bohan


Other key lawyers:

Ian O’Mara; Louise Dobbyn; Megan Fennell; Nicole Ward; Ciarán Moloney


Testimonials

‘Joe Beashel is very commercial, very practical and very knowledgeable.’

‘Ian O’Mara shows excellent attention-to-detail. He is very clear in his thinking and analysis, and his advice is always on point.’

‘Market-leading team with superb regulatory insights.’

‘Joe Beashel is a market leader – he is constantly responsive and understands the need to balance business need with regulatory expectations.’

‘The team has an unrivalled knowledge of the payments industry, European legislation and its transposition into Irish law. They understand what the Irish regulators are looking for and help clients create pragmatic solutions that align with those expectations.’

‘Ian O’Mara, Joe Beashel and Megan Fennell provide commercially pragmatic advice, are very responsible and we know that we can rely on them to provide sound advice and an excellent work product. As a client conscious about costs, they also manage to deliver a first-rate product at brilliant value.’

‘Ian O’Mara is a first-class lawyer and his knowledge of Irish and European law is second-to-none. Joe Beashel is a crystal ball providing insight into exactly what the Irish regulators look for. Megan Fennell is an exceptional lawyer working well above her current seniority. Collectively, they are the best partners our business could ask for.’

‘Joe Beashel is an expert in his field. No other partner in the industry has such deep sectoral knowledge and insights.’

Key clients

Gemini


MoonPay


Western Union


An Post


Meta


myPOS


Paymentsense/Dojo


Work highlights


  • Advised MoonPay Technology Services Limited on its successful registration as a virtual asset service provider by the Central Bank of Ireland.

McCann FitzGerald LLP

McCann FitzGerald LLP houses a wide-ranging fintech practice which handles sophisticated mandates across the fields of financial services regulation, disputes, tax, corporate, data protection, cyber security and venture capital. The team is particularly well-regarded for its expertise in financial services regulation, where practice head Josh Hogan has a strong reputation for advising financial institutions and fintech companies, among others, on regulatory compliance, authorisations, and the launch of new products and platforms. Doug McMahon and Adam Finlay, who are recommended for their advice on data protection, cyber security, tech and outsourcing agreements, are also names to note.

Practice head(s):

Josh Hogan


Other key lawyers:

Adam Finlay; Doug McMahon; Bébhinn Bollard; James Fitzgerald; Holly Draper-Spillane


Testimonials

‘Great collaboration with the disputes team and brilliant lawyers.’

‘Exceptional knowledge of the sector and quality advice.’

‘Douglas McMahon instinctively understands client’s needs and gets the job done with minimal fuss. He is an outstanding expert in his field and instils confidence with his no-nonsense approach.’

‘The team has a great understanding of the latest tech trends in the market- they are all spot-on and at the forefront of legal development.’

Key clients

J.P. Morgan


Capitalflow Group DAC


FNZ Group


National Transport Authority


Fidelity Investments


BitPanda GmbH


Aftab Currency Exchange Limited


Aryza


Interpath Advisory Services


Visa Europe Limited


Banking Circle


Allied Irish Banks, plc.


Goldman Sachs


Work highlights


  • Advising J.P. Morgan on its acquisition of Global Shares plc, a leading cloud-based provider of share plan management software, for a reported $730m.
  • Advising a number of clients, including Capitalflow, the National Transport Authority and Fidelity, on launching new products and services in compliance with financial services regulatory legislation.
  • Advising various early-stage clients in the fintech sector in connection with convertible debt and equity fundraisings, including Adella Holdings Limited, Verge Capital Limited, CreditLogic, MyMoneyJar Limited and Squid Rewards Limited.

William Fry LLP

William Fry LLP‘s ‘superb' multi-disciplinary fintech group has expertise in the full spectrum of financial regulatory, tech, data protection and corporate matters in this space. The firm has a thriving practice relating to the regulatory authorisation of e-money institutions and virtual asset and crowdfunding service providers, and its offering also extends to advising global fintechs, start-ups and tech multinationals on the launch of new products and on the procurement of new tech. Financial regulatory specialist Shane Kelleher and John O’Connor, a ‘market leader‘ in tech, outsourcing and data protection, head the team. Louise McNabola is also noted for her regulatory work, while Máire O’Neill focuses on fintech M&A.

Practice head(s):

Shane Kelleher; John O’Connor


Other key lawyers:

Louise McNabola; Máire O’Neill; Orla Nic Dhonnchadha


Testimonials

‘The firm stands out for the depth of the team’s expertise on corporate transactions and the accessibility and availability across the team. Also, the William Fry fintech team are very good at ensuring the client is sure-footed during a transaction.’

‘Máire O’Neill is very focused on providing the client with best-in-class legal advice and on-point service.’

‘The William Fry fintech group is superb.’

‘The team at William Fry provides significant depth and a range of expertise to cover the most complex and sophisticated projects in the fintech industry.’

‘Knowledgable, experienced and responsive.’

‘Most experienced team in the Dublin market. Collective cross-sectoral strength of individuals.’

‘John O’Connor is a market leader and standout practitioner. John cuts through the complexities to find the nub of any problem and always delivers a pragmatic solution. He also has encyclopaedic case law knowledge.’

‘Shane Kelleher is always ready to provide us with high-level strategic advice when appropriate.’

Key clients

Experian Ltd


European Commission


ConsenSys


Saol Assurance


Elavon Financial Services DAC


Digital Capital Management


Moneycorp


Momentive Europe Unlimited


Middlegame Ventures


Supply Finance Limited


Fidelity Investment Managers (Ireland) Limited


Surestone Insurance


W3BCLoud


Payoneer Europe Limited


Associated Foreign Exchange Ireland Limited


Loylap (Smart Points Limited)


FINEOS Corporation Holdings PLC


Tines Security Services Limited


Paygate


CR2


EagleAlpha Limited


OFX Payments Limited


Soldo


Modulr FS Europe Limited


Apata Limited


August Equity LLP


AQ Metrics Limited


Fenergo Group/Freedom Topco Limited


Wefunder EU BV


Numerix LLC


CBPE Capital LLP


UKG Inc.


Work highlights


  • Acting for electronic money institutions which have secured authorisation in Ireland (including Payoneer, SumUp, Optal, Modulr, Moneycorp, OFX and Soldo).
  • Acting as Irish counsel for ConsenSys, a U.S.-headquartered blockchain technology innovator and vendor, on its non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet (MetaMask) which is used to interact with the Ethereum blockchain, and its use of generative AI.
  • Advised UKG Inc., the U.S.-based software-computer company, on the acquisition of Immedis Limited, an Irish-headquartered leading global payroll provider.

A&L Goodbody LLP

A&L Goodbody LLP‘s ‘excellent‘ team is well-versed in advising start-ups and established global fintech companies, particularly in the payments and crypto spaces, on regulatory authorisations, compliance and new product offerings. Additionally, the team has experience acting for leading financial institutions and tech companies. The firm is also well-equipped to advise on tax, financial, data protection and outsourcing matters in the fintech sector. Kevin Allen focuses on financial regulation, Peter Walker specialises in capital markets-related work, and Patrick Brandt has regulatory and M&A expertise; the three oversee the team. Christopher Martin is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Kevin Allen; Peter Walker; Patrick Brandt


Other key lawyers:

Christopher Martin; Louise Hogan; Sinéad Gleeson


Testimonials

‘Sinéad Gleeson at ALG was always available to answer any queries and worked extremely diligently with her colleagues to ensure the firm could deliver what was required. If anything required escalation or a more experienced head, then Christopher Martin was on-hand to answer these or assist Sinéad and the team when required.’

‘Expertise in complex areas; approachable and good communication; the team provides sound, practical advice that we can put into practice.’

‘Kevin Allen, Louise Hogan and Christopher Martin are always a pleasure to deal with. They are very approachable, their advice is clear and invaluable.’

‘The financial services regulatory practice is excellent in respect of its partner diversity on topics which gives a multi-disciplinary approach. The firm can also scale-up support to client needs as required and is effective in niche areas.’

‘Patrick Brandt is very responsive and understands the firm’s commercial needs. He has a broad array of up-to-date knowledge in respect of financial services.’

Key clients

PrimaryBid


Chase Paymentech (Europe) Limited


Work highlights


  • Acting for PrimaryBid in relation to the firm’s planned expansion into Ireland.
  • Acting for Chase Paymentech in relation to new and innovative product offerings.

Dillon Eustace

The financial regulatory practice at Dillon Eustace is frequently engaged to advise on the regulatory authorisations of fintech clients across the payments, e-money, crypto asset, insurance and retail credit spheres. In particular, the team stands out for its experience assisting international clients with the establishment of Irish entities, and frequently joins up with the firm’s strong funds practice to advise tech-based clients on their provision of investment services. Keith Waine leads the practice.

Practice head(s):

Keith Waine


Other key lawyers:

Donnacha O’Connor


Key clients

Nua Money


Scalapay


We2Sure


Chainflip


Nazare Point Limited


Viceversa


Leonteq Securities


Sekuritance Solutions


SumUp


Virtu Financial


Hudson River Trading


Mex Group


Unity Finance


Work highlights


  • Advising Nua Money in respect of its authorisation as a retail credit firm.
  • Advising Chainflip, a decentralised exchange, on the establishment of its Irish entity and providing regulatory advice in respect of the proposed activities of the Irish entity.
  • Advised Sekuritance Solutions on the company’s regulatory status and provided a legal opinion on the nature of the company’s crypto token.

Eversheds Sutherland

Eversheds Sutherland handles a wide-range of fintech mandates, spanning regulatory, corporate, outsourcing, data protection and cyber security matters, with notable strength in advising clients in the payment services and blockchain, and crypto assets spaces. Marie McGinley, an expert in tech and data protection, leads the team alongside corporate specialist Enda Newton, who is highly experienced in advising fintech clients therein, and Trevor Dolan, who joined the firm from LK Shields Solicitors LLP in February 2023 and has expertise in fintech regulation in particular.

Practice head(s):

Marie McGinley; Enda Newton; Trevor Dolan


Key clients

Synch Payments DAC


CSS Holdings, LLC (CSS)


eToro


FleetCor Technologies, Inc.


Verisure Services (UK) Limited


Work highlights


  • Acting as the sole legal advisor to Synch Payments DAC, a joint venture between Ireland’s four pillar banks intended to develop and launch an interbank mobile payments solution on the Irish market.
  • Acting as the lead legal advisor to Compliance Solutions Strategies (CSS), a global regtech partner, in Ireland.
  • Advised FleetCor Technologies, Inc. in respect of the acquisition of Roomex Limited, an Irish software technology company which specialises in respect of the optimisation of staff travel.

Maples Group

Maples Group‘s fast-growing fintech offering brings together the firm’s corporate, private equity, venture capital, financial regulatory, tech and data protection expertise to advise clients ranging from leading global fintechs to emerging companies. Practice head Colm Rafferty and practitioner Jordan O’Brien are well-versed in M&A and funding rounds, while Stephen Carty and Lorna Smith are the key contacts for regulatory advice, and Claire Morrissey assists with outsourcing and data protection matters.

Practice head(s):

Colm Rafferty


Other key lawyers:

Stephen Carty; Lorna Smith; Claire Morrissey; Jordan O’Brien


Testimonials

‘Lorna Smith is an experienced, practical and responsive adviser. I’ve gone to Lorna for years and am always happy to recommend her for payments work.’

‘Good, knowledgeable team, who work hard to be lynchpins in the industry. Jordan O’Brien and Colm Rafferty stand out.’

Key clients

Mortgage Horizons Limited (Doddl)


Roomex


Wayflyer Limited


Outmin Limited


MyWallStreet Limited


Message My Customer Limited


Work highlights


  • Advising Mortgage Horizons Limited (Doddl) on its funding round, which included investment from NSN Investments Limited and Merleview Limited.
  • Acted as lead advisor for Roomex on its acquisition by FLEETCOR Technologies.
  • Acted as lead advisor for Outmin Limited on its funding round, which included investment from lead investor Fuel Ventures.

Walkers

Walkers offers ‘a superb service‘ in the fintech sector, standing out for its expertise in payment and investment services, crypto, AML and data protection. The firm focuses on regulatory matters, and has robust experience advising on the authorisation of e-money institutions and virtual asset service providers, in addition to assisting fintech clients with the launch of new products and operations in Ireland. ‘Excellent leadNiall Esler and the ‘technically strongShane Martin specialise in financial services regulation in particular.

Practice head(s):

Niall Esler


Other key lawyers:

Shane Martin; Conor Daly


Testimonials

‘Professional, diligent and very personable to deal with.’

‘Both Shane Martin and Niall Esler were available at the drop of a hat and helped us last minute on a number of issues. They are very approachable and professional, along with being proactive in their efforts to support business-critical functions. I cannot recommend them highly enough.’

‘The team’s extensive technical knowledge married with its commercial knowledge and depth in resources means that the Walkers fintech team offers a superb service in this sector.’

‘Niall Esler is an excellent lead in this practice. He is both highly personable and technically superb.’

‘Great technical knowledge, looking to serve client needs in the way that best works for the client.’

‘Niall Esler is excellent, technically proficient, and thinks in terms of the client’s needs on a practical basis when advising them on legal matters.’

‘Shane Martin is technically strong and well-versed in his area not just locally but across other jurisdictions, which is a huge plus when dealing with multinational financial services firms.’

‘Shane Martin, Niall Esler and team are approachable, responsive and commercial in their advice. We have found them a delight to deal with in all areas.’