Our FIG team advises a wide range of stock exchanges, trading platforms and other service providers to the financial services industry throughout the world. Our recent work reflects a number of trends:

  • the proliferation of trading platforms;
  • consolidation attempts among the larger exchanges, including through mergers and joint ventures into new business areas across borders;
  • increasing regulatory scrutiny into the operation of exchanges around Europe; and
  • outsourcing of many different functions within financial institutions including payroll, IT infrastructure, bank note printing and credit card operations.

A selection of our recent experience includes advising:

  • the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on its listing on its own market and on a number of proposed transactions including the proposed offers by Deutsche Borse and Euronext, including the subsequent Competition Commission enquiry, the hostile offer by Macquarie Bank and the offer by NASDAQ;
  • Merrill Lynch (Asia) as financial adviser to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on the merger of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange;
  • SIS Segaintersettle AG on obtaining recognition as an overseas clearing house for x-clear, one of the central counterparties for virt-x. x-clear is the first Recognised Overseas Clearing House (ROCH);
  • Visa on the development of its V PAY direct debit card product and on its ongoing credit card business; and
  • Xchanging on the acquisition of European Transaction Bank from Deutsche Bank.

For more information please contact Jeremy Barton, business development manager.

News

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