ARAMIS Société d'Avocats

Firm Details:
Number of lawyers: 50
Languages: English, French, German, Italian

Firm Overview:
Founded in 2006 by alumni of several international law firms, Aramis currently brings together a team of 50 lawyers, including ten partners, specialized in legal fields that cover a wide spectrum of international corporations’ needs. The firm provides tailored solutions and services with specific attention to a strong partner involvement, being solution-oriented, creativity, simplicity, agility and long-term commitment.

Since its launch, the firm established a cutting-edge expertise in financial services and is amongst the leading FinTech law firms in France and Europe.

Sectors:
■ Payment Services and E-Money
■ Banking as a Service
■ Crowdfunding
■ Mobile Payments
■ Co-Branding
■ Marketplaces
■ Prepaid
■ Blockchain and Crypto-Assets

Main Areas Of Practice:
The team works for a wide range of clients in the FinTech sector and more generally over financial services.

Regulatory
Expert assistance on licence applications for credit, e-money and payment institutions; agent registration and exemption procedures; structuration and qualification of projects; management of relationship with regulator and supervisors; AML and privacy compliance.

Client Case: licensing of a new actor to provide Banking as a Service offers.
Legal Documents
Drafting and assistance in negotiation of sponsorship and technology agreements, marketplaces, processing & acquiring, collaterals, shareholders agreements.

Client Case: partnership agreement between a mobile payment technical provider and a bank.
Litigation
Strategic advice and representation of clients in disciplinary proceedings, shareholders’ disputes, commercial litigation and anti-trust. Aramis also assists clients in restructuring matters.

Client Case: assistance of a licensed institution in a disciplinary procedure concerning its online service.
International Projects

Aramis is a founding member of the FinTech Lawyers Network, a unique network of prominent FinTech lawyers from major European jurisdictions.

Client Case: reorganisation of the licences held across Europe by a listed client.

Public Affairs 

Assistance to licensed institutions and professional organisations in discussions with the Regulator, the Government, the Parliament and the EU on draft regulation impacting FinTech players in France.

Client Case: modification of KYC thresholds in the context of the implementation of 5th Anti-Money Laundering directive.

Aramis typically advises:

■ Foreign institutions setting up their programmes in France, both from a regulatory and contractual standpoint.

■ New market players in fields such as retail, rewards & benefits, leisure & travel, entertainment, transport, etc.

■ Banks and licensed institutions developing and diversifying their strategy in the financial services sector.

Aramis’ FinTech team closely works with other expert teams to provide full advice to its clients, in particular:

■ M&A: fundraising operations, IPOs, sale and purchase transactions, corporate reorganisation, management packages and shareholder agreements;

■ Tax: VAT regimes applicable to regulated activities, derogatory regimes applicable to innovative companies and more specific tax obligations such as FATCA and CRS requirements;

■ Public Procurement: private/public strategic partnerships; litigation on public tenders;

■ Employment: management of individual and collective relationship with employees, secondments, managers’ contracts and packages.

Recent Highlights & Awards 

■ Chambers & Partners Global & Europe 2021 - FinTech (Benjamin May: Band 1)

■ Chambers & Partners Global & Europe 2021 - FinTech (David Roche: Band 4)

■ Chambers & Partners Global & Europe 2021 - FinTech

■ Legal 500 EMEA - Industry focus: IT and internet

Contacts: 

FinTech – Regulatory, Contracts and Litigation: 

Contact: Benjamin May

Tel: +331 53 30 77 03

Email: [email protected]

FinTech – Regulatory, Contracts and Litigation: 

Contact: David Roche

Tel: +331 53 30 77 87

Email: [email protected]

FinTech – M&A:  

Contact: Anne-Hélène Le Trocquer

Tel: +331 53 30 77 06

Email: [email protected]