Adrianus Schoorl LL.M.

Of Counsel

Leading the Financial Services Regulatory (MENA) Practice

Emailadrianus.schoorl@akd.partners

Call+97 144 386 225

Dubai

About

Adrianus Schoorl (joined April 2024) is a Legal 500 and Chambers recognized legal practitioner (firstly included in 2017) focusing on financial services and payments (including licensing strategies, product terms and specifications, marketing strategies, capital markets compliance, the creation of payments and AML regulatory frameworks as well as managing regulatory interaction), data regulation (GDPR and Middle East and North Africa MENA -equivalents) as well as technology (outsourcing, e-commerce, social media, crypto).

Adrianus has a proven track record with white-shoe and magic-circle law firms, building and leading well-recognised financial services practices, lastly as partner at a large US law firm. He works very closely with our tier-1 technology and regulatory / investigations teams across the network.

As a significant value-add to his career, Adrianus spent 4 years as a financial services regulator in Europe, the Middle East and North America, and Adrianus spent the last two years as regulatory counsel of a large global fintech. His clients include government entities (support on legislative and regulatory reforms), payment services providers, digital platform economy operators, fintechs and financial institutions more broadly as well as sovereign, public and private equity funds investing (via debt and equity) in the digital economy.

Adrianus also has a respected profile in fund formation and regulation in the financial services domain and in regulatory aspects of capital markets transactions. He is a strong networker in the public and private sector and has built a loyal client following based on the motto follow your clients to where they want to go and he has the ability to build and inspire the necessary teams to support work-flow.

Adrianus lives and works in the Middle East since 2005 including 2 years in Saudi Arabia, 2 years in Qatar, 2 years in Abu Dhabi and 10+ years in Dubai.

Areas of FocusRegulatory and Government Affairs Financial Services

Bar admissions / Professional QualificationsAdvocaat admitted with the Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten

EXPERIENCE

Advising a GCC Central Bank on the creation of a landmark payment services and payment systems regulatory framework (and many other government entities on similar projects in relation to framework and AML legislation).*
Advising a GCC government entity on the launch of its regulated funds platform in a Financial Free Zone (as well a as advising a number of other private and public fund operators across the MENA region).*
Advising a leading fintechs in the Middle East on payments licensing and product development, consumer protection constraints and capital raisings.*
Advising on the acquisition of a Fintech – a landmark financial services transaction in the Middle East.*
Advising on regulatory aspects of bank mergers in the UAE (ENBD as well as FAB) as well as other M&A activity in the financial services sector in the MENA region (including subsequent product integration).*
Advising on the roll-out of a crypto-currency sponsored by a leading social media platform (and advising a number of large global virtual asset trading platforms on market penetration in the Middle East).*
Advising a leading regional and international banks, brokers, trading platforms and insurers on compliance obligations in the MENA region.*

*Experience gained from previous firm.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Ranked as a practitioner for Band -1 in Fintech and Band-2 - Chambers Global

Education

University of Amsterdam, LL.M.

Prior Experience

Adrianus has worked in the Middle East since 2005 including 2 years in Saudi Arabia, 2 years in Qatar, 2 years in Abu Dhabi and 10+ years in Dubai (and Adrianus spends significant time in Europe).

Additional Information

Adrianus has registered Financial Law as his principal legal practice area in the Netherlands Bar s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister). Based on this registration, he is required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in each registered principal legal practice area in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.

Memberships and Affiliations