Karima Lachgar joins Osborne Clarke as a partner to head up the firm's financial services, fintech and crypto-assets practice. With Karima’s hiring the firm confirms its ambitions and its strategy in terms of digital transformation offering a range of services in all the main areas of business law to a client base that is strongly structured around digital innovation.
Karima Lachgar has more than 15 years of expertise on all matters related to banking and financial regulation, payment services, cryptoassets and blockchain. Her in-depth knowledge of the banking and financial sector acquired as a consultant in European affairs, head of the French Association of Securities Professionals (AFTI) and then as Head of Market Intelligence & Regulatory Watch and counsel at CMS Francis Lefebvre Avocats have enabled her to develop a rich network of contacts among French and European regulatory authorities and to advise both historical players and new entrants.
In 2020, she created her own boutique advising her clients (credit institutions, investment firms, payment institutions, digital asset service providers and tokenisation platforms) and started working closely with Osborne Clarke on several cases in France and abroad.
At this stage of her career, and considering the strong synergies with Osborne Clarke's IP/IT and Corporate teams, the choice of Osborne Clarke was obvious for Karima, with the intention to strengthen a common practice enriched by the complementary views and expertise of other partners. In this respect, Karima Lachgar says: "My arrival at Osborne Clarke represents a great opportunity for me to consolidate a complete service offer around technological innovation and anticipation of the major changes in the banking and financial industry in France and internationally, within a structure whose values of involvement, expertise and know-how I fully share.
Catherine Olive, co-managing partner of Osborne Clarke in Paris, says: "Our firm stands out in France, as well as worldwide, for its strong presence with major digital players. Karima's expertise and experience will strengthen the range of skills we offer to our clients and reaffirms our commitment to providing tailor-made, cross-functional services.
"As such, Karima will work closely with our IP/IT team on topics related to blockchain and digital transformation and more broadly, on innovation topics in regulation and financial services. We are delighted to welcome her to our team", says Maxime Pigeon, co-managing partner.
