King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has advised ZhongAn Virtual Finance Limited (ZAVFL) on its successful application for a virtual banking licence from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). 

ZhongAn become one of the first three financial service providers acquiring virtual banking licences in Hong Kong. The other two are Livi VB and SC Digital Solutions. 

Different from traditional banks, virtual banks will rely on the Internet for customer acquisition and for the delivery of banking services. 

Following ZAVFL’s official launch of its virtual banking business, KWM will continue to advise on financial regulatory issues. 

The KWM team advised ZAVFL on Hong Kong and PRC laws and was led by Hong Kong partners Minny Siu, Richard Mazzochi, Hayden Flinn and Peter Bullock, and Shanghai partners Stanley Zhou and Chai Zhifeng. 

金杜助力众安申请香港首批虚拟银行牌照

金杜律师事务所助力众安虚拟金融有限公司（简称“众安虚拟金融”）成功完成虚拟银行牌照的申请，并获香港金融管理局（简称“金管局”）授予虚拟银行牌照以经营虚拟银行。

众安虚拟金融成为首批在香港获金管局颁布虚拟银行牌照的三家公司之一。另外两家是Livi VB和SC Digital Solutions。

与传统金融机构不同，虚拟银行是指主要通过互联网或其他电子传送渠道提供银行服务的公司。

在众安虚拟金融正式启动虚拟银行业务前，金杜团队会一直就虚拟银行的设立及运作提供金融监管方面的服务。

金杜担任众安虚拟金融的香港法和中国法法律顾问，该项目的主办合伙人为香港办公室的萧乃莹、马绍基、范凯敦和潘乐，以及上海办公室的周昕和柴志峰。

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