Financial Services partner Neil Robson was interviewed by Bloomberg on the news that two US algorithmic-trading firms have chosen Amsterdam over London for European office locations. London's place as a regional financial center has been affected by the Brexit vote and the upcoming implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II). Neil notes that financial market authority of The Netherlands is well-equipped for working with computerized traders as compared to other European counterparts. He stated, "If a prop-trading firm is established in the Netherlands as a local, the Netherlands has a relatively comfortable capital treatment. They already have a prop-trading community there and you're not teaching the regulator what to regulate." However, interest in London is not entirely diminished. Neil added, "A good number [of US algorithmic-trading firms] still came to the UK notwithstanding Brexit, saying, ‘We'll let the other firms take a view on getting established elsewhere in the EU. We'll set up in the UK. It's easy and relatively quick.' They'll take a view on getting established elsewhere in the EU once they know what Brexit means." ("Trading Firms Pick Amsterdam Over London as Brexit Bites," August 3, 2017)
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