Piper Sandler has secured French regulatory approval to trade equities across the European Union, the Minneapolis investment bank announced Thursday. The firm opened its Paris office after a two-year wait following incorporation of its French entity, Piper Sandler Europe SAS, in August 2024. The authorization from France’s ACPR allows the firm to passport equity trading services throughout all EU member states from a single license.
Ben Allen, formerly of Credit Suisse, leads the Paris operation as head of sales and trading for Piper Sandler Europe. The firm announced two senior hires: Louis Renaudie from BNP Paribas in equity sales, and Louis Carpentier from Edmond de Rothschild as equity sales-trader. President Deb Schoneman cited growing international demand for the bank’s US equity research and execution capabilities.
The lengthy approval timeline underscores France’s reputation as one of Europe’s most stringent financial regulators, a consideration for US firms evaluating EU expansion strategies.
FXnCO Insight
US investment firms targeting EU market access should anticipate multi-year regulatory timelines when selecting domicile jurisdictions, particularly in France where authorization processes remain substantially longer than incorporation.
Source: Finance Magnates