Under the Securities Transactions (Supervision) Act (abbreviated to Wft), asset managers and securities brokers require a licence to operate as securities institutions. In order to obtain this licence, as well as certain financial requirements there are also special requirements regarding expertise and reliability. Furthermore, securities institutions must adhere to a code of conduct for acting independently in the market and to prevent conflicts of interests.

Securities institutions can rely on CMS Derks Star Busmann for advice on a broad range of subjects under the Wft. These are not only securities institutions that are active in the Netherlands, but also those with international operations.