Deal Structuring and Brokerage: Where Difficult Transactions Get Done
Deal structuring and brokerage is the work of making complex, sensitive transactions happen in the regulated financial services space. The assets are licenses, banking relationships, regulated fintech companies, and payment infrastructure businesses that most generalist brokers do not understand and most buyers and sellers cannot navigate on their own. I act as the bridge: identifying the opportunity, qualifying both sides, structuring the terms, and managing the introduction through to a signed agreement. Some deals get done. Most do not. The difference is rarely the asset. It is the person in the middle who knows how to structure it.
What This Service Actually Is
Deal structuring and brokerage happens when two parties need to transact but cannot, or should not, find each other on their own. In licensed financial services, the information gap between buyers and sellers is significant. Most licensed entity sellers do not publicly advertise their assets. Most buyers do not know where to look. And even when both parties exist, the commercial terms, the disclosure process, the regulatory considerations, and the confidentiality requirements need someone who understands the space to manage them properly.
I work across licensed financial services, payments infrastructure, and regulated fintech assets. If it involves a license, a banking relationship, a change of control, or a regulated entity changing hands, this is the work I do.
What I Actually Do
I source assets and match them to qualified buyers. I structure fee arrangements that are fair to both sides and enforceable. I draft or advise on the commercial terms that govern the introduction. I manage sensitive information carefully, using non-disclosure agreements, obfuscated deal sheets, and staged disclosure to protect all parties until the right moment.
I do not simply make introductions and disappear. I stay close to the process until both sides have signed and the deal is moving forward under its own momentum. In many transactions, the most critical work happens in the middle: keeping both sides engaged, resolving sticking points on commercial terms, and ensuring the regulatory considerations are accounted for in the structure before either party overcommits.
The Types of Deals I Broker
Licensed entity acquisitions: Money Services Businesses, Money Transmitter Operators, Electronic Money Institutions, Virtual Asset Service Providers, and other regulated financial entities. Both buy-side (sourcing acquisition targets for buyers) and sell-side (finding qualified buyers for sellers).
Money Transmitter License portfolio sales: US state-by-state MTL portfolios, individual state licenses, and license bundles. These are increasingly valuable assets as the cost and timeline of fresh license acquisition has grown substantially across most major US jurisdictions.
Banking relationship transfers: Introductions to MSB-friendly banking relationships where the existing holder is exiting the space or restructuring. Among the most difficult and highest-value transactions in the payments space, given how hard these relationships are to establish from scratch.
Regulated fintech asset acquisitions: Technology platforms, customer bases, processing infrastructure, and intellectual property assets that are bundled with or dependent on licensed entities or banking relationships.
Cross-border payment infrastructure deals: Payment corridors, payout network agreements, settlement arrangements, and licensed operator relationships that have strategic value to an acquirer looking to expand into new markets quickly.
Change of control transactions: Full ownership transfers of licensed payment companies, including change of control notifications and regulatory approval processes in relevant jurisdictions.
How I Structure My Fees
I work on a success-only basis. No retainer. No upfront fee. I earn when the deal closes, which means my incentive is entirely aligned with yours.
Fees are structured as a fixed Buyer's Premium, a Seller's Premium, or both, depending on the nature of the engagement. All fee arrangements are documented in a formal Broker Engagement Agreement before any introduction is made. There is no ambiguity about what I earn and under what conditions.
For transactions with multi-year revenue implications (referral commission structures, long-term payment volume agreements), fee structures can be designed to reflect the ongoing value of the introduction rather than a single upfront payment at closing.
What You Can Expect Working With Me
Discretion. Every party to a deal I broker signs confidentiality protections before any identifying information is shared. Deals are presented in obfuscated form initially and disclosed in stages as both sides demonstrate serious intent. Names, identities, and sensitive operational details are never shared with parties who have not established genuine interest and signed the appropriate agreements.
Speed. I do not waste your time with unvetted opportunities. If I bring something to you, it has already been qualified. This means I have assessed the asset, confirmed the seller's intent, and identified you as a credible potential counterparty before making contact. Every introduction is informed by knowledge of both sides of the transaction.
Protection. Non-circumvention terms are standard in every engagement. If you are introduced through me, the relationship is protected for both sides. You cannot be bypassed on a deal I brought to you, and I cannot be cut out of a transaction I originated. These terms are in the Broker Engagement Agreement and are standard practice across every engagement I run.
Who I Work With
I work with funded, serious operators: fintechs, payment companies, crypto infrastructure businesses, and financial institutions that are ready to transact, not explore.
On the buy side, this means buyers who have capital allocated, a clear acquisition rationale, and the regulatory and operational capability to absorb a licensed entity or banking relationship. On the sell side, this means sellers who have made a real decision to exit or divest, with realistic expectations about valuation and timeline.
If you are still at the research stage, consulting and advisory services are a better starting point. Deal structuring and brokerage is for parties that are ready to move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between deal brokerage and a simple introduction service? An introduction service makes a connection and steps back. Deal structuring and brokerage stays involved through the entire transaction: qualifying parties, structuring terms, managing disclosure, advising on commercial and regulatory considerations, and keeping the deal moving until both sides have signed. The brokerage earns on closing, not on introductions, which aligns the incentive entirely with the outcome.
How do you find assets that are not publicly available? Through a network built over fifteen years in the regulated financial services space. Most licensed entity sales, banking relationship transfers, and regulated fintech asset transactions do not go to market publicly. They move through trusted networks of advisors, operators, and investors who know each other. Being embedded in that network, with a reputation for discretion and deal execution, creates access to deal flow that is not visible in the open market.
What jurisdictions do you work in? Primarily the United States (MTL portfolio transactions, US licensed MSB acquisitions), the European Union and United Kingdom (EMI license transactions, FCA-regulated entity deals), and offshore jurisdictions including BVI, Seychelles, and Mauritius for holding structure transactions. Secondary coverage in Canada, UAE, and selectively across Asia. Each transaction is assessed based on the specific regulatory environment of the jurisdictions involved.
How long does a typical deal take to close? It depends on the complexity of the asset and the regulatory requirements. A straightforward MTL portfolio sale with an established buyer and clean license history can close in 60 to 90 days. A full change of control transaction requiring regulatory approval in multiple jurisdictions may take six to twelve months. Banking relationship transfers typically take three to six months given the bank's own diligence requirements on the incoming party.
Do you work on deals outside the payments space? Occasionally, if the deal involves a regulated financial services component: lending licenses, insurance intermediary structures, or custody arrangements with a payment element. The core deal flow is payments, licensing, and crypto infrastructure. Outside of that, I refer to specialists.
Ready to Talk? All Conversations Are Confidential.
Deal structuring and brokerage in licensed financial services requires the right counterparties, the right commercial terms, and someone who has done this before in a domain where most generalists are out of their depth. If you have an asset to sell, are looking to acquire licensed payment infrastructure, or want to explore whether there is a deal to be structured around an opportunity you have identified, reach out directly. All conversations are confidential from the first contact. If the opportunity is real, we will know quickly.