Niels Vandezande

Niels Vandezande is a technology lawyer based in Belgium who specializes in data protection, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cryptocurrency law. He currently practices at Timelex, where he advises clients on complex IT-related projects and e-business matters, helping them navigate the increasingly complex legal landscape surrounding emerging technologies.

Vandezande has developed particular expertise in FinTech law, with deep knowledge of crypto-assets, NFTs, web3 technologies, e-money, and electronic payments. His practice encompasses compliance with major European regulations including MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), PSD2 (Payment Services Directive), EMD2 (Electronic Money Directive), and MiFID2 (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive).

With over 15 years of experience in privacy and data protection law, Vandezande is well-versed in GDPR compliance and the emerging Data Act. His cybersecurity practice covers NIS2 (Network and Information Systems Directive), DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). He also advises on trust services and identity management under eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services), as well as e-government, e-commerce, e-health initiatives, and public information availability and re-use.

Vandezande holds a Master of Laws degree from KU Leuven, one of Belgium's leading universities. He furthered his academic credentials by obtaining a PhD from the same institution, with his doctoral research focusing on the legal and economic aspects of crypto-assets, positioning him at the forefront of cryptocurrency legal scholarship.

Vandezande's practice philosophy centers on translating complex legal requirements into clear and actionable advice for his clients. His services include comprehensive compliance management, drafting various types of technology-related contracts, and implementing necessary policies for businesses operating in the digital economy. He is fluent in both Dutch and English, enabling him to serve clients across multiple jurisdictions and language preferences.

Through TinRate, Vandezande offers structured consultation options designed to accommodate different client needs, from brief contract reviews to substantial platform launches and comprehensive legal project management.

Niels Vandezande holds a doctoral degree (Dr.) and was born in 1985 in Leuven. He serves as an affiliated senior researcher at KU Leuven CiTiP in addition to his role at Timelex. He is recognized by Legal 500 as leading crypto advice at Timelex and has spoken at conferences including CPDP 2020 on electronic evidence and new technologies.

• Kan AI autonoom een bindend contract sluiten? — Legal News (2024-01-15)
  Niels Vandezande co-authored an article about AI autonomously entering into binding contracts.
• EIOPA guidelines on outsourcing to cloud service providers — Legal News (2020-09-03)
  Niels Vandezande authored an analysis of EIOPA's guidelines on outsourcing to cloud service providers.

• Niels Vandezande - Attorney - Timelex | LinkedIn
• Niels Vandezande on LinkedIn: Cybersecurity in the EU: How the NIS2-directive stacks up (LinkedIn)
• Niels Vandezande on LinkedIn: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in the home stretch (LinkedIn)
• Niels Vandezande | Twitter (X)

• Timelex Fintech Rankings | Legal 500
• Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and a vision of the future for us | Timelex

• What is GDPR compliance? (Data Protection)
• What is GDPR and why is it important for businesses? (Data Protection)
• What is GDPR and how does it impact businesses? (Data Protection)
• What are the most common GDPR compliance mistakes organizations make? (Data Protection)
• What are the best practices for data breach response? (Data Protection)
• What are the key differences between GDPR and CCPA? (Data Protection)
• How should organizations handle data breach notifications? (Data Protection)
• How to implement the data minimization principle effectively? (Data Protection)
• How to respond to data subject requests under GDPR? (Data Protection)
• What is data breach notification? (Data Protection)

• Book Niels Vandezande on TinRate
• Niels Vandezande - Attorney - Timelex | LinkedIn (linkedin)
• Niels Vandezande | Timelex (company)
• Niels Vandezande — CITIP (other)
• Niels Vandezande joins law firm timelex (2018) | Lexgo.be (news)
• Niels Vandezande on LinkedIn: Cybersecurity in the EU: How the NIS2-directive stacks up
• Niels Vandezande on LinkedIn: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in the home stretch
• Timelex Fintech Rankings | Legal 500
• Niels Vandezande | Twitter
• Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and a vision of the future for us | Timelex
• Timelex » Law firm in IT, IP, Privacy (GDPR) & Media

1. Niels Vandezande - Attorney - Timelex | LinkedIn — accessed 2026-04-09
2. Niels Vandezande | Timelex — accessed 2026-04-09
3. Niels Vandezande — CITIP — accessed 2026-04-09
4. Legal News Article — accessed 2026-04-09
5. Legal 500 Rankings — accessed 2026-04-09