Clifford Chance (CC) and Hogan Lovells have advised on a new partnership between ING and AXA, which will allow the Dutch bank to offer insurance services to customers in six countries around the world.

ING's 'bancassurance' tie-up with the French insurance giant means it will be able to offer property and casualty, health and protection insurance services to its customers in Germany, Australia, Italy, France, Czech Republic and Austria through a central digital insurance platform.

CC advised ING on the deal, with a London-based team comprising corporate partners Alex Erasmus and Cheng Li Yow and intellectual property (IP) partner Andre Duminy, who advised on IT-related matters.

Hogan Lovells took the lead role for AXA, with a London team led by litigation partner Victor Fornasier alongside tax partner Elliot Weston and IP partner Sahira Khwaja.

The deal marks ING's first venture back into the insurance sector after it was forced to sell its insurance arm as part of a bailout by the Dutch Government following the 2008 financial crisis.

Earlier this year, US firms Cravath Swaine & Moore and Debevoise & Plimpton advised AXA on its $15.3bn acquisition of insurance rival XL Group, which was advised by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

The insurance company's legal team, which comprises about 18 lawyers and three assistants, is led by group general counsel Helen Browne.

Other firms to have worked with ING in the past include Allen & Overy, which in 2013 advised on the sale of its Malaysian insurance operations to AIA Group and the purchase of its South Korean life insurance business to private equity firm MBK Partners.