Financial Services Regulation

In an increasingly complex and fast-paced regulatory environment, our financial services regulation practice is well positioned, providing high calibre lawyers seamlessly covering both contentious and non-contentious issues.

Many of our lawyers have significant client-side experience in senior legal and compliance roles and experience of working with the FCA and PRA. This enables us to see the issues from the client’s perspective and to understand the objectives and priorities of the regulators.

We advise the full range of financial services firms, including banks, investment banks, corporate finance advisory boutiques, private equity houses, trading venues and other liquidity providers, as well as asset managers, hedge fund managers and individuals. We are one of a select panel of law firms to be appointed to the PRA / FCA panel of “skilled persons”, providing clients with developed insight into the way in which the regulators supervise firms and enforce against them.

The non-contentious side of the practice has a market-leading reputation in working with institutional asset managers and hedge funds, encompassing all types of strategic regulatory advisory work, the majority of which is performed at senior management and board level.

In addition, the contentious side of the practice regularly advises on the largest and most complex regulatory disputes and investigations globally and provides market leading experience and expertise in a wide range of contentious regulatory matters, including investigations, enforcement actions and dispute resolution.

Our unique service is enhanced by our strong in-house advocacy capabilities, in the form of a well renowned QC and several Solicitor Advocates, allowing us the rights to present cases in the High Court, providing a full service from letter of claim through to trial.

Our specialist areas of expertise include:

regulatory developments;
transactional regulatory support;
enforcement and investigations;
regulatory obligations and advice;
governance and accountability; and
market conduct and financial crime.

Recent work

Global wealth manager

Advising a global wealth manager with licensed firms in multiple jurisdictions across the world on the disposal of part of its business and on its acquisition of another wealth manager. We coordinated a large team of regulatory lawyers in order to achieve all requisite regulatory approvals in advance of the long stop date, providing a "one stop shop service".

Asset managers

Acting as a “skilled person” reviewing a firm’s systems and controls and governance in connection with compliance with the FCA Client Asset Sourcebook and advising numerous asset managers on section 166 skilled persons reviews in response to compliance issues identified by the FCA.

Asset management group

Advising a large institutional asset management group on its optimisation project, involving the restructuring of the group’s vertically integrated operations and its corporate entity structure to improve efficiency and reduce duplication.

Investment Firm Prudential Regime

Advising on the impact of the FCA's new Investment Firm Prudential Regime including in the context of transactions, advising on the regulatory capital impact of a transaction at group and solo firm level.

Brexit

Advising a range of firms, on Brexit related issues including perimeter advice to large EU banks on the scope of their regulated activities in the UK and obligations under the UK's temporary permissions regime for EEA firms.

Alchemy

Advising Alchemy on the regulatory aspects of a number of transactions including its participation in a proposed fundraising by Countrywide plc, the largest property group in the UK, which will involve Alchemy acquiring at least 50.1% of the enlarged share capital of Countrywide; and its $90m investment in Apollo Group Holdings Limited, the Lloyd’s specialist insurance and reinsurance group.

See all

See all contacts

Alexandra Green

Partner

+44 (0)20 7791 4100 Email Alexandra

Michael Sholem

Partner

+44 (0)20 7849 2023 Email Michael

Tim Plews

Senior Consultant

+44 (0)20 7849 2222 Email Tim

In depth

What people are saying

"They understand all issues and questions that we have straight away and provide pragmatic advice and they explain everything in a very clear manner. They are extremely well experienced in the financial services/regulatory area, so their knowledge is exceptional. The Team is extremely professional and always very helpful."

The UK Legal 500 2023