Practice areas

• advising on the practical implications of new laws, rules and regulations;
• FSA authorisations;
• change of control;
• general and specific conflicts reviews;
• sponsor/nomad-related advice;
• systems and controls strategy and reviews;
• governance;
• advice on dealing with the FSA and other regulatory authorities;
• interpretive guidance - including "reading between the lines";
• documentation reviews;
• market conduct advice;
• variations of permission;
• waiver applications;
• transaction structuring, from a regulatory perspective;
• detailed specific internal audits and investigations;
• ARROW assistance;
• S.166 guidance;
• regulatory capital and liquidity advice;
• assisting with remedial actions;
• policy and procedure development/reviews;
• regulatory due diligence; and
• regulatory impact of internal restructuring.

We also have an excellent track record in dealing with a full range of regulatory disputes and investigations, and in assisting clients in avoiding formal enforcement procedures.  For example, we have advised on insider dealing and market abuse probes; investigations into IPOs and public company transactions, with particular reference to the role of sponsors and nomads; and inquiries under the FSA's TCF programme.

Our breadth of experience and commercial insight ensure that we are ideally-equipped to provide routine practical guidance, including tactical advice on dealing with regulators; benchmarking and market practice guidance; and interpretation and practical application of rules, including advice on passporting; market abuse/insider dealing; AML issues; conflicts of interest and confidentiality; financial promotions; 'fit and proper' issues; and MiFID.