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Financial Services Regulatory

Our financial services regulatory practice is wide-ranging and covers both contentious and advisory matters.

Financial Services Regulatory

Investigations and Enforcement

We advise on a wide range of financial services regulatory contentious matters, including:

  • Information requests
  • Internal investigations
  • Announced and unannounced visits (“dawn raids”)
  • Settlement negotiations
  • Regulatory Decisions Committee meetings
  • Upper Tribunal hearings

Recent matters include:

  • Internal investigations
  • Advising on an internal investigation for a bank involving SMF misconduct
  • Advising a director of a listed company on their disclosure obligations
  • Acting for a firm seeking FCA registration as a cryptoasset exchange provider

Advisory

Transaction regulatory support

We work with our corporate team acting for buyers and sellers on mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring to advise on regulatory notifications sand approval processes and compliance risk allocation in transaction documentation.

  • Change in control
  • SPA clauses
  • Legal due diligence review

Perimeter advice and getting authorised

Does your business or commercial activity require PRA and/or FCA authorisation or registration? We can advise on whether or not you fall within the scope of regulation, and assist with any necessary applications.

  • Regulated activities
  • Registration under the MLRs (crypto)
  • E-money and payment services
  • Appointed representative arrangements
  • Advising on interactions with regulators, including FCA and PRA

Advertising and financial promotions

We advise both financial services firms and unregulated firms such as marketing platforms and advertising agencies with financial services clients, on how to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to financial promotions. This complex area of regulation is evolving rapidly in the UK and a series of fundamental changes are coming into force in 2023 and 2024.

  • Advertising policies
  • Rules applicable to specific types of financial promotion
  • Financial promotions requiring approval, and availability of relevant exemptions

Employment and other BAU matters

We advise on regulatory matters arising in the course of your day to day business. Queries we commonly cover concern:

  • SMCR
  • Corporate governance
  • Employment contract terms
  • Remuneration
  • Fitness and propriety
  • Regulatory references
  • Whistleblowing
  • Outsourcing contracts and oversight arrangements
  • Regulatory disclosures

Cryptoassets, AI and fintech

We have a specialist focus on cryptoassets, including NFTs, and advise a wide range of firms son all aspects of legal and regulatory compliance.


Our Clients

We act for a broad range of financial services firms as well as individuals, including:

  • Banks
  • Investment firms and funds (including hedge funds)
  • Payment services and e-money firms
  • Appointed representatives
  • Cryptoasset firms
  • Social media platforms

Related items

Related sectors

NSI update

The National Security and Investment Act 2021: will it lead to greater certainty and lower burdens for businesses?

07 December 2023

Since the National Security and Investment Act (the NSI Act) came into force on 4 January 2022, one of the criticisms levelled at the legislation has been its broad scope and ambiguity over whether a transaction might be captured by the mandatory notification regime or voluntary notification regime.

FCA publishes long-awaited rules and guidance on anti-greenwashing and sustainability

01 December 2023

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published long-awaited guidance on anti-greenwashing and sustainability due to come into effect in 2024.

Financial promotions regulatory horizon scanner

Financial promotions regulatory horizon scanner

24 November 2023

Our financial promotions horizon scanner (below) identifies regulatory changes and updates that are likely to impact firms who offer financial services and products in the UK. The tracker identifies key current and future developments across numerous areas including, anti-greenwashing, social media, high risk investments and cryptoassets.

Financial promotions

Financial promotion exemptions for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors: HM Treasury publishes its response

15 November 2023

HM Treasury has published its Response to the Consultation: Financial promotion exemptions for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors (Consultation) which set out proposals to reform exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order 2005 (FPO) relating to high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors.

crypto marketing

Is there a future for crypto marketing in the UK?

03 November 2023

Following the coming into force of the Financial Conduct Authority’s new crypto marketing regime, Wendy Saunders provides a breakdown of what it all means in practice.

National Security And Investment Act 2021

01 September 2023

The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (“NSI Act”) provides the UK government with new powers to scrutinise investments on national security grounds. The regime set out in the NSI Act came into force on 4 January 2022.

corporate

Promoting cryptoassets: what you need to know and next steps

23 June 2023

New legislation, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023 (FPO Amendment Order) has been made which brings certain cryptoassets within the UK’s framework for regulating financial promotions.

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