Every business needs lawyers who understand that business and how the business is regulated. The complex regulation of financial services businesses makes it even more crucial – and challenging – to find a team of external lawyers who truly understand your business and you.

Our Financial Regulation Team is independently recognised as first rate and as ''highly attuned'' and having ''client focus and a pragmatic approach in complicated situations''.  The team advises on the full range of issues affecting financial services clients including:  FSMA, FSA rules, Building Societies Act, Data Protection, MiFID, TCF, RDR, anti-money laundering, consumer credit, insurance, conduct of business, customer documentation, e-commerce and advertising and marketing regulation.

Our advice addresses how evolving legislation, regulation and market frameworks affect existing businesses.  We also advise on the development of new products and services and the establishment of new financial services businesses (including advice on authorisations and passporting).  We are experienced in the regulatory and due diligence aspects of transactions in the financial services sector.

Clients and experience

Our experience in this sector includes:

• FSMA, FSA rules, Building Societies Act, CCA, UTCCR, MiFID, TCF, RDR
• Data Protection
• Passporting into and from other EU jurisdictions
• Establishing financial services businesses
• Application of conduct of business and prudential requirements
• Compliance arrangements and designing compliance monitoring programmes
• Drafting internal policies, including risk management and anti-money laundering policies
• Financial promotions and approving marketing material
• Product structuring and establishment
• Distribution channels for financial services
• Commercial contracts within the regulated sector
• Outsourcing and appointing appointed representatives
• Due diligence and structuring sale and purchase of financial institutions