We are recognised as one of the leading building societies and mutuals teams in the UK. We advise more than 30 of the UK's 42 building societies, as well as numerous other clients in the wider mutuals sector both in the UK and beyond, including mutual deposit-takers, mutual insurers, major employee owned mutuals, friendly societies, co-operatives and credit unions. 

We have advised on many of the most significant, ground-breaking transactions, including all of the last 24 building society mergers, Coventry Building Society’s £780m acquisition of The Co-operative Bank, and certain key aspects of Nationwide’s £2.9bn acquisition of Virgin Money.

Our multi-disciplinary team includes specialists with sector experience across all of our key practice areas including, amongst other things, corporate M&A and strategic transactions (both voluntary and distressed), directors' duties, constitutional and governance advice, regulatory advice and investigations, disputes, commercial, data protection, competition, HR and treasury, this enables us to take a practical and commercial approach. 

Our experience includes working closely with regulators, participating in industry working groups and helping to shape legal and regulatory change affecting the sector.

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From the largest retail and investment banks through to the newest market entrants, we support our clients on their most strategic and innovative transactions and initiatives, helping them future-proof against industry changes and developments.

Our team offers a broad range of services, covering everything from retail to wholesale funding and capital requirements, with experience advising on industry-defining mandates and market firsts. We support clients in managing digital transformation projects, restructuring businesses, implementing regulatory changes (from product to prudential), and rethinking their use of technology and data.

When first mover advantage can be crucial, our ability to navigate existing regulation in new contexts and provide robust advice swiftly helps our clients to succeed. Not only do we have an outstanding reputation for advising on financial services desputes resolution, we have extensive experience in conducting financial services disputes and investigations. We help clients with managing their relationship with regulators and advising on contentious regulatory issues, financial crime and a wide range of investigation, enforcement and prosecution issues. 

We have extensive experience in conducting financial services investigations and enforcement, helping you manage your relationship with regulators and advising on contentious regulatory issues such as market abuse, misconduct, AML controls, and complaints handling.

We have a long history and active presence in the wealth and investment sector. Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise from our private client, regulatory, transactional and investment disciplines. Together, they support our clients across all legal and regulatory aspects in the wealth management landscape. 

As private capital continues to play a greater role in the sector, we work seamlessly across our private capital, private equity, and equity capital markets practices to advise on investment structures, fundraising, and the strategic deployment of capital.

In recent years we have seen an increase in acquisition and consolidation activity, often backed by private equity. Our team regularly advises on both the transactional and regulatory aspects of this activity, supporting management teams and regulated firms as they navigate complex deals, integrations, and ongoing compliance requirements.

We guide our clients through the regulatory lifecycle. We support them from initial authorisation and perimeter assessments through to strategic projects, including variations of permission and implementation of new frameworks.

Our regulatory lawyers combine private practice and in-house experience to deliver market-relevant and pragmatic advice. 

With financial services specialists based across our offices, we are well-placed to assist clients with cross-border issues and evolving regulatory regimes across key international markets.

In an era where digital finance is embedded within the financial services sector, Addleshaw Goddard is at the forefront of the evolving legal and regulatory landscape and technological innovation.

Our Digital Assets, Payments and Fintech Group brings together an international, multi-disciplinary team across these distinct yet interconnected areas to deliver end to end support to clients operating in the digital finance space – from scaling Fintechs to payment service providers and crypto firms to 'high-street' financial services companies.

Whether you are exploring the potential of blockchain, launching a fintech solution, or expanding your payments infrastructure or customer payment journeys, our team of industry experts are equipped to guide you through the complexities and opportunities of the digital finance revolution.

Digital Assets 

We provide comprehensive regulatory guidance and legal advice, catering to the needs of both innovative start-ups and well-established financial entities. 

Our team is proficient in navigating the complex legal environment surrounding blockchain innovations and digital asset initiatives, offering expertise in areas from cryptocurrency to CBDCs to NFTs and beyond. With a deep understanding of blockchain technology and the broader spectrum of digital assets, we aim to transform regulatory hurdles into competitive advantages for our clients. 

Our unique blend of experience in financial market regulation and a thorough grasp of the fintech and blockchain industries, ensures that you are not only compliant with existing laws but also strategically positioned for future success.

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Payments

We have one of the most well-established payments practices and have worked on the some of the highest profile and innovative payments projects of the last decade. 

Our lawyers frequently advise payment service providers, technology companies, retailers and banks on a range of payments systems, payment methods (including cards and alternative payment methods), and the underlying infrastructure that supports and connects the payments value chain.

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Fintech

Fintech and disruption have become synonymous. From cross-border currency transactions to peer-to-peer lending, fintech firms globally are harnessing the sharing economy and growing connectedness of customers to improve accessibility and cost-effectiveness of financial services.

AG's global, multi-disciplinary specialists have advised both start-up and scale-up fintechs as well as financial institutions looking to harness emerging technologies and PE/VE investors in the sector. 

We are highly active in the wider fintech community, and operate our own accelerator program, AG Elevate. We have advised international governments, regulatory bodies and trade bodies on developments in the fintech and financial services landscape, putting us at the forefront of issues impacting the sector. We have also been at the cutting edge of Open Banking.

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We advise a broad range of insurance clients, including major insurance companies, insurance brokers, insurance mutuals, Captives, Insurtech's, Intermediaries and specialist insurance and reinsurance providers.

Our team advises clients on a broad range of insurance transactional, regulatory, commercial, and contentious matters covering a wide remit from the exceptional to the everyday. 

Whether we're advising on corporate transactions, reinsurance, distribution arrangements, product development, conduct risk, regulatory interventions or policyholder disputes, we have specialists with in-depth insurance industry experience.

The insurance sector is unique in engaging a range of disciplines and sectors and our team regularly works with insurers, brokers and policyholders to identify and manage business and legal risks to achieve your goals.

Our transactional work includes complex and high-profile M&A transactions, insurance business transfers, structured reinsurance arrangements and advisory work. Our disputes team advises on claims, coverage and reinsurance disputes and other contentious matters.

We couple this with a market leading regulatory and compliance offering and in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework in which the insurance sector operates.

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The private capital industry has complex and evolving needs – we are here to help you meet them.

With dedicated private capital lawyers across the globe, recognised for their market-leading expertise, we leverage our full-service capabilities to help private capital flourish.

We provide expert guidance on a wide range of private capital matters, advising some of the largest and most experienced players in the market as well as new market entrants challenging the status quo. Our clients include traditional private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, and credit funds, as well as alternative hedge funds, independent sponsors, and institutional asset managers.

We advise on strategies across various asset classes, industries, and regions. Additionally, we support portfolio companies with their M&A needs – from acquisitions to disposals – covering contentious and non-contentious matters, tax, and restructuring. We also work with fund investors, such as family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds, to execute their investment mandates.

From the early stages of fundraising to capital deployment, structuring fund and portfolio financings, managing portfolio companies, executing exits, undertaking international restructurings, and overseeing fund dissolution, we provide comprehensive support throughout the entire private capital lifecycle. We also ensure tax structures are optimised for efficiency.

With a deep industry focus, we help private capital stakeholders identify and capitalise on opportunities in established sectors like real estate and infrastructure, as well as in fast-growing areas such as technology and life sciences, and in opportunistic, event-driven situations.

Our leading regulatory and compliance team complements our transactional expertise, assisting investors and managers in navigating risks related to sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption laws, data privacy, and cybersecurity across the globe.

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