FINANCIAL REGULATION
LAWYERS

Our clients span a variety of market sectors and our work covers the full range of products, from consumer credit and mortgages to current accounts, savings and retail investments. We also have a growing payments practice covering pre-paid products and payment technologies, merchant acquiring and other payment services.

We strive to make complex legislation understandable and provide workable solutions to all our clients. Understanding the market, the business drivers and the regulator means that we deliver compliance creatively and practically.

Our clients include leading banks, building societies, credit card providers, debt collectors, debt purchasers, debt management companies, brokers, payday loan providers, home credit lenders and point of sale finance providers. We also advise smaller niche lenders of financial services providers, such as specialist private banks.

We provide regular publications to our clients that allow them to stay up-to-date on developments in the consumer finance industry. AG is a member of, and active participant in, trade associations, and we also organise regular meetings of the Consumer Credit Forum which brings together specialists from industry and private practice.

Our Regulatory Risk and Compliance support four key sectors:

Retail Banking
The decade following the financial crisis has seen significantly greater regulatory intervention upon banks, and the regulatory interventions seem unlikely to slow down. 2018 marks the introduction of Open Banking, IFRS 9, MiFID II and GDPR among other initiatives led by the HM Treasury and the FCA, such as ring-fencing, PPI complaints consultation and the Occasional Paper on Consumer Vulnerability.

Further, the regulatory landscape will also be subject to the political uncertainty of Brexit. An increase in innovation is also creating additional challenges on firms to innovate and modernise themselves while continuing their battle with cybercrime. There is a pressure on retail banks to innovate, increase profits and comply with vast numbers of regulatory legislation. 

We offer a combination of legal and compliance services. We have supported retail banks in a variety of matters that relate to Authorisation, Senior Managers' Regime and Ring-Fencing. We have also provided extensive support in matters relating to remediation or dealing with vulnerable customers. Our wide ranging compliance support is tailored specifically to the client.

Retail Lending
We have combined our industry leading consumer finance legal team with experienced compliance professionals who can help firms navigate their way through the regulatory architecture. We provide effective commercially tailored solutions to your needs.

Our experience includes supporting leading consumer finance providers, including tier one banks, with compliance monitoring programmes, compliance manuals and relevant training. Our experience includes support with consumer finance, such as credit cards, consumer hire agreements and mortgages.

Our tailored approach ensures that our support is exactly what your firm needs. 

General Insurance and Protection
The majority of UK households hold general insurance products and the regulatory environment for this sector has largely remained unchanged over the years. There have however, been commercial pressures upon this sector due to changed consumer behaviour as a result of social media and increased use of technology.

There is, therefore, a pressure on the sector to adapt, provide appropriate products and treat customers fairly, in particular, by being more transparent. 

Our compliance team works in sync with market trends and is aware of the commercial sensitivities with significant understanding of the regulatory obligations. We have vast experience of working on insurance related compliance matters, including assisting firms with the implementation of the insurance distribution directive, assisting firms with remediation work and providing support with ongoing compliance matters.

We have also been involved with related litigation and can provide tailored support, as needed by you.

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.

Visit our Digital Assets page

Payments
We have one of the most well-established payments practices in the market 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.

Visit our Payments page

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.

Visit our Fintech page

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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. 

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

Visit the Building Societies and Mutuals page

We advise financial market infrastructure (FMI) firms and market participants on how market structure, regulatory expectations and industry frameworks shape business models, market access and growth strategies. Our work supports board-level decision making on market positioning, pricing, participation models and operating structures across the UK, EU and global markets. 

We help clients design and implement effective governance and market frameworks, including rulebooks, onboarding processes, margin and co-lateral arrangements, and outsourcing structures, ensuring their operating models are commercially viable and aligned with complex market ecosystems.

We also support clients with market entry, expansion and transformation initiatives, including new product launches, operating model changes and cross-border activity. Our advice covers governance, stakeholder alignment, contractual frameworks and execution risk. 

In addition, we help clients manage structural and operational risks, including service continuity, recovery and wind-down planning, and remediation programmes. We also advise on emerging market infrastructure models, such as digital payments, tokenised assets and digital custody solutions.