Financial Services Regulation
We immerse ourselves in the world of financial services regulation so that your business can develop and grow with confidence.
Freedom to progress.
We work with all types of regulated organisations across the financial services sector – from UK start-ups to international corporates – to make sure your products and services are compliant.
We are trusted advisers to our clients and industry bodies, which helps us to make sure your business is properly authorised and can run smoothly without the disruption of regulatory issues.
Our teams are tech-focused, accessible and responsive to you and the way you work. We can support you to develop products and services, from the conception phase right through to launch and beyond. If you or your business needs help with regulator supervision or are subject to an investigation, we will support you with integrity and clarity – advising on your rights and responsibilities, and dealing with the regulator on your behalf, so that you can get back to what you do best.
Expertise
- Applications for FCA authorisation and ongoing support
- Advice on FCA and PRA rules, guidance and underlying legislation
- Launch and distribution of new products, services and promotions
- Financial services specialist contracts and terms of business
- Sale and purchase of regulated companies
- Governance and compliance of regulated businesses
- Advising businesses who have UK and cross-border regulated companies
- Financial services regulatory investigations
Meet the team
Our Financial Services team is led by Rachel Hillier, Partner.
Our lawyers are specialists in their fields, providing commercially driven, clear advice that helps you stay compliant and confident you’re doing the right thing.
Client Stories | Liza Kellett, Trust Leeds
Following a lengthy application process, our Financial Services team was able to help Trust Leeds submit their application to the FCA, so they could provide consumer credit lending to those that wouldn’t be able to access it from high street banks.
Having gone through the process side by side with Liza, we are here to help if you and your business are thinking about providing lending services and need support in obtaining approval from the FCA.
Insights
Expectations around new Consumer Duty reforms
The Consumer Duty came into force on 31st July 2023 and is centred around the new principle, which is Principle 12. A new Duty for ‘firms to deliver good outcomes for retail customers’.
It’s an important milestone for the FCA – for their business and statutory plan. The Principle is made up of three cross-cutting rules and these are the anchor to the Principle. Firms have to apply those three cross-cutting rules to four different outcomes.
Sarah Drew & Rachel Hillier consider the newly implemented Consumer Duty and what they think you can expect to see from the FCA over the next 12-24 months. They cover the background to Consumer Duty and some expectations for firms now that it is in force.
