Financial Services Regulation
Where complex rules meet clear decisions
Constant activity, rapid change, and plenty of room for error. That's the current landscape of financial services regulation law in the UK. A post-Brexit landscape has reformed the way regulators operate, with expanding powers and an introduction of new rules across a wider range of businesses. Financial services firms must now adapt their business models to comply with new regulations.
Our Financial Services Regulation lawyers help businesses launch, develop and scale products with confidence. We are particularly recognised for our work advising payment service providers, consumer lenders, FinTechs, retailers, manufacturers and technology businesses and asset managers on complex financial services rules and regulations. Whether you're launching a new payment solution, embedding finance into a customer offering, assessing regulatory exemptions or entering a regulated market for the first time, we provide clear, commercially focused advice that supports growth while managing risk. We regularly advise UK and non-UK businesses looking to develop and launch products in the UK and wider European markets, bringing a strong cross-border perspective to market entry, regulatory compliance and ongoing operations.
Connected advice across every stage
We don't work in silos, we take a joined-up approach, working closely with specialists across retail, employment, insolvency, cyber and consumer law to deliver comprehensive support. This enables us to help clients adapt to change and operate with confidence in an increasingly demanding environment. So, you don't just get expertise from our Financial Services team but from teams across an international law firm – because for the most complex financial regulation challenges, you need legal advice that matches.
Our lawyers advise on all aspects of financial services regulatory matters and work across the full lifecycle of regulated business. We support clients on regulatory applications, ongoing compliance, regulation planning, financial crime issues, consumer-facing obligations, and complex contentious matters. Where challenges arise, whether a regulatory breach, misconduct issue or dispute, we provide decisive, commercially-focused advice to help you respond effectively.
How we can help
Licensing, registration, and regulator engagement
Helping you understand whether your products or services fall within the regulatory perimeter, and what that means in practice. We support with licences, registrations and helping you to effectively engage with regulators, providing clear, practical guidance from first application through to ongoing regulator relationships.
Ongoing compliance and advisory
Regulatory change and reform
Financial crime and risk
Consumer protection and advertising
Investigations, misconduct and enforcement
Distress and contentious situations
FinTech, cyber and AI compliance
Client highlights
Automotive
Automotive
Advising one of the world’s largest car manufacturers on its direct-to-consumer online sales offering, including consumer credit issues revolving around consumers’ ability to apply for finance online.
Automotive
Automotive
Advising one of the world’s largest car manufacturers on its direct-to-consumer online sales offering, including consumer credit issues revolving around consumers’ ability to apply for finance online.
Consumer credit
Consumer credit
Advised Europe’s highest-valued private FinTech in the e-commerce space on aspects of the UK consumer credit and payment services regimes.
Investment banks
Investment banks
Timely and commercial advice on a variety of regulatory matters including MiFID II, governance, the SMCR and board remuneration, FCA Custody Rules and the new EU market abuse regime.
Pension funds
Pension funds
Advice to pension fund clients on EMIR and their clearing obligation, also advising pension funds on the regulatory aspects of their proposed investments, including negotiating terms with the fund manager.
Recognised in the industry
Legal 500 UK 2027
Tier 3 London - Fintech: regulatory
Tier 4 London - Fintech: corporate and commercial
Tier 5 London - Financial services: contentious
