Our Financial Services team has specialisms in Private Investment Offices, Fintech and Employment and Employee Benefits.

• We regularly speak and write on issues of relevance to the financial services industry.
• We work with overseas advisers to ensure compliance with the requirements of other jurisdictions.
• We act for firms such as banks, wealth managers, asset managers, alternative asset managers (especially private equity, hedge, family and private investment offices and real estate funds), independent financial advisers, financial and regulatory technology businesses.

We execute transactions and provide advice on:

Corporate, structuring and transactions

• Authorised and unauthorised, long only equity and fixed income, real estate, private equity funds.
• Outsourcing.
• How to structure, build and protect appropriate and flexible business models. We reflect the requirements of principals through drafting appropriate shareholder, joint venture and limited liability agreements. We work with our private client colleagues to ensure that principals protect their investment through appropriate use of trusts and estate planning.   Whether activities need to be authorised or not and how to manage the grey areas, such as the perimeter.
• The buying and selling of firms, joint ventures and winding up of structures, funds and businesses.

Compliance

• The authorisation and de- authorisation of firms, conduct of business rules and in conjunction with our employment colleagues on the application and implementation of the senior managers and certification regime.
• The application and interpretation of English law as amended by EU directives such as the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive ( MIFID II), Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MIFIR), the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities ( UCITS), European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation.
• Governance arrangements, investment and risk committee procedures and processes, financial promotion and marketing rules and obligations.

Commercial trading

• Terms of business, discretionary investment management agreements, custody agreements, distribution agreements, carry and incentive arrangements, commercial and outsourcing agreements.

IP, privacy, data, enforcement

• Intellectual property protection and exploitation, General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR), Bribery Act 2010, sanctions advice, and competition law.

HR, incentives, pensions

• Sponsor immigration, employment law, pensions and employee benefits.
• We provide an international labour and compliance law service through iGlobal Law.

Disputes

• Funds, financial services, commercial, intellectual property, employment litigation and arbitration, insolvency and restructuring.

Private and Pension fund Investors

• We act for private and pension fund investors. We review and negotiate investment documents, co –investments and terms of business. We represent and negotiate investor interests over the lifetime of an investment.
• We advise on consumer credit issues for private lending.

Financial Services Executives

• We provide advice on immigration, employment, private client and family matters.