Financial Services

Our banking and finance lawyers provide advice on a range of financing products. We advise on finance for acquisitions, supply chains, asset-based lending, real estate, and bespoke structured schemes.

• Advised international financial entities on their new Shariah-compliant products for UK investments.
• Advised an asset-based lender on its financing part of the secondary participation in a finance syndicate worth €4.2 billion for a major pan-European wholesale catering service supplier.
• Acted for the lender in relation to a long-term secured financing for a Premiership football club.
• Advised facility agents and syndicate banks in connection with a large number of high-value syndicated loans (both secured and unsecured) in numerous jurisdictions, both European and worldwide.
• Advised on complex bilateral structured transactions between banks involving the use of derivatives such as credit default swaps and credit-linked instruments, total return swaps and repurchase agreements to achieve risk, capital and/or arbitrage benefits.
• Advised the lender in relation to a financing of the further development of a European shopping mall.

Our commercial lawyers provide specialist commercial advice to e‑money issuers, payment institutions, and fintech businesses, drafting and negotiating key agreements and advising on outsourcing, distribution, and payments services. Their expertise helps clients structure compliant products, manage partnerships, and navigate the evolving regulatory landscape effectively.

• Advised a major Singaporean private equity investment business in relation to an opposition to its name change by a well-known UK-based private equity fund.
• Advised a major European bank in relation to trade mark portfolio management and cease and desist matters in the UK and EU.
• Advised on taking security over IP assets in financing and restructuring transactions.

• Drafted and negotiated an agreement for the provision of a faster payments scheme service by a credit institution for an e-money issuer.
• Drafted an outsourcing agreement for a payment institution for provision of outsourced services.
• Drafted an inter-company agreement for an e-money issuer relating to the provision of IT and certain operation functions by another company in its group.
• Drafted a distribution agreement and white label partner agreement relating to the distribution of e-money products for an e-money issuer.
• Drafted a retailer agreement for the provision and acceptance of gift cards for a gift card issuer.

Our corporate lawyers advise on a wide range of financial services matters, including structuring and negotiating joint venture arrangements and strategic alliances, guiding clients through complex mergers and acquisitions, and supporting private equity investments and divestments across the deal lifecycle. They also help businesses optimise corporate structures involving factoring and secured revenue streams.

• Advised on a refinancing for an offshore REIT, for its entire portfolio of properties in the UK.
• Advised HUB Capital in relation to its £25 million structured private share acquisition of 100% of an English company.
• Advised a listed boutique investment management company on strategic partnership.
• Advised Solomon Capital on its US private equity-backed acquisition of two major IFA businesses with assets under influence of more than £2.8 billion.
• Advised California State Pension Fund (CalPERs) on investments by it (and co-investor Hermes Investment Fund) in Sourcecap International.
• Advised a London-based healthcare company on its £5.3m ($7m) series B funding round, led by the largest UK VC fund.
• Acted for the administrators of a corporate group in relation to the sale and transfer of all its regulated financial services business and the subsequent cancellation of all its FCA authorisations.
• Represented a company providing factoring and invoice discounting financing in making recoveries from its defaulting client, its client’s debtors, and its client’s directors.

Our disputes lawyers handle complex, high‑value litigation and regulatory challenges, representing investors, lenders, directors, and financial institutions. Their experience spans arbitration, enforcement actions, fiduciary duty claims, mis‑selling disputes, regulatory investigations, freezing orders, and cross‑border matters, helping clients protect their interests in fast‑moving and highly regulated environments.

• Represented hedge fund investors in claims including real estate investments of $450million and affecting another $1billion, alleging breach of fiduciary duties and investment agreements across numerous jurisdictions under an LCIA arbitration, coordinating with a US law firm in a parallel AAA arbitration.
• Advised lenders on defaults under facility agreements and related claims against directors.
• Defended and pursued claims for misuse of confidential information in the context of financial services.
• Defended a director facing $bn claim alleging fraudulent misrepresentation in the context of takeover bid and financial accounting statements.
• Freezing orders and ancillary disclosure orders pursuing Nigerian debtors on behalf of banks and defending third-party banks.
• Advised underwriters on broker remuneration and commission arrangements following US DOJ investigation into competitive practices.
• Acted for a leading provider of pre-paid cards and payment services on numerous disputes with customers.
• Advised clients on recovery of monies from failed e-money institutions.
• Acted for NOMADs in connection with the largest fraud on the AIM market (the Langbar litigation).
• Acted for the appointed representative in a multi-party dispute relating to the rectification of a pension scheme leading to the approval of a court-sanctioned compromise.
• Advised an FCA-authorised IFA network on its responsibilities in respect of its “appointed representative” allegedly having defrauded customers.
• Represented a company providing factoring and invoice discounting financing in making recoveries from its defaulting client, its client’s debtors, and its client’s directors.
• Advised a broker of performance bonds on claims made by the beneficiary of the bond (provided by way of insurance) that the bond was defective and unenforceable.
• Advised a group of six international IFAs in respect of potential liabilities arising from clients’ investments into collapsed Bermuda-based collective investment funds.
• Advised a large international IFA network on consequences of data breach following access of data by a disgruntled former AR.
• Represented a client enforcing a guarantee and other securities under an invoice discounting agreement.
• Represented a HNW individual in his claim against a wealth manager arising from the mis-selling of investment products.

Our team of employment specialists advise on the full spectrum of employment matters, including navigating FCA and PRA remuneration requirements, drafting and enforcing confidentiality and non‑compete clauses, structuring executive compensation and incentivisation arrangements, supporting clients with executive recruitment and dismissals, and providing guidance on complex regulatory references.

• Advice on the employee consultation and redundancy processes involved in the closure of the UK branch of Italy’s oldest bank.
• Advised numerous SMCR individuals on contracts of employment including FCA remunerations codes.
• Advice to several financial services clients on #MeToo investigations, related disciplinary matters and the development of policies and processes to handle such issues.
• Conducted investigations into whistleblowing and discrimination allegations for a UK bank and an African bank.
• Advice to two major UK banks on the implementation of the FCA Senior Manager and Certification Regime and the consequential impact on employment documentation. Related advice to senior managers on their duties under SMCR and to various financial services companies on the extended SMCR regime.
• Advised a major UK bank on the successful defence of several whistleblowing and dismissal claims in the wake of the industry-wide investigation into the alleged manipulation of foreign exchange markets.
• Advice to numerous senior executives including the high-profile head of a financial regulator and the European Head of a global Investment bank on their departure arrangements.
• Advice to a UK clearing bank on employee transfers as part of its post-Brexit structuring.
• Represented a CTO in a race discrimination and unfair dismissal claim against an asset management firm, which resulted in a substantial settlement.

Our experts advise across the full spectrum of investment funds and asset management matters, including navigating AIFMD requirements, delivering bespoke projects for GPs and LPs, and guiding fund structuring and establishment for UCITS and other retail funds. They draft and negotiate investment management agreements, support UK and international marketing and distribution, and advise on primary fund investments, private equity co‑investments, and secondary acquisitions or disposals of fund portfolios.

• Advised a US asset manager as lead counsel on its AIFMD notifications of control across various EEA countries in connection with its acquisition of a European pharmaceuticals group.
• Acted for the investment vehicle of one of the UK’s most successful recruitment firms on its investment into a startup venture fund.
• Acted for a UK investment adviser in connection with taking 40% in interest of a rollover vehicle managed by a Nordic asset manager.
• Advised an asset management fund on its joint ventures in the UK.
• Advised a UK investment advisor on (a) the transfer a managed portfolio into a hedge fund strategy managed by a third party asset manager; and (b) his transition to managing a portfolio of assets within that fund.
• Continually advise an international asset manager with circa $270 billion of assets under management on the drafting and negotiation of its discretionary investment agreements, fund-of-one documentation and AIFM portfolio delegation arrangements.
• Standing counsel to advise a UK pension scheme on its asset management-related regulatory obligations (including MiFID).

• Advised a fund management group on its admission to trading on AIM, EIS and VCT fund raising and its acquisition of Throgmorton Asset Management.
• Undertook a pan-European UCITS V implementation project for an international depositary services provider.
• Advised a Saudi group on the negotiation of a discretionary investment management agreement with an international investment manager.

Our experts advise on the full spectrum of payment regulation matters, including structuring appointed representative, agency and distribution agreements, and guiding firms through Approved Persons, Senior Management and Certification Regimes. They support clients on consumer credit and mortgage regulation, change of control applications, financial promotions, and adapting to regulatory changes such as MiFID II and EMIR. Their expertise also covers outsourcing, payment services and systems, peer‑to‑peer lending, crowdfunding, regulatory investigations, perimeter guidance issues, and drafting terms and conditions for services, platforms and products.

• Advised regulated entities such as banks, investment managers and advisers, corporate finance firms, fintech investment platforms and insurance entities on FSMA and EU regulation (such as MiFID II and the PRIIPS Regulation).
• Advised on the application of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the FCA Rules and EU single market legislation such as MiFID, MiFID II and EMIR.

• Advise start-ups and other regulated and non-regulated businesses launching new services on whether their activities fall within the scope of financial and anti-money laundering regulation including cryptoasset exchange and custodian wallet services.
• Worked with a NY/London asset manager to implement a Dodd-Frank & EMIR compliance programme.
• Advised a company on whether its business fell within the scope of FCA regulated insurance activity. Advised on perimeter issues and structuring of the business.
• Advised regulated payment service providers on compliance with regulatory requirements, including structuring new services appropriately (e.g. prepaid card programmes), the content/drafting of ‘framework’ and single transaction services contracts, ‘reverse-solicitation’ issues when dealing with ‘foreign customers’ including non-UK firms dealing with UK residents), safeguarding issues, compliance with EBA outsourcing guidelines, orderly wind-down, administration and transfer of inactive and dormant accounts, the transfer of prepaid card and other e-money programmes.
• Advised multiple peer-to-peer lending platforms, including those offering commercial property lending, regulated personal loans, High Cost Short Term Credit and sharia-compliant conditional sale programmes.
• Advised several authorised consumer credit and consumer hire firms on appropriate form of agreements, including drafting multiple sets of regulated, exempt and unregulated hire agreements and credit agreements including conditional sale and hire purchase), including Fixed Sum, High Cost Short Term Credit and Buy Now Pay Later.
• Advised a startup e-money issuer on the set-up and operation of e-money programmes (product features, regulatory compliance, customer-facing documentation).
• Carried out a product review and advised on new product developments against e-money and payment service regulatory regime for a provider of a payment product.
• Carried out a multi-country due diligence project for an international bank relating to its prepaid programme (20+ countries).
• Provided regulatory advice to an international programme manager in relation to its payment service activities.
• Advised a programme manager on the migration of e-money accounts and cards from its appointed e-money issuer to a third-party provider.

Advising on a wide range of tax matters, we guide clients on the structuring of debt finance arrangements and clients through Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust fund requirements. We also support the structuring of investments and divestments and design tax‑efficient management participation structures for private equity funds.

• Acted on a tax-efficient compensation structure for Cedar Rock Capital Limited, a privately owned UK-based asset management company.
• Created and implemented an IHT minimisation structure for a UK-tax resident family regarding their £15m+ of UK commercial and residential real estate assets (held in offshore companies) following the majority owner and head of the family being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
• Acted for a number of LLPs in the financial services sector on reorganising their LLP members’ agreements to accommodate a new class of tax-efficient securities, involving adjustment of profit waterfalls.
• Advised and litigated to The European Court of Human Rights in relation to a multimillion offshore tax avoidance scheme.
• Advised on the establishment and promotion of structured tax-efficient investment products for sophisticated investors in the UK, Austrian and Swiss markets.
• Acted for Octav Botnar of Nissan UK in the settlement of major Inland Revenue claims.