Financial Services Regulation 

Regulatory investigations can arise from a wide range of issues, including governance failures, financial crime concerns, customer complaints, whistleblowing reports or supervisory reviews.

We advise clients throughout the life cycle of an investigation, including:

• FCA and PRA information requests
• Section 165 information requirements
• Interviews and compelled interviews
• Enforcement investigations
• Regulatory remediation programmes
• Governance and conduct concerns
• Market abuse and trading-related allegations.

We work closely with businesses and individuals to manage regulatory engagement while protecting their legal position.

Regulatory action can place significant pressure on businesses, management teams and compliance functions.

We advise firms on:

• Regulatory investigations
• Supervisory engagement
• Enforcement action
• Warning notices and decision notices
• Governance and accountability issues
• Responses to FCA and PRA correspondence
• Remediation and compliance programmes
• Reputational risk management.

Our objective is to help firms engage constructively with regulators while protecting commercial interests.

We regularly represent individuals who are subject to regulatory scrutiny, whether or not they are directly regulated by the FCA.

We advise:

• Senior Managers
• Certified persons
• Directors
• Employees
• Advisers
• Consultants
• Third parties involved in FCA investigations.

Our support includes preparing individuals for interviews, advising on personal regulatory exposure, responding to information requests and defending allegations of misconduct.

We recognise that regulatory investigations can have serious professional and personal consequences and provide clear, strategic and discreet advice throughout the process.

Where concerns arise, the FCA may increase its supervisory engagement with a firm through information requests, reviews, remediation programmes or other forms of regulatory intervention.

We advise firms on:

• Responding to FCA concerns and supervisory enquiries
• Managing regulatory engagement and communications
• Preparing for regulatory reviews and assessments
• Assessing regulatory findings, recommendations and required actions
• Designing and implementing remediation programmes
• Managing potential enforcement and reputational consequences.

Our team works with firms to engage constructively with regulators, address identified issues and reduce the risk of matters escalating into formal enforcement action.

Regulators continue to focus on issues including:

• Governance and accountability
• Consumer Duty outcomes
• Financial crime controls
• Operational resilience
• Financial promotions
• Market conduct
• Customer treatment.

We advise clients on responding to emerging risks and dealing with enforcement issues before they become more serious regulatory concerns.

Our team includes lawyers with experience gained within the FCA and PRA, providing valuable insight into how regulators approach supervision, investigations and decision-making.

This experience enables us to provide practical, regulator-informed advice that helps clients understand regulatory expectations and engage effectively throughout the regulatory process.

Regulatory correspondence should be taken seriously. Early legal advice can help ensure responses are accurate, proportionate and aligned with your wider regulatory strategy.

Yes. The FCA has powers to obtain information and investigate individuals who are connected with regulated activities, even where they are not personally authorised.

Early engagement, strategic responses and effective remediation can often help manage regulatory concerns and reduce the risk of escalation.

• Experience advising firms and individuals facing regulatory scrutiny
• Insight from lawyers with FCA and PRA experience
• Expertise in investigations, enforcement and risk management
• Support across regulatory, employment, disputes and reputation management issues
• Practical, commercially focused advice.