Financial Regulation Non-Contentious Associate or Senior Associate (4 + years PQE) – London / Edinburgh
Brief
We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Financial Regulation Associate or Senior Associate to join our forward-thinking and innovative Regulation, Insurance and Funds team (RIF) in London.
At a time of enormous change in the financial services sector we are looking for an individual who wants to be at the cutting edge and who will help shape the future of legal services in the sector. The ideal candidate will have experience of advising investment firms on FCA rules and guidance and drafting common client documentation as well as having experience of the latest regulatory proposals for digital currencies and assets.
They will be encouraged and motivated to work with the latest digital propositions to deliver legal services blending that with the more traditional trusted adviser approach. The ideal candidate will be a lawyer who is at least 4 years PQE at another law firm, in-house or at the FCA and looking to take the next step in their career.
About Pinsent Masons and the RIF Team
Pinsent Masons is a leading international law firm with a track record of providing innovative legal solutions across various sectors including financial services and technology.
RIF brings together specialist practitioners in the regulation of insurance, wealth and investment management, funds, payments and banking products. The Team has close working relationship with other specialists in the Financial Services sector, seeking to maximize cross selling opportunities with colleagues based in our other offices in particular Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Luxembourg and Dubai.
Our current team of financial services regulatory lawyers provides regulatory advice to financial institutions and other businesses including banks, investment managers, wealth managers, building societies, life and non-life insurance companies, trading platforms, stockbrokers, corporate financiers, intermediaries (including networks), payment services firms, specialist lenders, custodians and pension houses.
Key clients include:
1. Aberdeen
2. Aegon UK PLC
3. Aviva
4. Close Brothers
5. HSBC
6. Lloyds Banking Group
7. NatWest
8. Phoenix Group
9. Post Office Limited
10. Royal London Group
11. Tesco Bank
12. Titan Wealth
Key Responsibilities
We encourage our fee earners to be hands on and take the initiative, providing an appropriate level of support so they are stretched but not out of their depth. Key responsibilities would include:
13. Advising clients on various aspects of their business operations within the financial regulatory, fintech and financial services sector.
14. Providing comprehensive support throughout regulatory journeys including FCA applications, variations of permission or changes in control
15. Drafting key customer documentation for different products and services from ISAs to Model B arrangements to investment management agreements.
16. Providing technical regulatory input to the Funds sub-team on UCITS and AIFs
17. Offering expert guidance on the issuance of digital assets, payments, and related regulatory and compliance issues.
18. Navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscape engaging directly with clients to inform and implement such changes.
19. Providing strategic legal advice to banks, insurance companies, investment firms and payments firms.
20. Mentoring junior members of the team
21. Assisting with business development ranging from writing articles to attending client events
22. Collaborating with the global financial services sector teams to deliver innovative solutions and strategies from M&A transactions and subsequent integration plans, to material outsourcings, to contentious and litigious matters.
Key Requirements
The ideal candidate will be academically strong and a team player. They will become a major integral part of the Team and will have experience of advising on most of the following:
23. the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and associated secondary legislation
24. the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and the Electronic Money Regulations 2011;
25. cryptoassets, stablecoins and the use of distributed ledger technology in payments;
26. whether our clients are carrying on regulated activities in the UK or internationally;
27. how our clients can become authorised and deal with changes to their regulatory position;
28. how our clients can communicate financial promotions and distribute products and services;
29. dealing with fast-paced regulatory change;
30. the interpretation of the FCA and PRA's rules (including the various Conduct of Business rulebooks; Supervision; Senior Management Arrangements, Systems & Controls; Capital requirements; and Client Money and Custody rules);
31. the acquisition or disposal of FCA/PRA regulated firms and the scope of the controllers regime;
32. drafting terms of business for a range of investment products and services;
33. supporting contentious regulatory colleagues in relation to regulatory investigations.