Financial Services Lawyers
We have specialist Financial Services Lawyers across a variety of our Corporate, Commercial, Regulatory & Compliance, Employment, Immigration and Dispute teams.
We have many years experience assisting businesses operating in the financial services sector on a wide range of matters, from Regulatory & Compliance through to Employment and M&A.
Financial Services Regulatory Services
Regulatory & Compliance Services >
Our Regulatory and Compliance teams have extensive experience advising household names operating in many sectors in the financial services industry, including high street banks, insurance companies, insurance brokers, pre-paid card providers and independent financial advisors.
We have advised clients operating in the financial services sector at every stage of their corporate life, from:
- drafting and advising on Financial Conduct Authority applications,
- advising and preparing associated policies and procedures for businesses just starting out in the financial services sector,
- assisting long established financial services businesses with their compliance programs and reporting obligations.
For details of some of the financial services projects we have worked on, please click here.
FCA Change in Control Assistance
If you wish to increase your control in an FCA-regulated firm (outside of the permitted control bands), or acquire control in an FCA-regulated firm, you will need to obtain prior approval from the FCA. If you fail to obtain prior approval, this is a criminal offence under section 191F of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
To apply for a change in control, you will be required to submit a section 178 notification. These can be completed for companies or for individuals. In some instances, you may be required to submit both. It is a tricky process to navigate, as you must demonstrate to the FCA that the proposed controllers meet the relevant regulatory requirements. To do so, you will likely be required to produce documentation to highlight the skills and experience the individual or company can bring to the role.
Our regulatory team has experience in submitting successful change in control applications and are able to act as the contact with the FCA, so we can ensure that if there are any follow up questions, these are answered carefully and promptly.
The FCA is currently experiencing long delays in processing change in control applications, and as such, it is more important than ever to make sure that your application is deemed to be ‘complete’ first time around.
We can assist in every step of the process, including the preparation of supporting documents and the submission to the FCA.
Financial Services M&A
Our Corporate team includes specialist lawyers able to deal with the technical aspects relating to the sale and purchase of Financial Services Companies.
PDF: 2022 Financial Services Deal Highlights >
Financial Services Companies have their own unique set of issues, including complex payment mechanisms linked to the recurring revenue of the Company.
Financial Services Companies tend to be governed by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we are able to assist with the applications which need to be made as part of a sale of purchase.
Additionally you often see Appointed Representative Agreements being used post completion of a deal, where a seller remains with the company for a period. We have experience in drafting these to ensure that they comply with the requirements under SUP 12 of the FCA handbook.
Contact us
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Key Financial Services Team
- All departments
- Agricultural Law
- Brexit
- Careers
- Co Co - Employee Share Schemes
- Co Co - Recovery & Insolvency
- Co Co - Restructuring
- Co Co Corporate Governance
- Co Co Corporate lending
- Co Co Financial Services
- Co Co Franchising
- Co Co GDPR
- Co Co in-house legal support
- Co Co International Contracts
- Co Co M&A's
- Co Co MBOs & MBIs
- Co Co Partnership and LLPs
- Co Co Regulatory, Compliance & Competition
- Co Co Shareholders Agreements
- Co Co Terms and Conditions
- Co Co- Intellectual Property
- CoCo - Banking and Finance
- CoCo - New Businsess
- CoCo Competition Law
- CoCo Consumer Law
- CoCo Data Protection - Marketing
- CoCo Data, IT & Technology
- Commercial Law
- Commercial Property
- Construction
- Corporate & Commercial
- Corporate Law
- Debt Recovery
- Dispute Resolution
- Disputes - Business
- Disputes - Declarations of trust
- Disputes - Probate and inheritance
- Disputes - Professional negligence
- Disputes - Restrictive Covenants
- Disputes - Shareholders & Partnership
- Disputes - Tenants in Residential Property
- Disputes - Wills, trusts & probate disputes
- Disputes and Small Claims
- Disputes Construction
- Disputes with Co-owners
- Divorce
- Employee - Termination
- Employer - Termination
- Employment
- Employment - Business protection
- Employment - Collective consultations
- Employment - Contracts, services, consultancy
- Employment - Employee benefits
- Employment - Employee Procedures
- Employment - Equality, discrimination and harassment
- Employment - Family Friendly Rights
- Employment - GDPR and Data Protection
- Employment - Post employment obligations
- Employment - Redundancy & Reorganisation
- Employment - Settlement Agreements
- Employment - Tribunal Claims
- Employment - TUPE
- Employment - Wages, holiday and sick pay
- Employment - Workers rights
- Employment Tribunal claims
- Estate Administration
- Expat Legal Services
- Family Law
- Financial Services
- GDPR
- Help to Buy
- Immigration law
- International Legal Services
- Key Property Contacts
- Land and Property Disputes
- Land, development and construction
- Lasting Powers of Attorney
- Leasehold
- Licensing Law
- Money, Tax and Inheritance
- New Build Conveyancing
- Private Wealth and Inheritance
- Professional Negligence
- Property Finance
- Property Law
- Residential Property
- Residential Property - Completions
- Residential Property - Shared Ownership
- Trainee Solicitor
- Wills, Trusts & Probate
Latest news & insights
New JCT forms of building contract, 2024 Editions expected soon
The JCT announced at an event on 16 June 2023 that new editions of its contracts will be published in 2024.
Sold to an EOT – Who can be a trustee?
When you’re selling your shares to an Employee Ownership Trust, thought will need to be given to how the trust will be run after the sale has completed.
Selling your business – is an EOT the answer?
You may have heard of EOTs, and how they are an option for business owners to realise the value of their business.
Register of Overseas Annual Update Statement
For any overseas entity which has registered on the Register of Overseas Entities, it’s soon time to file their first annual update statement.
Reducing risk by conducting a Commercial Legal Audit
In the fast-paced business environment a company may experience challenges which could ultimately lead to legal risk.
The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement and Government Procurement
The UK and Australia’s economic ties are set to become even stronger with the recent signing of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Award winning legal advice
Herrington Carmichael offers legal advice to UK and International businesses as well as individuals and families. Rated as a ‘Leading Firm 2023’ by the legal directory Legal 500 and listed in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2023’. Herrington Carmichael has offices in London, Farnborough, Reading, and Ascot.








Email: info@herrington-carmichael.com
Farnborough
Brennan House, Farnborough Aerospace Centre Business Park, Farnborough, GU14 6XR
Reading (Appointment only)
The Abbey, Abbey Gardens, Abbey Street, Reading RG1 3BA
Ascot (Appointment only)
102, Berkshire House, 39-51 High Street, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7HY
London (Appointment only)
60 St Martins Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4JS
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Our Services
Corporate Lawyers
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Immigration Law Services
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Herrington Carmichael LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 446245.