Financial Services

We advise banks and financial services clients on a wide range of consumer finance products, including consumer credit and mortgage lending, current and savings accounts and payment services. We guide our financial services clients on major projects, on significant regulatory implementation programmes and on authorisation issues.

Our team of finance lawyers have a wealth of in-house experience with banks and other financial institutions, so we understand our clients' business needs and priorities as well as the regulatory context in which they operate. We provide workable solutions and give practical and implementable advice.

Visit our banking pages (Banking & Finance, Banks and Retail Banking & Regulated Finance) to find out more. 

Our specialist funds lawyers advise on all aspects of investment fund structures and terms, including:

• investment companies and unit trusts;
• offshore vehicles including protected cell companies;
• classic partnerships;
• SLPs; and
• LLPs.

We advise on capital raisings, restructurings and schemes of arrangement for investment companies admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange and other markets, together with related capital markets and Takeover Code advice.

We have strength and depth to advise on complex projects such as strategic combinations, joint ventures and spin-outs of investment management businesses, regulatory advice covering a wide range of Financial Services and Markets Act issues, tax, structuring and product development.

Visit our Funds and Investment Management page to find out more. 

Our corporate crime and investigations team devises robust and workable compliance policies and procedures. We conduct internal investigations on behalf of clients where a compliance concern has arisen. We represent clients in regulatory, enforcement and criminal proceedings. We provide support following breaches arising out of:

• AML and proceeds of crime,
• market abuse, insider dealing, prospectus and listing offences,
• bribery and corruption,
• fraud & financial crime,
• sanctions,
• tax evasion.

We conduct high value, complex and sensitive litigation relating to a broad spectrum of financial services and banking disputes before the Scottish courts, the English High Court and Court of Appeal, as well as appeals to the Supreme Court.

We have significant experience across all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including international and domestic arbitration, expert determination, inquiries, adjudications and mediation/negotiation.

We advise banking and financial services clients on strategies for dispute management. We offer guidance towards early resolution of claims without the need for litigation, with a particular focus on issues such as reputation protection and treating customers fairly.

Visit our Dispute resolution pages (Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Actions, International Arbitration and Litigation) to find out more.

Our employment and immigration practice is one of the largest in Scotland. We support financial services clients in Scotland, the UK and internationally providing a range of expertise from litigation, business change and consulting, to operational HR support, independent investigations, contracts and policy development, training, employee relations as well as business and personal immigration advice.

Our in-house and industry experience give us the client focus and insider knowledge to ensure that the service we deliver is always fit for purpose. We are lead adviser to a number of leading financial services businesses and our broad finance sector experience means that we have a good understanding of the interface between employment law and the regulatory requirements in the sector.

Visit our Employment & Immigration page to find out more. 

We support corporates and individuals through regulatory enforcement action, including investigations by FCA, FRC, HMRC and Police Scotland's Economic Crime Unit.

We provide regulatory advice covering a wide range of Financial Services and Markets Act issues and we guide our financial services clients on significant regulatory implementation programmes.

We also provide support in developing an ESG strategy, including developing / improving compliance projects, identifying ESG targets and advising on financial reporting and disclosure obligations.