Financial Services and Funds - London
Our London Financial Services & Funds Group advises all parties involved in financial services matters. Current clients include numerous leading finance houses institutions, global commercial and investment banks, investment managers, corporate financiers, offshore hedge funds, private equity firms and investors, private investment companies, insurance companies, family offices, commodity pool operators, energy companies and securities and commodities firms.
The Group advises national and international fund managers on the structuring, placement and promotion of a wide range of investment fund types including offshore hedge funds, funds of funds, private equity funds, corporate funds admitted to trading on the Alternative Investment Market, funds established under the UCITS directives and UK authorised funds.
The Group also negotiates a wide variety of trading documentation on behalf of clients and can advise hedge funds on their funding activities, collateral arrangements and the risks associated with their trading documentation. The Group has extensive experience negotiating ISDA Master Agreements covering interest rate, commodities, credit and foreign exchange products, prime brokerage agreements, securities lending agreements, multi-product master netting agreements and related documentation.
On EU law and developments, we closely follow the progress of various proposed EU directives in financial services and their implementation in the UK so we can keep our clients well informed and properly prepared. In addition, we have expertise in areas such as insider dealing, market abuse and anti-money laundering legislation.
The London Financial Services and Funds Group has substantial experience of working with the UK Financial Services Authority and our US colleagues in the Hedge Funds Practice has substantial experience of working with both the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Commodities and Futures Trading Commission.
Our strong transatlantic and European presence gives our clients access to specialist advice across the markets in which they operate.
In addition our European and US Competition Groups advise hedge fund managers and investment banks on merger/risk arbitrage issues.
Our services include:
- handling applications for authorisation of businesses and individuals by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), attending and advising our clients in the course of interviews by the FSA
- advising FSA regulated firms on issues under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, their continuing activities within the UK’s financial services regulatory framework and ongoing FSA compliance and regulatory issues
- advising on the marketing of a wide range of investment fund type funds, an area which is heavily regulated in the UK, Europe and the US
- structuring hedge funds and funds of hedge funds and advising on their operation
- structuring corporate funds whose shares are traded on the Alternative Investment Market
- reviewing private equity fund documentation on behalf of potential investors
- advising on the negotiation and documentation of complex derivative transactions and their regulatory treatment
- advising investment managers both on and off-shore
- advising corporate finance houses
- tax and structuring advice for investors, investment vehicles and individual principals
- in liaison with our Employee Benefits Group, advising the principals of FSA regulated firms on employee compensation design seeking to reduce employer costs and enhance employee benefits
- registering EU investment funds in the UK and advising on international aspects of EU passporting requirements for European and US clients
- in liaison with our US colleagues in the Hedge Funds Practice, advising UK clients on US regulatory issues relating to CFTC, NASD and SEC
Contacts
- Nick Terras
+44 20 7577 3459
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