Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA)

An association for financial services lawyers, regulators, academics, judges
and policy experts to share ideas about financial services law
and regulation and to socialise with peers.

Latest News & Events

FSLA Response to FCA CP24/2 Part 2

By | Financial Services Practitioners | No Comments

FSLA’s response may be found here.

FSLA has submitted a response to the FCAā€™s Consultation Paper CP24/2 Part 2 titled ā€œGreater transparency of our enforcement investigationsā€, following on from our response to the initial Consultation Paper, which may be found here.

Despite some of the proposed amendments detailed in CP24/2 Part 2, FSLA remains of the view that the Publication Policy goes further than what is necessary, legitimate and proportionate to achieve the FCAā€™s stated objectives of transparency, consumer protection and the delivery of a more streamlined and effective Enforcement process. We contend that the FCA’s objectives could be achieved through existing regulatory tools and a more balanced approach, including a cost-benefit analysis and further consultation before implementing such a fundamental policy change

Our response examines the aims and objectives of the FCA, the process and safeguards of the Publication Policy, the case studies detailed by the FCA in CP24/2 Part 2, the potential implications for individuals of the Publication Policy and the possible next steps.

FSLA was pleased to see our evidence referred to in the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committeeā€™s report into the FCA’s CP24/2 consultation, titled “Naming and shaming: how not to regulate”, a link to which may be found here.

Please note: The response is submitted on behalf of FSLA and is intended to capture the overall weight of contributions received from its membership, but the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this response belong to the individual authors of this paper (and not, for example, the authorā€™s employer, chambers, organisation, committee, or other group or individual members of FSLA). For the avoidance of doubt, this paper does not contain the views of, or purport to make any representations on behalf of, any FSLA members who are employed by the FCA, the Bank of England (including the Prudential Regulation Authority) or any other regulatory bodies.

Pathways into Financial Services and Regulatory Law

By | Events, Financial Services Practitioners, Junior Lawyers, Students | No Comments

Tuesday, 25th March from 6pm – non-members welcome

On behalf of the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we would like to invite you to attend the “Pathways into Financial Services and Regulatory Law” panel discussion and networking on Tuesday, 25th March, starting at 6pm.

The event will be hosted at the City of London Law School with a panel discussion chaired by Saima Hanif KC of 3 Verulam Buildings, a leading financial services silk. The event will feature panellists with a range of experiences, including:

  • Aleja Isip ā€“ Legal Counsel at the Financial Ombudsman Service. Aleja currently works for the Financial Ombudsman Service, within the Legal and Jurisdiction team. Aleja previously worked as a Lawyer at the Financial Conduct Authority, in its Enforcement and Market Oversight division. Admitted as a solicitor in 2022, Aleja was one of the first cohort to qualify via the SQE route. Aleja has had various roles in private practice and in-house where she gained Qualifying Work Experience, which included areas of professional discipline, healthcare, and insurance.
  • Thomas Cave ā€“ Solicitor Apprentice at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (second year). Tom is currently working within the Financial Services Litigation team. After completing A-levels at a state school in North Yorkshire, Tom opted for a gap year, during which he discovered the solicitor apprenticeship route as an alternative to traditional university education. This decision has allowed Tom to gain invaluable hands-on experience in the legal field while continuing his studies and progressing towards qualification.
  • Holly Girven ā€“ Barrister at Farrarā€™s Building. Holly is a barrister specialising in regulatory and personal injury law at Farrarā€™s Building. She is a manual wheelchair user and has first-hand experience of the importance of improving access to the legal profession for disabled people. She has previously spoken on Radio 4ā€™s Law in Action and various podcasts about her experiences as a disabled barrister.

During the panel discussion, our speakers will discuss their experiences and journeys into financial services and regulatory law. There will be ample time for questions at the end.

Please register to ensure that you have a space – we are expecting this event to be extremely popular, please contact events@fsla.org.uk if you would like to attend.

Following the panel discussion, we invite you to join us for a networking session with refreshments.

Registration will open at 6pm, with the panel starting at 6.30pm, followed by networking drinks from 8pm to 9pm.

Venue: City of London Law School, Faculty of Law, Northampton Square, Sebastian Street, London EC1V OHB

Due to the nature of the event, we are delighted to be able to invite non-members and members alike.

FSLA membership is free for students – for more details please email fslalondon@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Recent Developments and Future Trends in the Regulation of Cryptoassets

By | Events | No Comments

Taking place at DAC Beachcroft LLP, 25 Walbrook, City of London, London EC4N 8AF

On behalf of the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA),  DAC Beachcroft LLP and Outer Temple Chambers would like to invite you to attend our in-person event on Recent Developments and Future Trends in the Regulation of Cryptoassets to be held on Tuesday, 18 February 2025 from 5.45pm to 8pm.

The panel event will feature the following speakers:

  • Victoria McLoughlin, Head of Department – Market Interventions (Digital Assets) at the FinancialĀ Conduct Authority;
  • Katie Fry-Paul, Senior Legal Counsel at Coinbase;
  • Justina Stewart, Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers; andĀ 
  • SteveĀ Elam, Partner at Cooke Young & Keidan LLP.Ā 

The 1 hour event will focus on the latest developments, future trends and areas of concern in the fast-evolving and increasingly topical field of cryptoasset regulation. We expect that it will be of interest to all financial services lawyers of all levels of PQE. It will conclude with an audience Q&A session that will finish by 7.30pm and shall be held pursuant to the Chatham House Rule.  


Venue: 25 Walbrook, City of London, London EC4N 8AF


Date:    Tuesday 18 February 2025

Time:    5.45pm ā€“ Registration

             6.15pm ā€“ Introduction, panel discussion and Q&A

             7.30pm ā€“ Drinks 

Please use the link here to register for the event.

If you have any queries ahead of the event, please contact us at events@fsla.org.uk

Progress Your Career With FSLA

Financial Services Practitioners

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Junior Lawyers

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Students

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ā€œIn the end, our financial system only works ā€“ our market is only free ā€“ when there are clear rules and basic safeguards that prevent abuse, that check excess, that ensure that it is more profitable to play by the rules than to game the system. And thatā€™s what these reforms are designed to achieve – no more, no less. Because thatā€™s how we will ensure that our economy works for consumers, that it works for investors, that it works for financial institutions ā€“ that it works for all of us.ā€

(Barack Obama, at the signing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act)