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.

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2 August 2026
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Winners of the FSLA Essay Competition 2026

By | Junior Lawyers, Students | No Comments

We are delighted to announce the winners of the FSLA Essay Competition 2026. 

The title for this year’s competition was: “Streamlining regulation for international growth and innovation: a legal perspective.”

Congratulations to:

First placed essayist and Winner of the Chris Stallard Memorial Prize: Ali Kaissy

Second-placed essayist: Noah Koncar

Third-place essayist: Esther Lafitte-Ibarra

We are grateful to our esteemed judging panel, (Professor Eva Lomnicka KC (hon), Travers Smith partner Phil Bartram, and Tracey McDermott, CBE (former Group Head of Conduct, Financial Crime and Compliance at Standard Chartered)), who were impressed with the standard of entries across the board. 

FSLA is grateful to all of the entrants who entered their work.

The top three essays are available to read below, with thanks to our winners who allowed us to share them.

First place: https://fsla.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/First-Place-Ali-Kaissy-.pdf

Second place: https://fsla.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Second-Place-Noah-Koncar-.pdf

Third place: https://fsla.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Third-Place-Esther-Lafitte-Ibarra-.pdf

14 May 2026
1

Annual General Meeting 2026

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

Online on 15 June 2026 at 09:30

We invite you to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Financial Services Lawyers Association, which will take place online on 15 June 2026 at 09:30. 

If you are a member who wishes to attend please contact treasurer@fsla.org.uk.


All members are welcome to attend. The agenda is set out below.

Agenda

  1. Report of the FSLA Executive Committee
  2. Secretary’s Report (Oliver Assersohn KC)
  3. Treasurer’s Report (Henry Reid)
  4. Pro-bono
  5. FSLA events and activities (as listed below)
  6. Executive Committee elections 2026 (including for Secretary and Treasurer) 
  7. Any other business

This year’s past events and activities

  • Lord Eatwell: Visions for the Future of Financial Regulation – from the Practical to the Romantic – hosted by FSLA and Reed Smith (May 2025) 
  • The Road Less Travelled: Navigating the Upper Tribunal – hosted by FSLA and Mishcon de Reya (September 2025) 
  • FSLA Academy Series: Market Abuse and Associated FCA Investigations – hosted by FSLA and Brown Rudnick (September/October/November 2025) 
  • FSLA Winter Social 2025 (December 2025) 
  • Individual Accountability: The regulator, the regime and the individual – hosted by FSLA, Fountain Court and Macfarlanes (January 2026) 
  • Supervisory Powers in the FCA and Upper Tribunal – hosted by FSLA, 3 Verulam Buildings and Pinsent Masons (January 2026) 
  • Growth and Innovation in Capital Markets – hosted by FSLA, Mountford Chambers and Slaughter & May (February 2026) 
  • Trends in Enforcement Seminar – hosted by FSLA and Blackstone Chambers (March 2026) 
  • ED&I event – Gender Equality in Financial Services, Law and Beyond – hosted by FSLA and Fox Williams (March 2026) 
  • FSLA Essay Competition 2026 (“Streamlining regulation for international growth and innovation: a legal perspective”)
2 March 2026
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FSLA & Blackstone Chambers Event: Trends in Enforcement Seminar

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

Blackstone Chambers, in partnership with the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA), is pleased to invite you to its annual ‘Trends in Enforcement’ seminar and reception on Tuesday, 10 March at The IET Savoy Place, 2 Savoy Place, WC2R 0BL. 

Due to significant demand the venue’s capacity has been increased, allowing members who were unable to secure tickets previously to do so now. 

The seminar will feature a panel discussion chaired by Javan Herberg KC of Blackstone Chambers, with contributions from:

Therese Chambers, Joint Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, Financial Conduct Authority
Andrew George KC, Blackstone Chambers
Gayathri Kamalanathan, Partner, Disputes and Investigations Group, Slaughter and May 
Sinead Murray, General Counsel, Ofgem

Registration will commence at 6.15pm, with the seminar beginning promptly at 6.40pm. The 90-minute session will explore current approaches to some of the most challenging enforcement issues facing practitioners in the financial services sector, followed by an audience Q&A.

A drinks and canapé reception will follow from 8.10pm, to which members of Blackstone Chambers warmly invite you.

This is an in-person event, please email events@blackstonechambers.com to register your ticket if you have not already done so. 

Alternatively, if you wish to join virtually, kindly email events@blackstonechambers.com, and a link will be provided during the week of the seminar.

We very much hope you will be able to join us and look forward to welcoming you on Tuesday, 10 March. For any further queries or specific requirements, please contact the events team at events@blackstonechambers.com.

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“In the end, our financial system only works – our market is only free – 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 that’s what these reforms are designed to achieve – no more, no less. Because that’s how we will ensure that our economy works for consumers, that it works for investors, that it works for financial institutions – that it works for all of us.”

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