Financial services regulation

Clifford Chance's global regulatory practice group represents the world's major financial institutions in all areas from product development, regulatory advice, and corporate and transactional assistance, to risk management and dispute resolution. We provide advice to leading international clients on regulatory projects across the key markets of the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Our client-focused approach and unparalleled depth of expertise covers the full range of investment and commercial banking, investment management, insurance and retail financial services. This is backed by our strengths in derivatives, commodities, futures, collective investment schemes, unit trusts, capital markets, bank lending, securitisation and corporate finance as well as investment banking and insurance litigation, and supported by the market leading information technology, data protection/privacy, public policy and intellectual property practices essential for e-commerce and related business for financial institutions.

Experience in handling cross-border and complex regulatory issues:

Our geographical reach is unique; we are recognised as having strong advisory practices in the US, the UK, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia - a strength that is particularly important to global financial institutions who form our core client group. Clients benefit from our extensive experience of working on complex multi-jurisdictional regulatory matters.

Teams at the forefront of financial services regulation

The practice group have played a leading role in shaping new legislative and regulatory frameworks across a broad range of markets and are at the forefront of new market developments, working closely with and advising regulatory, trade and government bodies including:

• International Swaps and Derivatives (ISDA)
• Futures and Options Association (FOA)
• Weather Risk Management Association (WRMA)
• Financial Markets Law Committee (UK)
• LCH.Clearnet
• London Stock Exchange
• Federal Reserve Boar
• Office of the Comptroller  of the Currency
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• New York State Banking Department
• Other US State banking regulators

Unrivalled experience in advising on market infrastructure

We advise the leading market providers of securities on custody, securities lending, settlement risks, finality, and collateral.  As well as advising participants in an immense range of clearing and settlement systems, we have acted for LCH.Clearnet, Eurex, the DTCC, Hong Kong Clearing, the Bank of England, Euroclear, the Belgian National Bank, Euronext, Iberclear, CLS, SWIFT, Clearstream and others.

Detailed knowledge of and contacts at all key regulators

Our team have invested time in building relationships with key regulators, including senior contacts at the FSA, the Takeover Panel, Bank of England, key competition authorities and the Pensions Regulator. Our experience includes having advised the Bank of England in relation to Northern Rock.

Driven to keep our clients up to date on key issues

Clifford Chance's daily 'Alerter: Finance Industry' service is recognised as a unique resource for banking and policy professionals, alerting them to legal and regulatory developments affecting the finance industry in Europe and from around the world. We have also compiled an essential reading list to help guide you through financial regulatory reform.

We regularly hold client seminars on regulatory issues and produce other briefings, such as our regular payment and transaction services newsletter and our financial services antitrust bulletin. These are available to clients free of charge.