Clifford Chance
Simon Gleeson specialises in banking and financial markets law and regulation, clearing, settlement and derivatives.
Simon's experience includes advising governments, regulators and public bodies as well as banks, investment firms, fund managers and other financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory issues. He is described by all of the major legal directories as one of the world's leading experts in financial services and banking regulation, capital markets and derivatives.
He is one of the lead legal advisors to the main UK banking and financial services industry bodies regarding Brexit.
In addition to his private practice, Simon is heavily engaged in the development of law and policy in finance. He chairs the Institute for International Finance's cross-border resolution committee, and is generally regarded as one of the intellectual leaders in the post-crisis reform of financial regulatory and resolution law, having worked with national and international bodies to develop the "bail-in" concept. He has been called to give evidence to UK and EU parliamentary committees, and has worked closely with other legislators around the world (including G-20 governments). He advised the World Economic Forum on its 2009 Report on The New Global Financial Architecture, and was involved in the establishment of the UK's Banking Standards Board.
Simon has lectured at Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities, and at King's College London, the LSE and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London. He is currently a visiting Professor at Queen Mary University, a member of the bank resolution project of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and was a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College Oxford. He has been appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge.
- Drafting financial legislation and regulation for a wide variety of government and quasi-government entities. Clients have included entities in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, the DIFC, Abu Dhabi, Botswana, Singapore and Qatar
- Advising regulators, governments, clearing houses and exchanges on the development of trading, clearing and settlement systems. Clients have included entities in Saudi Arabia, the DIFC, Qatar and New Zealand as well as the UK
- Acting for LCH, the London clearing house, on the development of SwapClear Client Clearing and ForexClear
- Advising a wide range of banks, investment firms, brokers and investors as to market documentation, dealing and practice, along with related disclosure and compliance requirements
- Obtaining authorisation in the UK for overseas exchanges and resolving associated conflicts of law and investor protection issues
- Advising a number of banks on the establishment of electronic dealing systems and custody issues
- Acting as special advisor to the Association of Global Custodians with respect to AIFMD issues
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, London
- +44 207006 4979
- Email me
- Practice area Derivatives, Financial services & markets, Financial regulation, Global Financial Markets
Career and qualifications
- St. Andrews University (MA, Mediaeval History) 1986
- Admitted as solicitor in England & Wales 1996
- Associate, Allen & Overy 1999-2001
- Partner, Allen & Overy 2001-2007
- Joined Clifford Chance as a Partner 2007
Professional bodies
- Financial Markets Law Committee
- Institute for International Finance
- Special Committee on Effective Regulation
- Bank Capital committee
- ICMA Regulatory Committee
- Joint Associations Committee
Awards and citations
- Peers highlight Simon Gleeson as a "creative and commercial" practitioner, who is without a doubt one of the leading figures on the advisory side. He is especially strong on the highly technical and esoteric parts of the regulatory framework.
Chambers UK 2013