Pragmatic and commercial advice for financial services disputes

Our financial services disputes lawyers represent clients in complex, high-value financial services disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions by the financial regulators. This includes, in the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Payments Systems Regulator and the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. Made up of specialists in contentious regulatory, litigation, arbitration and investigations, our team has significant bench strength. We act for a range of clients, from traditional financial services companies to alternative lenders and fast-growth fintechs. 

Our client-centric and commercial approach is designed around protecting your best interests and getting the best outcome for you in any dispute. We have deep sector expertise and can get to grips with the most complex and technical of disputes or regulatory issues.    

Fintech 

Technology is central to modern financial services and rapid advancements are continually creating avenues for growth. These exciting opportunities can bring novel disputes that push the boundaries of current law and regulation. To get the result you want, you need a lawyer who, as well as being a skilled litigator, is innovative, curious and on top of the most recent developments. 

Our lawyers specialise in disputes at the intersection of financial services and technology. We've worked on precedent-setting matters, particularly in the spheres of payments, consumer credit, and cryptocurrency.  

I have confidence that the Osborne Clarke team can handle any kind of dispute.

Litigation client, Chambers and Partners
The types of disputes we can help you with

We can support you with the full range of financial services disputes, including:

  • financial services regulatory (FSR) disputes with domestic and international regulators
  • matters relating to financial crime, including anti-money laundering, bribery, corruption and fraud
  • crypto-currency disputes
  • private equity and investment fund disputes
  • joint venture disputes
  • payments disputes
  • reputational, ethical, and risk issues including those derived from "non-financial misconduct"
  • contractual disputes, including hedging and derivative contracts
  • financial mis-selling claims
  • insurance and reinsurance disputes
How we can help you

We have an extensive track record acting in contentious regulatory matters, including:

  • providing guidance on preventative measures to help you avoid regulatory intervention
  • conducting internal investigations on a client's behalf
  • responding to third-party claims and inquiries
  • responding to enforcement action and other interactions with the financial regulators
  • providing independent advice to employees and other individuals regarding regulatory investigations and enforcements
  • advising on financial services policies and products
  • advising on complaints management and dealing with FOS complaints

We can support you at any stage of your dispute and always advise seeking legal advice early where possible.

Our financial services disputes lawyers

Our international team has extensive experience in getting the right result for clients in all types of financial services disputes. We are experienced in leading complex multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary disputes, including those involving various national and foreign regulators. 

We work closely with our non-contentious financial regulatory and data protection teams, as well as with other specialists from around Osborne Clarke. We want to make accessing all the legal support you need for managing and preventing disputes easy.

 

Experience

Wirecard Card Solutions

Advised WDCS, the leading provider of customised card products and services, in the aftermath of the discovery of the €3 billion accounting fraud by its parent company, involving critical negotiations with the FCA, resolving claims from business partners and the successful solvent wind-down of the business.

High profile individual

Successfully defended a significant shareholder of a well-known publicly listed company in a criminal and regulatory investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority into allegations of false and misleading statements contrary to the Market Abuse Regulation.  
 

HSBC plc

Acted as the s166 Skilled Person in the customer redress review into the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products.

Global travel business

Successfully represented an electronic money provider and its group companies in connection with the FCA's concerns around anti-money laundering controls.

Leading payment services provider

Represented a leading international mobile payment service provider following FCA regulatory intervention and a significant number of customer complaints and court claims.

High cost short term lender

Represented a HCST credit provider in a class action brought in the UK courts and a related FCA investigation into affordability and complaints handling.

Multi-national investment bank

Investigated whistleblowing allegations in relation to market abuse and non-financial misconduct for a major international investment bank.

International cryptocurrency provider

Represented an international cryptocurrency provider in litigation alleging fraud and impropriety and the related FCA investigation.

Leading international insurance technology service provider

Advised an international insurance technology service provider following a major ransomware cyber attack, including incident response, regulatory engagement (ICO, FCA, UK law enforcement and various international regulators), communications with data subjects and communication strategy.

Former directors of Comet plc

Represented the former directors of Comet in multiple investigations and court proceedings over a 12 year period following its collapse into insolvency.

Comune di Venezia / Citta Metropolitana di Milano

Represented these two Italian public authorities on three separate claims in the Commercial Court (and Court of Appeal) relating to the capacity of Italian entities to enter into interest rate swaps under Italian law.

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