Banking and financial services

Global protection for financial institutions.

Our financial institution clients come to us for our global perspective, closely integrated team covering all the major financial markets, sector knowledge and understanding of local regulators.

We believe we are the leading global practice for regulatory and litigation work in the financial services sector and the most complete international practice in the market, with significant teams across the main financial centres in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East.

We understand the need to have local expertise, and to offer an integrated global defence. Our lawyers are among the leaders in the field who know well and deal often with the local regulators, as well as claimant law firms. We combine this expertise with knowledge of our clients’ businesses and our experience of multijurisdictional investigations and litigation to offer a service that is multidisciplinary, efficient and unified.

Our team, which includes a number of former regulators and prosecutors, has acted on the highest-profile white collar, tax, and antitrust investigations – whether they be internal or driven by regulatory enforcement action.

Client successes

Advising many of the largest financial institutions on MiFID II.

MiFID II is the revised version of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, the EU legislation regulating firms that provide services to clients linked to financial instruments. We are advising on regulatory implementation and compliance.

Advising numerous multinational companies - including several of the world's leading investment banks - on the impact of Brexit on their UK and European business.

Several of these mandates have moved from initial advice to the proposed implementation of Brexit plans.

Acting for one of the world's leading investment banks on the multijurisdictional investigation into alleged manipulation of Libor, the benchmark interbank lending rate.

This was the biggest investigation post the financial crisis, involving more than 25 regulators in more than 10 countries.

Konfliktlösung, Prozesse und Schiedsverfahren

Bank- und Finanzdienstleistungen
Bauwirtschaft und Ingenieurwesen
Geistiges Eigentum und Daten
Global Investigations
Handelsrechtliche Streitigkeiten
Internationale Schiedsverfahren
Kartellrechtliche Streitigkeiten
Produkthaftung
Regulierung
Restrukturierung und Insolvenz
Umwelt
Unternehmen und Menschenrechte
Völkerrecht
Wirtschaftsstrafrecht
Öffentliches Recht und Verwaltungsrecht

Our team

Tim Mak Partner

Hong Kong

Simon Orton Partner & Co-head Financial Institutions Group

London

Stéphane Bénouville Partner

Paris

Dr. Martina de Lind van Wijngaarden Partner

Frankfurt am Main

Enrico Castellani Partner

Mailand

Jeroen van Hezewijk Partner

Amsterdam

Rafael Murillo Partner

Madrid

Aaron Marcu Senior Counsel

New York

Brian Rance Partner

New York

James Smethurst Partner

London

Resources
Recognitions

Top-tier practice able to bring significant strength in depth to the largest and most business-critical regulatory matters on both a domestic and multi-jurisdictional level, whether that be assisting clients with FCA action or providing guidance through compliance issues on a day-to-day basis. Recent experience on some of the largest cases in the sector means that it is equipped with invaluable market intelligence. Noted recent activity in connection with the regulatory implications of the Brexit decision. Counts among its clients significant market infrastructure providers and asset managers.

One client reports that it is "a very impressive practice with a wide array of talent that is very agile and able to get the right people to me when I need urgent advice."

Clients say: "They have a superb team providing integrated support across some of our most complex multi-jurisdictional matters."
Chambers UK 2019

What the team is known for Top-tier practice able to bring significant strength in depth to the largest and most business-critical regulatory matters on both a domestic and multi-jurisdictional level, whether that be assisting clients with FCA action or providing guidance through compliance issues on a day-to-day basis. Recent experience on some of the largest cases in the sector means that it is equipped with invaluable market intelligence. Noted recent activity in connection with the regulatory implications of the Brexit decision.

One client attests: "We know what we're getting with them. They have good-quality people and they have big teams at their disposal. They get things done and they're efficient."

Other sources describe Freshfields as "an excellent firm" and regard it as "absolutely top-rated."
Chambers UK 2018

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Asien und Ozeanien

Naher Osten

Afrika