Financial services regulatory

The level of regulatory change across the financial services sector has been unprecedented with significant penalties for non-compliance or poor conduct.

What do we do?

Gateley’s financial regulation team provides practical, commercially focused FCA/ PRA regulatory advice and compliance support to regulated and non regulated financial services businesses – helping them anticipate regulatory change, manage regulatory risk, and deliver good customer outcomes across the full business lifecycle, from BAU queries to transformational change programmes. 

We’re often engaged where firms need clear, actionable guidance in fast moving areas – particularly where FCA expectations are evolving (e.g., consumer duty, financial promotions, SMCR, governance and conduct risk, and remediation planning), and where firms need to turn regulatory requirements into workable controls, documentation and oversight.

A core part of our offering is our Change of Control capability: a fast, reliable, senior led, end to end service covering structuring and timing strategy, form completion, drafting supporting materials (including regulatory business plans), and direct FCA liaison – with administrative support, cost certainty and fixed fee options (including reduced rates for repeat applications). 

We also support clients at the intersection of regulation and technology – including FinReg/ FinTech propositions and regulated outsourcing/ third party arrangements – ensuring contractual and governance frameworks align with regulatory requirements (including SYSC, FG16/5, PRA SS2/21 and the EBA Outsourcing Guidelines). 

Where firms need delivery capacity as well as legal advice, our services are enhanced through our relationship with specialist compliance consultants who can provide resourcing, advisory support, business audits, complaint handling/ backlog resolution, file review and remediation delivery – bringing a pragmatic “lighthouse” ethos of guidance, safety and strength, particularly during periods of regulatory pressure or FCA engagement. 

We regularly advise on:

• FCA/ PRA regulatory perimeter analysis and “what’s regulated/what isn’t” (including emerging FinTech models and digital assets considerations). 
• FCA authorisations, permissions and variations, plus ongoing regulatory reporting support. 
• Change in control (UK and international structures), including transaction timetables and FCA case officer engagement. 
• Consumer credit, asset finance and motor finance: regulated lending, broking, consumer hire/ leasing, and product governance support. 
• Motor finance redress and remediation programmes (including planning, governance, methodology, execution support and communications), alongside broader past business reviews and outcomes testing. 
•  Governance, SMCR and conduct frameworks, including compliance monitoring, business assurance, vulnerability programmes and complaint handling. 
• FCA engagement and Skilled Person (s.166) support, including ensuring scope, proportionality and fairness and helping firms navigate the process. 
• Regulatory due diligence (pre acquisition “red flag” reviews) and post acquisition ‘fix, assure and protect’ programmes (systems and controls, culture, complaints, training and oversight uplift). 
• Payments services and e money, and support for international businesses establishing regulated UK operations. 
• Regulated outsourcing and third party arrangements (including cloud/ SaaS), ensuring robust contractual protections and regulatory alignment. 

Members of our team sit on legal committees of the Finance and Leasing Association and the Consumer Credit Trade Association.

Who do we help?

We advise a broad range of regulated and non regulated financial services clients, including challenger banks, high street banks, specialist lenders, asset finance providers, brokers, international start ups, payments/ e money firms, insurers, and private equity investors – as well as corporate groups acquiring or disposing of regulated businesses. 

Our sector experience spans asset finance and consumer credit, payments, FinTech/ digital assets, insurance, and broader mainstream financial regulation – with support tailored to each client’s business model and risk profile.