Job description

Our strength in handling multi-jurisdictional cases sets us apart from our competitors as one of the world’s leading dispute practices – be that concurrent investigations in multiple markets, significant litigation, international arbitration, or employment disputes or pre-emptive advice on risk mitigation and compliance with ever-evolving regulation.  

Our market-leading global investigations, enforcement and business crime practice advises clients on a wide range of high-profile criminal and regulatory investigations, particularly cross-border matters. We provide a ‘one stop shop’ to clients dealing with multiple regulators and other international government bodies, reducing the complexity involved in managing complex investigations and enforcement issues. We advise clients across the world before, during and after any regulatory investigation. We also have leading criminal defence capability covering anti-corruption and bribery, anti-money laundering, fraud (financial and tax), antitrust, sanctions and insider dealing.  We have a deep understanding of both the technical legal issues and the practical concerns and investigative methods used by regulators and prosecutors.

Our financial services regulatory investigations team advises clients from across the regulated sector, including banks, asset and fund managers, brokers and other types of financial services firms a.] We are consistently ranked as a market leader because of our all-round strength and depth, in particular our ability to manage complex, high value cross-border investigations and provide strategic advice.

We are a collegiate and versatile team, with a good mix of standalone work and cross-disciplinary work with other teams in London and our international offices.

Role Purpose
We are currently recruiting for a senior professional support lawyer to lead the provision of focused support to our financial services regulatory investigations team, principally in London but also supporting global initiatives. We are looking for an experienced individual with expertise in UK financial services regulatory investigations, whether as a private practice or in-house lawyer,in a professional support capacity or through working for a financial services regulator

Key Relationships

• Partners, Associates and other members of the London (and global) investigations team
• Professional Support Lawyers, both in the litigation practice and the firm more widely
• Wider A&O community

Role and Responsibilities

Internal knowledge, training and development

• Staying up to date on legal developments and trends in relation to financial services investigations and producing alerts and updates on developments for fee-earners.
• Acting as a sounding board on queries from around the firm on  financial services investigations issues.
• Designing, developing and presenting internal training on  financial services investigations issues.
• Designing, organising and running regular internal know-how meetings for our financial services investigations lawyers.
• Creating, maintaining and curating know-how in relation to financial services investigations topics.
• Working with and providing input into the work of our market-leading non-contentious regulatory team.
• Coaching junior lawyers wishing to build a practice focused on financial services investigations and briefing new trainees and other new joiners.
• Providing wider support to the disputes practice - for example assisting with  the design, organisation and running of aspects of some of our wider internal training programmes for members of the wider Litigation department.

Client engagement 

• Designing, developing and presenting at both regular and ad hoc client seminars and training events on issues relating to financial services investigations.
• Leading on our client publications relating to financial services investigations issues, including identifying topics, drafting and/or commissioning and editing content, helping to run our A&O Investigations Insight blog, and managing associated social media campaigns. 

Matter support

• Supporting fee-earners (partners, associates, trainees and PSLs in other departments) on client matters by acting as a sounding board on complex legal and regulatory issues relating to financial services investigations 

Key Requirements

• 7 PQE+ (or equivalent) qualified lawyer with a solid knowledge and understanding of issues relating to financial services investigations, including practical experience of working on and/or advising financial services institutions in relation to external regulatory and/or internal investigations.
• Strong technical knowledge across the following areas:
  • The key regulatory requirements of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
  • The approach of the FCA and/or the PRA to conducting external regulatory investigations and key issues that may arise in relation to those investigations
  • The approaches taken by financial services institutions to conducting internal investigations, and key issues that may arise in relation to those investigations
• Intellectual curiosity and versatility
• Self -starter with the desire and ability continuously to acquire, develop and share knowledge
• Detail-focused and self-motivated approach
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Excellent client relationship skills with demonstrable evidence of adapting approach to clients in light of legal, regulatory and market changes
• Sound experience of operating at a senior  level within a complex international organisation
• Strong commercial/business acumen with the ability to deliver creative and pragmatic solutions and advice
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels and particularly to win the respect of the partner and fee-earner community, building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders 
• Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment 
• A person of sound judgment, able to establish a high level of credibility at all levels of the business

Allen & Overy LLP is committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements.

Additional information - External

It’s Time
Allen & Overy is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. Embracing new trends and harnessing decades of experience, we’ve earned our place at the forefront of the legal industry. Our partners are recognised as leaders in their field and our deals and cases often make headline business news. As a result, we’ve developed a reputation for delivering excellence, in all that we do. Today, we’re continuing to break new ground. By embracing new ways of thinking and integrating technology into our everyday work, we’ve been named as the Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe by the Financial Times five times.

Join our team and you’ll be part of a flexible, inclusive culture underpinned by openness and acceptance. We’re driven by the belief that, to perform, people need support and space to collaborate. By combining those values with an ambitious outlook, we can give you the opportunity to thrive.