Senior Associate
Oliver is a senior associate in the commercial team. He leads Ashfords' financial services regulatory practice.
Oliver advises traditional regulated firms and fintech innovators. He navigates complex financial regulation and explains it in plain English, so clients understand their responsibilities.
He provides legal opinion on the regulatory perimeter, handles FCA/PRA handbook queries, supports on product design/distribution structuring, and manages regulatory change projects and FCA/PRA and Appointed Representative applications. Oliver advises on regulatory aspects of corporate diligence, transactions and restructures, employment matters, and drafting of regulatory/commercial agreements.
Oliver is well experienced in a range of regulatory areas, having supported clients operating in the following areas: insurance (intermediaries and underwriters); banking and lending; payment service providers and electronic money institutions; firms providing consumer credit and hire services; wealth and investment managers; firms operating in the blockchain and cryptoasset space.
Prior to joining Ashfords, Oliver trained and qualified at a Top 50 national law firm. He then joined a boutique law firm, co-founding a Financial Services Regulatory practice, securing multiple industry awards/rankings. Oliver has gained in-house experience at several fintechs, managed material regulatory projects for firms and acted as trusted outsourced counsel for a wide range of regulated entities.
Oliver has been recognised for his FinTech specialism and client-centric way of working by Chambers & Partners, featuring as an “Associate to Watch” in the FinTech Guide for several years, he’s described as “a delight to work with” being “a real asset, very pragmatic” and “knowing his area very well and providing a professional, personal and considered service”.
Oliver is actively involved with FinTech West and FinTech Wales. He is also a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments.
InsurTech Firm / advice on establishing a new embedded insurance distribution partnership, including appointed representative agreement preparation; legal review of insurance policy wording, IPID and related terms; advice and guidance on content and marketing creation, customer journey and ICOBS requirements.
Authorised Payment Institution / negotiation of contacts for a new partnership for e-money, card issuance and programme management services; plus advice on strategy and crisis management in relation to insolvency of a critical supplier of services based in a third country and assistance with UK and overseas regulatory reporting in relation to the same.
Technology Service Provider / advice and legal opinion on the FCA’s regulatory perimeter and scope of regulated activities, including review of PERG and MIFID investment services and relevant exemptions.
In-House Role / UK regulated bank, advising on FSMA, PSR and FCA Approach Document matters, including product term review against Payment Service Regulations and FCA Handbook requirements and perimeter advice relating to new services and introduction of third party regulated services to customers.
FCA Applications / supporting a variety of regulated firms with FCA application and registration requirements – including: Annex 1 Financial Institution registrations for Money Laundering Supervision; FCA change in control applications linked to investment, sale and purchase and business restructuring; FCA appointed representative applications; advice and guidance on the FCA authorisations process for new businesses – in relation to payment and e-money services under the UK’s PSRs and EMRs; and regulated activities under FSMA and the Regulated Activities Order.
