Associate, Finance Regulatory

Ashurst; London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000

Job description

About Ashurst

Ashurst is a leading progressive global law firm with a rich history spanning more than 200 years. We are proud of our history and are future-focused, having expanded into new technologies through our NewLaw division, Ashurst Advance, and our consulting arm. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing excellent standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions, and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit www.ashurst.com.

Team overview

Ashurst's financial regulatory team is ahead of the game when it comes to advising some of the world's leading banks, investment firms, financial market infrastructure providers, payment companies, FinTech and BigTechs on their financial services regulatory obligations.

The financial regulation practice is genuinely global in nature. London and Sydney are the firm's most prominent offices in terms of their strength and numbers in this area. The firm also has highly regarded specialist teams in Hong Kong, Melbourne, Tokyo, Beijing, Washington, Frankfurt, Paris, Luxembourg, and Madrid. There are also contentious teams in these jurisdictions who work closely with the non-contentious regulatory team.

Ashurst's financial regulatory team has a strong standalone practice, and is by no means simply a 'support' team. Its mandates with cutting-edge FS clients allow the team to make connections with other practices throughout the firm and forge strong client relationships. Find out more about our work on our page.

Our people are our greatest asset. We bring together lawyers of the highest calibre with the technical knowledge, industry experience, and regional know-how to provide the incisive advice our clients need.

Our clients value us for being approachable, astute, and commercially minded. As a global team, we have a reputation for successfully managing large and complex multi-jurisdictional transactions, disputes, and projects, and delivering outstanding outcomes for clients in innovative ways.

Ashurst regards an inclusive and diverse environment as critical to its business success. Accordingly, the firm encourages applications from candidates representative of all talent pools. Find out more about our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy on the About Us section of our website.

Job overview

We are currently looking for an ambitious 1-3 year qualified lawyer to join our stellar Financial Regulatory team in the London office.

The role requires a strong understanding of the technical aspects of UK and EU financial services regulation, with broad experience across a number of different regulatory sectors and a client-focussed approach to delivering complex legal advice.

We have a broad practice and this role will be perfectly suited to an individual who wants to develop a wider understanding of financial markets, the regulatory environment in which they operate, and work for a diverse range of clients on some of their most complex and strategic matters.

In this role, you will be expected to leverage your regulatory expertise to advise clients on a variety of complex regulatory matters. Some of the work you will be involved in includes:

• Strategic thinking and advice:
  • Advising clients on day-to-day compliance with regulatory requirements, perimeter issues, financial promotions, compliance failings, and significant regulatory change projects.
  • Producing technically excellent advice with a client-centric focus;
  • Thinking differently about the challenges that our clients face and sharing that knowledge with others.
• Transformational projects:
  • Playing a critical role on large, strategic projects, from DORA implementation to building new Digital Asset platforms with our global Digital Asset experts; from new sustainable fund launches to new bank licences and much more in-between.
• Client Management:
  • Confidently interacting with clients, running matters independently, and presenting findings and advice to both internal teams and clients.
• Exposure to a broad range of regulatory matters:
  • Engaging in a broader range of regulatory issues, including those related to banks, investment firms, financial market infrastructure providers, exchanges, sell-side firms, commercial banks, crypto and digital assets, retail brokers, fintech firms, and digitalisation/innovation projects.

Main tasks and essential skills/experience

Ideally, applicants will have experience in most or many of the following areas:

Key Skills and Experience:

Regulatory Expertise:

• Experience in buy-side fund and asset management regulation, including AIFMD, ESG regulations, MiFID, and IFPR; and/or
• Familiarity with bank and investment firm regulation, including CRR/CRD and MiFID; and/or
• Payments, crypto, and broad FinTech experience with a deep grounding in the underlying regulations and associated legal frameworks.

Advisory Experience:

• Advised on the regulatory aspects of fund structuring and marketing.
• Reviewed private fund documents and marketing materials.
• Completed change in control applications, NPPR marketing notifications, and cross-border fund surveys.
• Advised on bank/investment firm licensing applications and key regulatory aspects such as consumer duty, conflicts of interest, inducements, market abuse, disclosures, product governance, and financial crime.

Client Interaction:

• Confident in client interactions, running matters, and presenting to both internal teams and clients.
• Strong written advice with a focus on presenting answers to clients, not just thinking.
• Meticulous attention to detail.

Broader Interests:

• A genuine interest in finance, financial markets, and the global world in which they operate.
• A desire to develop experience and drive career progression in a wider range of regulatory matters, including financial market infrastructure providers, exchanges, sell-side firms, commercial banks, crypto and digital assets, retail brokers, fintech, and digitalisation.
• Excited at the prospect of working on leading, transformational projects; shaping regulatory change and thinking outside the box to deliver real change for clients.

Career advancement

An established Associate Career Path Framework is in place clearly defining expectations and outlining opportunities for promotion.

Background checks

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks. These checks are only undertaken with consent and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.

Accessibility

We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you consider yourself to have a disability or a long-term health condition, please feel free to be open about this at any point during the recruitment process. If you are not sure what adjustments you require, we will work with you to establish the most suitable adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process.