Compliance Advisory Services
Institutional-calibre regulatory guidance from former regulators and compliance leaders
When a regulatory question arises. Perhaps a regulatory query needs answering, a rule interpretation isn’t clear, or you need a second opinion before submitting. You need advice you can trust.
We draw on backgrounds at Standard Chartered, Barclays, and the FSA to provide the same calibre of guidance you’d expect from a major bank’s compliance function, without the cost of building one yourself. Whether you’re a compliance team seeking a sounding board, a senior leader navigating regulatory complexity, or a firm preparing for authorisation, we provide practical, proportionate answers rooted in how regulation actually works.
When You Need Compliance Advisory Services
Compliance advisory support is particularly valuable when:
- The FCA has asked a question you need to answer quickly
- You’re unsure how a rule applies to your specific situation
- You need a technical opinion on a compliance matter
- Your team needs a second pair of eyes on a regulatory submission
- You’re facing an unusual scenario with no clear precedent
- You need help interpreting recent regulatory guidance
This is specifically for the questions that arise in the course of business – the “Can we do this?” and “How should we handle that?” moments that compliance teams face daily.
HOW IT WORKS
Our compliance advisory service operates on a flexible basis. You bring us the question or challenge; we provide clear, practical guidance. Whether it’s a 15-minute call to discuss an FCA query or several hours researching a perimeter question, we scale our response to match your need.
We draw on our institutional backgrounds at Standard Chartered and Barclays to provide the same calibre of advice you’d expect from a major bank’s regulatory intelligence function – without the overhead of building one yourself.
Typical advisory questions we address:
- “The FCA has sent us a section 165 request – how should we respond?”
- “We want to launch a new product – what permissions do we need?”
- “This new PS applies to us – what do we actually need to do?”
- “Can our Senior Managers delegate this responsibility?”
- “We’ve had a near-miss regulatory breach – how should we handle it?”
- “How are our peers interpreting the Consumer Duty requirement?”
Our Areas of Expertise
We provide compliance advisory services across the full regulatory spectrum, with particular depth in:
CLIENTS ASSETS (CASS)
Risk and control matrices, audit remediation, automations, upgrading manual controls
MIFID II
Best execution, investment research, client categorisation, suitability assessments, product governance
MARKET ABUSE (MAR)
Surveillance frameworks, suspicious transaction and order reporting (STORs), market abuse policies and controls, conflicts of interest
SENIOR MANAGERS AND CERTIFICATION REGIME (SMCR)
Allocation of SMFs and prescribed responsibilities, handovers, appointment and regulatory interviews, attestations, reasonable steps
AUTHORISATIONS AND PERMISSIONS
End-to-end support for FCA applications and variations of permissions, reviews of existing licences and permissions
CONDUCT AND NON FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT
Developing governance and oversight frameworks, consequence management, and MI dashboards
THRESHOLD CONDITIONS
Control frameworks, risk assessments, governance and oversight
FINANCIAL CRIME
AML and predicate offences such as fraud, sanctions, and terrorist financing
REGULATORY REPORTING
Trade and transaction reporting, regulatory returns, data quality and validation
RISK MANAGEMENT
Developing risk frameworks, MI dashboards, and governance structures
THIRD PARTY RISK MANAGEMENT (TPRM) AND OUTSOURCING
Frameworks, risk assessments, governance and oversight
OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE
Important business services, risk assessments, impact tolerances, dependencies, scenario testing, recovery plans
GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT
Governance frameworks, testing governance effectiveness, allocation of responsibilities
CONSUMER DUTY
Fair value assessments, outcomes monitoring frameworks, governance and MI, product and service reviews
Whether your question touches one of these areas or spans multiple regulatory regimes, we provide clear, practical guidance you can act on immediately.
WHY FIRMS CHOOSE US
Our team includes former heads of compliance at major banks and former regulators who’ve sat on the other side of the table. We’ve developed capital rules, handled regulatory investigations, and built compliance functions. When you ask us a question, you get advice informed by decades of practical experience, not textbook theory.
FLEXIBLE ENGAGEMENT
Compliance advisory support works on an as-needed basis. You might retain us for a set number of hours per month, or engage us for specific questions as they arise. The choice is yours.
Whether it’s a quick 15-minute call or several hours of research, we scale our response to your need. We can work on retainer, ad-hoc, or as part of your ongoing compliance support.
Interested in ongoing support?
HOW WE'VE HELPED
FCA Senior Manager Interview: Approval Within One Week
An individual with 30+ years of experience had been previously turned down by the regulator when applying for Senior Manager Functions roles. They had an upcoming interview and needed confidence in their approach.
our response
We discussed the interview, the regulatory approach, areas to focus on, and how to demonstrate competency and capabilities in a way that would satisfy regulatory concerns.
result
The FCA approved their application within a week of the interview.
Permissions Health Check Cuts FCA Fees
The Head of Compliance at a corporate finance firm was concerned that regulations may have changed considerably in the seven years since authorisation. Did they still hold the right permissions?
our response
We ran a review to ensure we understood which activities, investments, and services were subject to regulation and confirmed what the firm needed to do to comply.
result
We found opportunities that enabled the firm to change fee block and considerably reduce their regulatory fees and levies.
Compliance Health Check Prevents Regulatory Breach
A compliance officer at a pan-European investment firm needed confidence that the company was still complying with all applicable rules three years into their FCA authorisation. They were covering several other roles simultaneously.
our response
We lightened their workload by visiting their offices for a health check, updating multiple documents and making Principle 11 notifications.
result
The FCA was informed of changes and developments since authorisation, preventing potential regulatory issues.
Building a Market Abuse Surveillance Lexicon
A financial services platform firm wanted to strengthen its email and messaging systems against market abuse quickly.
our response
We built them a database of phrases (lexicon) that could indicate market abuse if used on the firm’s recorded systems. Their IT team implemented it, and we advised on how to grow and improve the lexicon themselves.
result
The firm gained sophisticated surveillance capabilities with the ability to maintain and enhance them independently.
Need more than a quick answer?
Sometimes compliance challenges require structured project delivery
SECTOR EXPERTISE
We work across all financial services sectors. Whether you're a wholesale bank, hedge fund, investment platform, broker, private bank, or retail intermediary, we understand your specific regulatory environment.