Alastair Holt

Alastair advises banks, insurers, broker-dealers, asset managers, wealth managers and other financial services firms (as well as those seeking to invest in them) on applicable regulation, including in relation to:

• the regulatory licenses that firms need to provide their products and services in the UK and other countries;

• conduct of business, including the regulatory rules that firms need to comply with when designing and distributing their products and services, and when dealing in secondary markets;

• governance, including the arrangements which firms need to have in place to control their business and regulatory risk, such as internal policies, systems and controls, as well as advice on organisational design and target operating models;

• prudential regulation, including identifying the rules that apply and their impact, group structuring, and how the PRA/FCA are likely to view certain arrangements;

• corporate transactions in the financial services sector, including regulatory due diligence, deal structuring, regulatory filings, and the regulatory aspects of prospectuses and offering circulars.

Alastair was recognised as a “rising star” by the Legal 500 directory for 2020, and a “next generation partner” for 2021-2024. He is the co-author of the UK Chapter of “Banking Regulation 2024”, a global comparative guide which can be accessed here.

Over the last few years, Alastair has been doing an increasing amount of work in the insurance sector. This includes regulatory support on transactions and advice on regulatory compliance issues for insurers and insurance brokers.

Work highlights

• Brexit and cross-border: Advising a large US banking group on the impact of Brexit and cross-border licensing regimes on its UK and European business.

• Bank Ring-Fencing: Advising a large UK banking group on its restructuring into separate “retail” and “markets” entities.

• Insurance: Advising insurance underwriters and brokers on various issues including licensing, governance, control of inside information, managing conflicts of interests, AML, and the application of the FSCS.

• Prudential regulation and structuring: Advising a large US group on its project to comply with the Intermediate Parent Undertaking (IPU) requirement under CRD V, and multiple investment firms on the Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR).

• Corporate transactions: Advising on regulatory risks and filings relating to the acquisition or disposal of various financial services businesses. This includes transactions involving both public and private companies across the banking, insurance, and asset / wealth management sectors.

Earlier in his career, Alastair completed secondments to Barclays and the Financial Structuring team within Linklaters. Prior to training as a lawyer, Alastair worked within the Compliance function of large US headquartered financial institution.

Alastair is admitted as a solicitor in the United Kingdom.