Polly James > Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Offices
Governor’s House
5 Laurence Pountney Hill
EC4R 0BR
England
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Polly James
Work Department
Financial Services: Contentious
Position
Partner and Global Practice Co-Leader – Financial Services Disputes and Investigations
Career
Polly is an experienced financial services regulatory lawyer who helps financial institutions and their boards to manage regulatory risks arising in a broad range of situations spanning enforcement proceedings, supervisory interventions (e.g. s166 reviews and use of ‘own initiative powers’), whistle-blower reports, FOS complaints and navigating legal/regulatory changes. Having been on secondment to the FSA Enforcement Division, she knows what it feels like on both sides of the table.
Polly regularly conducts internal investigations in the financial services sector across a wide range of subject matter, with a particular focus on dealing with whistle-blower allegations and other sensitive matters, where she works with trusted employment law colleagues to identify and manage both regulatory risks and employment legal risks.
Polly sits on the advisory board of the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA) and was a founding member of the FSLA Pro Bono Committee, which provides free legal representation for those unable to afford legal fees to defend cases brought against them by the FCA or PRA.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
(Leading individuals)The team at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is marked by its ‘sophisticated understanding‘ of contentious regulatory issues and cross-border investigations. Polly James, who acts as the global co-lead of the financial services disputes and investigations department, has a wealth of experience acting on substantial and complex cases for a wide range of clients, including international banks and other financial institutions, as well as individual members of their senior management. Oran Gelb, the global banking practice co-head, also provides oversight. In a key development, highly regarded expert David Rundle joined the group from WilmerHale in May 2023.
London > Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
‘Always willing to go the extra mile’, the team at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner acts for a broad range of financial institutions in the retail and wholescale sectors, in addition to advising members of senior management and listed companies on regulatory requirements. Daniel Csefalvay acts for investment banks, broker dealers, market infrastructure providers and investment managers on domestic and cross-border regulatory risk mandates, while Matthew Baker is ‘very experienced’ in the investment management arena, acting for regulated businesses in large-scale transactions. Polly James leads the team and associate Joanna Munro, who ‘stands out in terms of the quality of work and responsiveness’, is another key contact.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Financial services: contentious London > Corporate and commercial
- Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory London > Corporate and commercial
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Licensing
- Real estate > Planning
- Real estate > Property finance
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Water
Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- Transport > Rail
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Real estate > Environment
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Gaming and betting
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Finance > Transport finance and leasing
- Finance > Asset based lending
- Transport > Aviation
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Employment > Health and safety
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Finance > Securitisation
- Real estate > Social housing: finance
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)