Financial Services M&A – 6 Flashpoints

This month we focus on some of the key legal and structuring flashpoints encountered in UK financial services M&A. Financial services has long been a popular sector for private equity and corporates alike, but in the last two to three years the rise of Fintech companies, particularly in the personal finance and payments sub-sector, has boosted activity levels. Combine this with continued consolidation of financial brokers and asset managers, and the outlook for FS M&A looks healthy.

While the principal parties to any FS M&A transaction are still buyer and seller, there is arguably a third party whose interests need to be borne in mind at each stage of the transaction – the regulator (in the UK context the Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA).