The ‘innovative, commercially minded and collaborative’ team at Addleshaw Goddard provides a ’tremendous range of expertise’ to an eclectic mix of financial services clients, including banks and lenders facing investigations and enforcement cases, including market abuse, insider dealing, anti-money laundering, MLRs, non-financial misconduct, and whistleblowing. Heading up the team is the ‘calm and measured’ David Pygott, a leading adviser on high-profile matters involving market abuse, AML, whistleblowing, and SMCR. Sarah Thomas handles a wide range of contentious regulatory matters, including investigations into financial crime systems and controls, market abuse, non-financial misconduct, fraud, perimeter issues, motor finance commission, and customer redress exercises, as well as contentious interactions with the PRA and FCA. Adept in criminal and financial regulatory matters is Harriet Territt, her workload consists of anti-money laundering, sanctions, supply chain compliance, trade and export controls, and conducts internal investigations, remediation projects, and engagements with enforcement bodies such as OFSI.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Very professional, strong knowledge and expertise, innovative, commercially minded, collaborative and easy to work with.’
‘There’s a real skill in this practice that goes beyond legal competency. They have a way of making you the client feel valued, that you're important, not just a fee payer. From the welcome walking in the door, you feel recognised, looked after, and respected. They are professional, approachable, and always accessible. While this may seem simple, it’s really hard to deliver consistently, but they do.’
‘The level of knowledge, engagement, and proactive communication is excellent. You really get a sense that you’ve got people like Giles Distin and Sarah Thomas batting on your behalf. This instills tremendous confidence that you have a strong, motivated team behind you with a tremendous range of expertise and deep bench strength behind the scenes.’
‘The team knows our team well, having acted for us on numerous cases in the past, and they offer a great blend of commercial nous, legal expertise and common sense.’
‘Richard Clayton offers great expertise, great judgement, and is great fun. Sivan Daniels is engaging, responsive, and very user-friendly.’
‘David Pygott is the key individual for us. His advice is always clear and well thought through. David is always calm and measured in his approach and instills confidence.’
‘Sarah Thomas is highly engaged, pragmatic, and thoughtful assessment of risks and solutions. Breadth of knowledge and experience applied practically. Great communicator. Exceptional support.'
- 'Richard Yeomans is very supportive, a great communicator, and provides innovative solutions.'
- 'It's always a pleasure working with Sarah Thomas. She is a trusted and formidably capable advisor. In the complex and nuanced world of contentious financial services, where the landscape evolves rapidly, it’s essential to have someone who is not only deeply knowledgeable but also confident in delivering clear, robust opinions and standing firmly behind them. Sarah consistently provides that assurance.'
- 'The team is highly responsive and works collaboratively to provide practical, implementable solutions. They combine deep expertise with a personable, approachable manner, making them a pleasure to work with. This area of law is complex, often challenging and inherently stressful. For a business in financial services, striking the right balance between regulatory compliance and achieving commercial objectives is no small task. That’s why it’s essential to have an outstanding legal team by your side. One that can guide you confidently through this intricate landscape. The firm also has access to a broad pool of specialist talent when more targeted advice is needed. Above all, they are genuinely decent people committed to delivering high-quality service.'
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Sarah Thomas
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Sarah Thomas
Practice head
David Pygott
Other key lawyers
Sarah Thomas; Harriet Territt; Alex Unger; Giles Distin; Sarah Thomas; Richard Yeomans; Richard Clayton; Sivan Daniels