Corporate and commercial
Drawing upon a ‘strong contentious regulatory experience’, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner provides ’calm, considered and professional’ advice to global financial institutions, investment exchanges, and corporates under investigation by the FCA and PRA, with noted expertise in complex capital markets trading investigations, internal investigations and consumer regulatory enforcement. Praised as ‘the go-to lawyer for regulated firms in difficulties’, practice head Polly James is noted for her capabilities in cross-border investigations for international banks, financial institutions, and senior management, with extensive experience handling internal investigations, whistleblower complaints, and regulatory interactions. David Rundle represents individuals and firms in regulatory enforcement and criminal investigations, advising on cases involving market manipulation, insider dealing, money laundering, systems and controls failures, and senior management under SMCR, as well as cross-border SFO investigations beyond financial services. ’Powerhouse’ Marc Thorley boasts extensive experience in litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters, representing a wide range of clients, including banks and buy-side firms. Oran Gelb is a seasoned litigator and investigations lawyer who handles complex, cross-border litigation and investigations, representing institutions and individuals across the wholesale financial markets, technology, and telecom sectors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
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Profile
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.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘I found the team were practical yet empathetic - they knew this mattered to me and worked hard to find the best way to get the answer I sought, particularly when we had to engage with the other party - they made sure I was appropriately prepared and provided great support in meetings - very calm, considered and professional.’
‘Polly James is hugely impressive. Polly has a fabulous corporate client base and a superb reputation in this space. She is the go-to lawyer for regulated firms in difficulties.'
'Joanna Munro is a very promising up-and-coming associate.’‘Strong contentious regulatory experience; approachable, communicative and responsive team.’
‘David Rundle is a pleasure to work with. He is responsive, handles sensitive situations well and is great with clients.’
‘Oran Gelb has represented me now over a number of years, and I am always impressed with the preparation before each meeting and also with the way he has taken the time to understand as much as possible in what is a very specialist field. He has been a pleasure to work with and gives me confidence when going into what can often be a somewhat hostile meeting.’
‘Strong team emerging as a credible contender to established players to take top-tier work.’
‘Marc Thorley is a powerhouse in retail financial services contentious work.’
'David Rundle - great knowledge of the industry, extremely commercial and responsive, and good experience of senior individuals.'
'Incredible strength in contentious regulatory work, specialising in advising regulated corporates. They have a phenomenal and well-deserved reputation in this space, including in the conduct of internal investigations within the regulated sector.'