Commercial law firm Beachcroft Wansbroughs is launching a financial services consultancy to provide regulatory advice to financial service organisations on 1 July.
The division, which will be known as Beachcroft Wansbroughs Consulting, will help clients anticipate and prepare for developments in the regulatory arena. It will focus particularly on providing advice on compliance, regulatory policy, regulatory affairs and public policy.
The firms says the consultancy will not provide legal services directly, but will work with its solicitors to offer clients an integrated compliance and legal service.
The consultancy will be led by managing directors Richard Hobbs, who is a consultant to the FSA, and Oliver Lodge, currently at the FSA. The firm's senior partner, David Hunt, is the founding chairman of the Association of Independent Financial Advisers and chaired the working party to set up this trade body. In view of possible conflict, Hunt will step down as chairman at the association's AGM later this year.
David Hunt commented: "There is a clear growth in demand for advice and understanding in the regulatory arena and the legal solutions we provide to our financial services clients are only one aspect of their overall regulatory needs. The launch of Beachcroft Wansbroughs Consulting closes that gap and enables us to offer a comprehensive service to our clients, enabling them to manage each stage of the regulatory lifecycle."
