Training and development

We regularly partner with lawyers from A&O Shearman’s market-leading global practices, including our financial services regulatory and disputes colleagues, to address the challenges our clients face. 

Our training is impactful and aligns with best practice, featuring high interactivity and using realistic scenarios to bring issues to life.  

How do our training courses work?  

Our training is flexible and scalable. 

Case studies  

We work with our clients to develop case studies tailored to their organizations, with a focus on gray areas and ethical decision-making. 

These case studies are designed to provoke discussion, challenge, and exploration. 

This is essential to their impact, provoking learning, greater self-awareness, and understanding. 

Online modules  

We develop storyboards with engaging and interactive content, ready for automation by our clients’ enterprise learning management system providers. 

Workshops  

We offer a range of workshop styles, including: 

• Train the trainer: we deliver presentation materials and full speaker notes, allowing you to internalize and repeat training delivery. 
• Remote service: A&O Shearman facilitators deliver the workshop remotely. 
• Full service: A&O Shearman facilitators deliver the workshop face-to-face. 

Senior manager/board training  

These workshops are designed for senior management teams and boards, including scenario-based “fire drill” exercises or annual risk appetite statement reviews. 

Our areas of expertise   

Conduct and culture  

Example topics  

• Conduct 101  
• Conduct risk fundamentals  
• Markets and treasury-specific topics  
• Breach reporting responsibilities  
• Benchmark integrity  
• Whistleblower protection  

Representative matters 

• Whistleblower protection training to the compliance function of a global financial services company, focusing on key components of an effective whistleblowing program.  
• A comprehensive, group-wide conduct training strategy for a major Australian bank including leader-led sessions, an online module, and gray-area case studies.  
• A scenario-based training session for a bank focusing on the client’s corporate values and regulatory expectations concerning risk culture.  
• A bespoke conceptual and scenario-based training session for a global corporation on diversity, inclusion, and respect. Developed enterprise-level training materials for a global financial institution, covering each employee’s general incident identification and escalation responsibilities.  
• A global conduct training program for the markets and treasury functions of two major Australian banks including interactive case studies and randomized assessment components.  

Financial crime 

Example topics 

• Financial crime 101 
• Anti-bribery and corruption 

Representative matters 

• Financial crime compliance training to the board of a multinational insurance company. 
• Bespoke conceptual and scenario-based online training on counter-terrorist financing (CTF)/anti-money laundering (AML), “branched” to accommodate different employee groups. 

Governance 

Example topics 

• Corporate governance 
• Directors’ duties 
• Sustainability governance 
• Subsidiary governance / shadow director risk 

Representative matters 

• Training to the board of a large mortgage lender, focusing on corporate governance, outlining best practices for boards, regulatory expectations, and the avoidance of common pitfalls. 
• Training to the board of a large corporation, focusing on corporate governance, regulatory priorities, culture, conduct, and operational resilience. 
• Directors' duties and governance training to senior executives of a healthtech company, using scenario-based examples. 
• Training to the board of an IT services organization, with a focus on directors’ duties from a legal and regulatory perspective. 

Regulatory strategy and implementation 

Example topics 

• Understanding regulatory requirements 
• Building effective regulatory relationships and regulatory horizon scanning 

Representative matters 

• Training and coaching to a senior executive ahead of regulatory interviews. This included mock interview sessions and training sessions on regulatory expectations and likely areas of interview focus. 
• Training for a major Australian bank on global regulatory priorities and emerging themes. 
• Training to the board of an asset manager to brief them on emerging regulatory priorities and surveillance activities. 
• Numerous seminars, town halls, and all-team briefings for clients to outline regulatory priorities and expectations on conduct risk, culture, governance, and risk management. 

Risk management 

Example topics 

• Financial Accountability Regime (FAR)/responsible manager 
• Recovery and resolution 
• Operational resilience 
• ESG and the role of compliance 
• ESG fundamentals 

Representative experience 

• Training to senior managers of a global investment bank on their supervisory obligations. 
• A “fire drill” exercise for the board and executive committee of a global wholesale bank to stress-test their preparedness for a recovery and resolution scenario. 
• A “war-game” scenario for the board of a global investment bank to test responses to critical risks and issues. 
• A board risk workshop for a major not-for-profit, covering risk management fundamentals. 
• Training to the senior executives of a large financial services company, with a particular focus on conflicts of interest in a financial markets context. 
• An interactive scenario-based training session on compliance fundamentals to the leadership team of a global fashion brand. 
• Training to the board of a large international banking group on the responsibilities of the chairperson, covering regulatory expectations, challenges, and issues for boards and operational resilience. 
• ESG training to a global investment bank covering regulatory scanning, compliance framework considerations, business advice, and oversight, with numerous ESG compliance case studies.