Financial Services Regulation
The regulatory environment is characterised by a high volume of regulations which are also highly dynamic. At the same time, cost pressure is increasing. In light of this, efficient advice requires a high degree of specialisation, experience and efficient knowledge management.
As one of the largest regulatory practices in Germany, with an excellent and close-knit network in Europe and across the world and market-leading online knowledge management systems, we are your perfect partner for all questions relating to German and European regulatory law. Moreover, the team also acts as the central point of contact for specific questions regarding the eurozone and provides advice on numerous transactions outside of Germany on specific questions regarding dealings with the ECB.
Our team also benefits from exceptionally close contact with the regulatory authorities.
In addition, we rank among the market leaders in supporting our clients by providing know-how services, in particular by way of our digital RegGateway solution which offers support in terms of horizon scanning and preparing compare versions between existing versions of a law and upcoming drafts. We have also developed our own online solution for your compliance management – we would be happy to discuss it with you!
Our range of advice includes in particular the following:
- Advising on all aspects of European and German banking and securities regulatory law, in particular the German Banking Act / Capital Requirements Regulation, the German Securities Trading Act / MiFID II, IFD / IFR
- Providing assistance for AML compliance and general compliance
- Advising on European and German investment law
- Advising on voting rights notifications and questions of market abuse
- Advising in the field of payments, in particular on issues regarding the German Payment Services Supervisory Act / Payment Services Directive
- Offering training for directors and officers relating to industry-specific requirements
- Supporting transactions and restructurings in the financial sector and performing the relevant notification procedures (in particular in connection with ownership control proceedings)
- Supporting licence applications for regulated companies, including the incorporation of new units
- Representing clients in contentious and non-contentious proceedings with the regulator, including the European Central Bank
- Supporting clients in consultations with the regulator, including strategic aspects
- Providing support on questions relating to market infrastructure (EMIR, CSDR, Benchmark Regulation, CRA Regulation)
- Supporting internal investigations
- Questions relating to restructuring and winding-up
- Advising on sector-specific requirements in the case of outsourcing and amending/drafting the relevant documentation
Explore our services
Modular know-how services
Supervisory law has been increasing in complexity for years. This offers opportunities but also presents both financial services providers and law firms with serious challenges. As one of the largest law firms both on a global scale and within Germany, our aim is to make the quality-control and training instruments which we have developed in-house also available to our clients. In this context, we provide our clients with a modular portfolio which can support you in a variety of ways: via our RegGateway, a specially developed online tool, our RegAcademy, which is based on traditional face-to-face events, and our briefings, comprising our regular newsletters and ad hoc updates.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in any of our modular know-how services.
Newsletters
With our newsletters we provide monthly updates on new developments in financial regulatory law.
Our EU version of the Regulatory Monitoring newsletter monitors all relevant developments regarding European regulatory law in English language. Click here for the current edition >>.
Our Payments & FinTech newsletter focuses on key developments in the payments and fintech space on German as well as EU level. Click here for the current edition >>.
Please contact us if you wish to receive our monthly newsletters.
RegAcademy
Our RegAcademy consists of two modules:
We offer regular regulatory breakfast briefings to discuss new developments which are relevant to financial institutions as well as an annual basic course in regulatory law.
RegGateway
With RegGateway we have created an online platform for regulatory law, unique in the German market, to support practitioners in various ways with the implementation and application of European and German financial regulatory law and to serve as your go-to page for all questions in the area of financial regulatory law. Among others, the RegGateway currently includes horizon scanning solutions, automated compare versions of new key financial regulatory acts, a comprehensive inventory of all German and European financial regulatory laws, with the option to create your own legal inventory/obligations register for your institution or department and to link acts with your commentaries as well as a comprehensive MaRisk compliance solution that helps to identify, assess and implement European and German financial regulatory developments of relevance to you.
If you wish to learn more about RegGateway, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Further resources
ECB Monitoring Centre
Allen & Overy's ‘ECB Monitoring Centre’ in Frankfurt focuses on ECB supervisory matters under the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM).
Visit ECB Monitoring Centre
Blog: ECB in focus
ECB in focus is our blog dedicated to the banking supervisory activities of the European Central Bank (ECB). We report on key developments in European banking regulation led by the ECB as part of the Single Supervisory Mechanism.
Visit blog
Meet our lawyers
News and insights
Publications: 01 March 2023
Our monthly regulatory newsletter monitors all relevant developments regarding German and European regulatory law in English language.
Publications: 01 March 2023
Regulatory monitoring: EU version
Our monthly regulatory newsletter monitors all relevant developments regarding European regulatory law in English language.
Blog Post: 13 February 2023
The ECB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the national competent authorities (NCAs) of six EU Member States that are not part of the European banking supervision under the Single…
Blog Post: 04 January 2023
ECB publishes supervisory priorities 2023-25
The ECB has recently published its supervisory priorities for the years 2023-2025. They include three strategic priorities that will form the basis of the ECB’s supervisory activity for the next three…
EU Regulatory Academy
Join us:
Monday 13 - Thursday 16 March 2023
Virtual Event hosted on Zoom
Our European Financial Services Regulatory team will host a series of foundational training sessions, aimed at providing an overall overview of key topics of European regulatory law, including Banking Union, bank regulation, securities regulation and payment services. The concept is based on well established formats in individual jurisdictions and takes it to the next level, reflecting the ever growing harmonisation of European law. Please consult the agenda for session details and sign up for the whole week or particular days.
RegGateway
Regulatory Law goes digital
For years, the complexity of regulatory law has been increasing and, with it, the time and effort spent on its implementation and daily application. With RegGateway, Allen & Overy and Lexemo have now created an online platform, unique in the German market, to support practitioners in various ways with the implementation and application of European and German financial regulatory law and to serve as your go-to page for all questions in the area of financial regulatory law. The RegGateway includes functions such as:
- Horizon Scanning/Regulatory Monitoring
- Financial Regulatory Law Sourcebook
- Comprehensive AT 4.4.2 MaRisk Compliance Solution
Recognition
The firm's multi-jurisdictional practice is very strong, which is a great help with international issues. The German team has been very proactive and its broad client base gives it a good perspective on market-wide issues.
Chambers Europe Germany 2019
Allen & Overy LLP is well versed in combining its regulatory expertise with the firm’s capital markets capacities.
Legal 500 2019
Financial Services Regulatory Team of the Year
IFLR European Awards 2018
