Kingsley Napley LLP

Criminal Litigation

James is Legal Director in the firm’s Financial Services Group. He advises clients on the full spectrum of financial services and FCA-related matters, including on authorisation applications, perimeter and supervisory issues, enforcement investigations and cases before the Regulatory Decisions Committee and Upper Tribunal.

James has a detailed understanding of the regulatory regime applying to firms and senior individuals under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, Payment Services Regulations 2017, Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and Money Laundering Regulations 2017.

James joined Kingsley Napley in 2022 from the FCA where he spent seven years in the Enforcement division, giving him a unique insight into the approach and working of the regulator.

Whilst at the FCA James built the framework, and led the dedicated team responsible, for taking assertive supervisory intervention action against firms through the imposition of requirements, freezing of assets, banning of financial promotions and variations of permissions. This gave James a keen interest, and specialism, in the FCA’s use of supervisory intervention powers. In addition, his work while at the regulator within the crypto sector gave him particularly valuable insight into this sector.

James also has significant experience of advising on FCA criminal and regulatory enforcement investigations into firms and individuals and conducting related litigation, including in relation to conduct issues, systems and controls failings, conflicts of interest and compliance with anti-money laundering legislation and cases involving sexual misconduct in the workplace. James also has extensive experience in advising on contested authorisations cases for firms, senior individuals and in respect of changes in control.

You can see his profile here

Before joining the FCA James worked as an investigative lawyer in the Proceeds of Crime Department of the Serious Fraud Office, where he conducted restraint and confiscation litigation in cases of serious complex fraud and bribery and was the prosecutor on international criminal money laundering investigations.

Fraud Lawyers’ Association Financial Services Lawyers’ Association