Martyn Hopper > Linklaters LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

The ‘top-class’ team at Linklaters LLP demonstrates ‘incredible breadth and depth’ of expertise in high-risk and cross-border mandates, concerning MiFID II, CSDR, ESG, payment services and fintech, among others. Michael Kent acts for banks and investment groups on their implementation of Senior Managers and Certification regimes in the UK, in addition to MiFID II and Brexit-related matters. Peter Bevan advises investment managers, private banks, hedge funds and private equity funds on regulatory issues, while Harry Eddis handles perimeter issues, including authorisation requirements, market abuse and market conduct requirements. Raza Naeem is praised for his ‘exceptional knowledge of the UK financial services regulatory landscape’, often advising global asset managers and private banks on ESG mandates. Other key contacts in the group include Alastair Holt and team leader Martyn Hopper.

With notable industry experience across the tech, media, energy, and banking sectors, Linklaters LLP’s financial crime offering runs the gamut of criminal and regulatory investigations. Practice head Alison Wilson specialises in FCA enforcement actions and investigations, while seasoned financial services regulatory expert Martyn Hopper is a key contact for financial institutions. The ‘utterly brilliant‘ Alison Saunders leverages her prosecutorial experience from the CPS to advise on criminal fraud, proceeds of crime, and environmental matters, while the ‘wonderfully erudite‘ Elly Proudlock is the name to note for SFO investigations. The group has also recently seen an increase in instructions relating to environmental investigations, financial crime controls, and economic sanctions issues. Satindar Dogra, lauded for his ‘uncompromising knowledge of the law‘, leads the firm’s sanctions sub-group.

Spearheaded from London by Martyn Hopper, Linklaters LLP boasts an integrated contentious and non-contentious offering. The practice is well-placed to effectively represent many leading financial institutions, including large commercial, retail and investment banks, throughout the full spectrum of their contentious issues, from risk management advice and work on regulatory supervisory matters through to enforcement actions. In this regard, the team also benefits from experts throughout its ranks with former in-house agency experience, including ex-FCA managing director Clare McMullen. It is also able to draw from practitioners throughout its international network of offices on large-scale multi-jurisdictional investigations. Nikunj Kiri has wide-ranging expertise throughout the scope of issues facing clients in the sector, including with regard to systems and controls and market conduct, and is as comfortable handling skilled persons investigations, as he is PRA and FCA-led probes. Other key members of the team include retail banking expert Alison Wilson; Ben Packer, who excels at helping firms and individuals navigate regulatory scrutiny, oftentimes involving parallel investigations by multiple authorities; and recently promoted partner Elizabeth Dowd, who is skilled at helping financial institutions identify areas of potential regulatory risk and proactively helping them to improve compliance arrangements.