Partner. With some 30 years' experience, including 6 years advising the Financial Services Authority ('FSA')'s Authorisation and Approvals function as well as the FSA's senior management on reputation management and contentious issues, Harvey leads our UK Financial Services Regulatory Group. Harvey advises senior executives, owner-managers and controllers as to their handling of personal and corporate relationships with regulators, other regulated firms and individuals. His practice involves regulatory approvals and permissions, supervision and conduct issues, internal and external investigations involving major financial services institutions, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Prudential Regulatory Authority ('PRA), the UK Listing Authority ('UKLA'), the Takeover Panel, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales ('ICAEW') and the Payments Services Regulator ('PSR'), as well as civil and criminal cases involving the High Courts, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and overseas regulators such as the SEC and NY Fed. Over the last decade Harvey has been responsible for the first successful judicial review of the FCA (which established the principle of joint legal privilege in regulatory investigations), the first settlement with the PRA for a UK bank's CEO and last year, the unprecedented overturning of a FCA ban of a senior banker.
England - London • Corporate and commercial
Withers LLP
In keeping with its strong reputation for individual-side representation, the majority of Withers LLP‘s client base consists of senior executives of public and private businesses, as well as non-executive directors of FCA-regulated financial institutions. As well as internal investigations, the team is often instructed to advise on consequent criminal issues, as well as broader market abuse concerns. ’Absolutely brilliant‘ Harvey Knight brings many years of experience working internally at the FSA to his role as department lead.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A small but high quality team.’
‘Harvey Knight is absolutely brilliant. He has huge expertise in acting for individuals and senior managers, and will fight tirelessly for his clients. One of the few solicitors to have actually defeated the FCA in Court.’
'The Withers team as a whole are class acts. Very astute and at the top of their game.'
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- Moneybrain Global Ltd
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Practice head
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Harvey Knight