Capital Law strengthens its financial services team with raft of new appointments

The strategic appointments have joined the firm’s other 15 financial services lawyers, who work collaboratively drawing on multidisciplinary expertise across the FinTech, InsurTech and financial services sectors, alongside cryptoassets and blockchain, banking and insurance.

The financial services division focuses on regulatory, lending and commercial issues, alongside contentious work, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigations and offers employment and immigration advice for financial institutions.

The team’s work has propelled its growing reputation across the insurance disputes sector, especially during the coronavirus pandemic while supporting clients with business interruption insurance claims.

Charlotte Gregory joined the firm from Browne Jacobson as a senior associate, bringing a wealth of knowledge in regulatory compliance, product design and FCA enforcement matters, as well as experience of contentious matters having spent many years defending insurance-backed litigation and advising on policy coverage. She works with clients including InsurTechs, FinTechs, insurers, brokers, Managing General Agents and financial broking houses.

Phillippa Ellis has experience as both a solicitor and a barrister specialising in criminal law, prosecution and defence. She joined Capital from the Serious Fraud Office as a senior associate, specialising in financial and economic crime including fraud and bribery and corruption investigations.

Solicitor Charlotte Hanson, with both domestic and international experience and a previous history of working with large international insurers and corporate clients, brings a strong corporate insurance perspective to the team. Previously at Clyde & Co, she has been heavily involved in a variety of insurance claims, in addition to non-contentious advisory work, such as professional indemnity, casualty claims, property damage and acting as coverage counsel in large scale disputes.

The team also has a growing number of juniors who are training in this specialist area. Ferial Khan and Sallyanne Caswell, who joined the team as a paralegals, will start solicitor training contracts with Capital in September, making way for new paralegal Hafash Hardi who joined the team last month.

Andrew Mazeika recently qualified as a solicitor, specialising in providing regulatory advice to FinTechs, banks, crypto-asset businesses and consumer credit institutions.

Rachel Hillier, who leads Capital Law’s financial services division, said of the new recruits:

“It’s been no surprise that the last year has created a different dynamic when hiring new people. Remote recruitment is now an essential part of the modern workplace allowing Capital Law to hire from a wider talent pool than ever before. In doing so, we are delighted to welcome Charlotte, Charlotte, Phillippa and Hafash with their varying backgrounds and expertise to bolster our team. The combined experience of these new recruits alongside the development of our trainees and paralegals will be integral to the success of the financial services division as Capital Law continues to increase its profile both at home and overseas.

“We have very ambitious growth plans, and we know to continue to provide the best work for our growing number of clients, we need the best lawyers to do so. I look forward to championing our colleagues in their new roles.”

Capital Law’s financial services team’s growth reflects the firm’s increasing foothold in the international insurance legal market, working with clients like Cover Genius, which has offices in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Sydney.

Back in the UK, the firm has invested in a new London address in Holborn. It creates an additional hub for its colleagues and clients – including Zego, which recently became first UK InsurTech to secure unicorn status – to meet in the English capital.