Enforcement and Market Oversight Litigation Lawyer

Enforcement and Market Oversight Litigation Lawyer

Division – Legal Division

Department - Litigation and Legal Review team (LLR)

Salary - National ranging from £79,400 to £100,000 and London from £87,300 to £123,500 (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About The Fca

The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.

The team handles all contentious Enforcement and Authorisations work for the FCA. You’ll engage in a broad range of high-profile, complex regulatory matters, often at the forefront of financial services litigation, including proceedings before the RDC, Upper Tribunal and High Court.

We are a dynamic, inclusive and supportive team, offering both stimulating work and genuine work-life balance.

What will you be doing?

• Conduct litigation and legal reviews of cases for submission to decision makers including the RDC, Upper Tribunal and the courts, including drafting and reviewing case papers such as statutory notices, written submissions and statements of case, witness statements, regulatory notices and charges
• Provide legal advice to Enforcement investigatory case teams, Authorisations and other FCA colleagues on complex points of law and with regard to the exercise of FCA powers and conduct any resulting regulatory proceedings
• Instruct and manage external counsel and, where necessary, draft written and/or make oral representations to an executive decision maker, RDC, Upper Tribunal and courts
• Advise the FCA's senior management, as necessary, on the difficult decisions and judgement calls that are part of high‑profile, public interest litigation
• Mentor and shape the next generation of FCA lawyers, while also contributing to the sharing of knowledge, expertise and the development and implementation of the FCA’s enforcement policy, procedures and guidance
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including colleagues in case teams, Authorisations and supervisory business units, the RDC and external law firms

What will you get from the role?

• An opportunity to be an integral part of a wider FCA team whose complex and interesting case work has a high degree of impact and profile both internally and externally
• An opportunity to work on contentious matters of public importance and tackling the most serious financial services matters
• Satisfying, worthwhile and responsible work with the opportunity to use your legal skills in highly contentious matters, often under time pressure
• Engagement with senior stakeholders at the highest levels within the FCA (and PRA where applicable) and the financial services industry
• A challenging, interesting and varied portfolio of work, working with colleagues from across the Enforcement and Market Oversight Division, Authorisations and other parts of the FCA
• Work in a high-energy and stimulating division, within a supportive environment that continually seeks to develop its members across the Division

Which skills are required?

We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here)

Minimum

• A qualified solicitor or barrister with a valid practising certificate issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for England and Wales (if a solicitor), or the General Council of the Bar for England and Wales (if a barrister)
• Minimum 10 years’ relevant PQE/post-pupillage experience
• Clear and demonstrable experience of conducting either commercial litigation or contentious financial services proceedings

Essential

• Extensive experience of conducting either commercial litigation or contentious financial services proceedings, including in the RDC and Upper Tribunal
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to demonstrate impact and credibility with senior staff and professionals, both internally and externally
• Ability to deal with a considerable volume of evidence and exercise analytical skills to provide clear advice
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgement in novel or complex legal situations
• A track record in delivering results against business priorities and a willingness to work under pressure to meet challenging deadlines where required
• Evidence of strong analytical and intellectual capability, applied in complex legal contexts
• Sound knowledge of the Financial Services and Markets Act and the structure, practices and responsibilities of the FCA, Enforcement and Authorisations
• Good knowledge of core regulatory requirements applicable to regulated activities

Our Values & Diversity

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views and experiences. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better regulation.

Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.

Did you know? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.

Benefits of working at the FCA

• 28 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
• Private healthcare with Bupa  
• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age – up to 12% a month once you reach age 35)  
• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary  

• Income Protection

We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.

We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements.  Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours and job shares.  We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we can explore what might work best for both sides.

Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA

Application Support

We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Useful Information and Timeline

• This role is graded as Technical Specialist - Practising Legal
• Advert Closing Date: 5th October (Midnight)
• CV Review/Shortlist: 6th-9th October
• First Round Assessment: 13th – 24th October
• Video Interview: 3rd November onwards

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time. 

Got A Question?

If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Raimonda Stankute at Raimonda.Stankute@fca.org.uk

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.