Alastair Holt

Alastair advises banks, insurers, broker-dealers and other financial services firms (as well as those seeking to invest in them) on applicable regulation, including in relation to:

• the regulatory licenses that firms need to provide their products and services in the UK and other countries;
• conduct of business, including the regulatory rules that firms need to comply with when designing and distributing their products and services to clients, and when dealing in secondary markets;
• governance, including the arrangements which firms need to have in place to control their business and regulatory risk, such as internal policies, systems and controls; and
• prudential regulation, including identifying the rules that apply and their impact, group structuring, and how the PRA/FCA are likely to view certain arrangements.

Alastair was recognised as a “rising star” by the Legal 500 directory for 2020, and a “next generation partner” for 2021 and 2022. He is the co-author of the UK Chapter of “Banking Regulation 2022”, a global comparative guide which can be accessed here.

Over the last few years, Alastair has been doing an increasing amount of work in the insurance sector. This includes transactions (due diligence and regulatory filings) and advice on regulatory compliance issues for insurers and insurance intermediaries.

Work highlights

• Brexit and cross-border: Advising a large US banking group on the impact of Brexit on its UK and European business. 
• Ring-Fencing: Advising a UK banking group on its restructuring into separate “retail” and “markets” entities. 
• Prudential regulation and structuring: Advising a large US group on its project to comply with the Intermediate Parent Undertaking (IPU) requirement under CRD V, and multiple investment firms on the new Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR).
• Insurance: Advising insurers and intermediaries on various issues including licensing, outsourcing, control of inside information, and the application of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
• Corporate transactions: Advising on regulatory risks and filings relating to the acquisition or disposal of various financial services businesses, including on private equity deals.

Alastair has completed secondments to Barclays and the Financial Structuring team within Linklaters. Prior to training as a lawyer, Alastair worked within the Compliance function of large US headquartered financial institution.

Alastair is admitted as a solicitor in the United Kingdom.

Alastair has a First Class degree in Law from the University of East Anglia.