M&A Due Diligence: Getting It Right Before (and After) the Deal

At the Financial Conduct Authority, Laura is responsible for Authorisation applications across a range of sectors, as well as the cancellation and changes in control for regulated firms. Laura is also responsible for the FCA’s early and high growth oversight function which is the bridge between authorisation and wider supervision. This function provides enhanced supervision for firms as they get used to their regulatory status and supports them to understand their obligations so they can meet required standards as they grow. It also ensures that the FCA can identify and address harm developing in newly authorised firms quicker.

The FCA’s contact centre which is the first point of contact for consumers and most regulated firms is also within Laura’s remit.

Katherine Browne is Head of Department, Authorisations at the Financial Conduct Authority, where she leads teams responsible for assessing applications from firms and individuals seeking to operate within the UK financial services sector.

With deep regulatory expertise, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring that only those meeting the FCA’s high standards of conduct, capability, and financial soundness are approved. Katherine’s work spans a wide range of sectors, including investment, advice, and consumer credit.

She regularly engages with industry stakeholders on regulatory expectations, the authorisation process, and how authorisations support market integrity, competition, and consumer protection.

Jonathan Charles is a director in Grant Thornton’s financial services group regulatory risk management practice, with significant experience in helping clients deal with the challenges of current regulations or emerging requirements.

He’s also the engagement director in our investment management sector Skilled Person work, and support firms responding to regulatory interventions.

Jonathan’s practice is focused on the investment management sector, where he advises a wide range of buy-side and sell-side firms, as well as retail firms including wealth managers, advisers, and platform businesses, on wholesale conduct matters.

He also has extensive experience advising banking clients and non-bank lenders and has been actively engaged for many years in investment firm prudential requirements, the design of effective risk management frameworks, and the strengthening of culture and governance across the financial services sector.

For over 18 years Matthew helped corporate, private equity and other clients maximise deal value by managing the operational risks and opportunities of their acquisitions, mergers and divestments. Matthew has supported over 100 transactions ranging from owner manager divestments to global PLC mergers. Matthew helps clients prepare to divest and acquire non-core assets that require separation, identify and deliver cost savings and operational improvements pre and post-deal, and realise value from mergers.

Shantanu is passionate about delivering value for his clients and believe in rolling up his sleeves to help them deliver strategic M&A activity, including change programmes.

Shantanu has over 10 years of cross-border transaction experience in the UK and APAC region. Shantanu specialises in supporting both strategic and financial buyers or sellers on pre-and post-deal operational aspects of a transaction, including integrations, carve-outs, operating-model designs, synergy reviews and assessments. Shantanu has led and supported multiple end-to-end integration and separation programmes right from the deal-strategy phase through to execution across multiple sectors.

Bronswe Cheung, a Partner in L.E.K. Consulting’s London office, is a member of the Financial Services practice, with a focus on European wealth management and specialist consumer and business lending. He has significant experience across the wealth management and lending value chains and has worked on strategy development and implementation, due diligence, M&A and synergy valuation engagements across Europe and Asia.

Simon joined PIMFA in November 2017 as a Senior Policy Adviser with a focus on public policy and long term savings. He has previously worked at the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) and the Treasury in a variety of roles working on a number of issues including automatic enrolment, pension freedoms and the UK’s response to the financial crisis.

Simon has a strong interest in long term savings issues with a particular focus on overcoming behavioural barriers and the support structures that can be put in place in order to help and encourage a thriving savings culture in the UK.

Anthony advises on the full range of corporate transactions, from M&A, complex structuring and equity investments to fundraisings and governance advice. Anthony has a great deal of experience advising clients on transactions in all aspects of the financial services sector, and he is recognised as a financial services specialist in The Legal 500.

Anthony’s clients look to him for strategic advice on a wide variety of corporate and personal matters. His clients are both UK based and international. He advises a number of clients on international transactions including inbound investments into the UK. Anthony is a regular speaker at conferences, both in the UK and overseas.

Having graduated in 1997 with a degree in politics Stuart went straight into the advisory industry and worked for various advisers, until joining George and John at their previous company in 2002. He has been with Pareto Financial Planning since the start in 2008.

Stuart is a Director and heads up the business development in working with existing partners and developing new ones to grow the business. Stuart loves building relationships with partners and clients adding value by listening to what their real needs are. Stuart has an extensive network of professional contacts throughout the UK, and also works with a number of private clients: including sports media and entertainment clients.