Oliver Woodhouse

Biography

Oliver is a Senior Associate in the Commercial Team. He is a specialist Financial Services Regulatory lawyer.

Oliver advises traditional regulated firms and FinTech innovators. He navigates complex financial regulation and explains it in plain English, so clients understand their responsibilities.

He provides legal opinion on the regulatory perimeter, handles FCA/PRA handbook queries, supports on product design/distribution structuring, and manages regulatory change projects and FCA/PRA and Appointed Representative applications.

He’s experienced in regulatory aspects of corporate diligence, transactions and restructures, employment matters, and drafting of regulatory/commercial agreements.

Prior to joining Ashfords Oliver trained and qualified at a Top 50 national law firm. He then joined a boutique law firm, co-founding a Financial Services Regulatory practice, securing multiple industry awards/rankings.

Oliver has gained in-house experience at several FinTechs and acted as trusted outsourced counsel for a wide range of regulated firms.

Oliver is recognised for his FinTech specialism and client-centric way of working by Chambers & Partners, featuring as an “Associate to Watch” in the FinTech Guide for several years, he’s described as “a delight to work with” being “a real asset, very pragmatic” and “knowing his area very well and providing a professional, personal and considered service”.

Oliver is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments.

Relevant experience

Multiple high-growth UK and Overseas FinTechs: acting as outsourced legal counsel, providing ad-hoc advice and guidance on FCA rules and UK regulation and other discrete matters to aid strategic decision making of C-Suite, working with legal, compliance/risk and product teams.
UK green digital bank: assisting with regulatory advice and review of partnership and trust agreements relating to delivery of fixed term savings products via an online savings marketplace.
UK and European Benefits Platform: legal opinion on regulatory perimeter and payment services for roll-out of rewards card and instant payment solutions for gig-workers; plus assistance with insurance distribution model and group policies.
Large UK Motor Insurance Underwriting Group: advice on regulatory change and Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SMCR) impact for UK entities, plus Brexit passporting advice and PRA branch application related to a Maltese insurer.
Investment platform providing private market technology solutions: advice on financial promotion regime developments for high-risk investments, creation of customer appropriateness question bank and review of customer journey.