Financial Sector Professionals

Barristers at St Pauls Chambers provide advice to those who face disciplinary action within the financial sector.

Financial Sector Professionals

• Accountants.
• Independent Financial Advisors.
• Accountants.

An Accountant’s professional body (such as CIMA or CIPFA) is often the first organisation which will investigate complaints made about an Accountant. The Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board may well become involved if the complaint is of a serious nature and/or affects the public interest.

St Pauls Chambers is fortunate to have the only Barrister member of the AADB as a tenant. Such a source of information is invaluable to Chambers as a whole in ensuring that those members who practice in tribunals stay abreast of any changes in the way the AADB operates.

The Regulatory team are able to offer speedy advice to Accountants who are facing investigation by their professional body or by the AADB. With so much at stake for an individual practitioner, it is vital that legal advice is sought at an early stage. The majority of Chambers are able to accept direct access instructions which means that an Accountant can contact a member of Chambers directly to obtain advice and, if necessary, to obtain representation at any disciplinary hearing.

Independent Financial Advisors

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is the principle body which will bring disciplinary proceedings against an Independent Financial Advisor (IFAs) or a firm of IFAs.

As the FSA also has the power to bring criminal proceedings against authorised person, any IFA who is subject to an investigation should seek legal advice ideally at a very early stage in the investigation. As many of our Regulatory team also practice in Criminal Law, the IFA can be reassured that the advice they receive will take account of any criminal liability which may follow. Members of the Regulatory team at St. Pauls are direct access trained which means that they can accept instructions directly from an IFA. This has the benefit of the IFA receiving speedy high quality advice.

In addition to advice, our Barristers can provide representation at disciplinary hearings brought by the FSA either through direct access or when instructed by a Solicitor.