Regulatory Expertise

In financial regulation, certainty is paramount. When it comes to financial compliance, you simply have to be right. At Robinson Mack we know and appreciate the need for certainty in the complex and ever changing world of financial regulation.

Robinson Mack is a consultancy firm specialising in offering bespoke regulatory expertise to a select group of clients. At Robinson Mack quality takes precedent over quantity.

Developing close business relationships with our clients is the key to our success and with our combination of extensive practitioner compliance experience as well as offering regulatory insight from previously working with UK financial regulators, we are ideally placed to assist firms with a range of issues from FCA authorisation to independent compliance reviews to ad-hoc rule interpretations to a total compliance outsourcing package. Below is just a basic outline of the services we provide. Please click on the links in the left-hand menu for details on each of our services.

  • Applications for FCA Authorisation : Depending on your needs and experience, we can project manage the whole FCA authorisation process for you or just complete the Compliance Section of the FCA application together with associated documents.
  • Compliance Manuals/Compliance Monitoring Programs: We can provide you with tailored Compliance manuals and Compliance Monitoring Programs as well as other required compliance documentation.
  • Compliance Reviews: We are experts in carrying out independent compliance reviews and mock FCA inspection visits on a periodic basis or a one-off project basis. We can offer a fresh pair of eyes to your regulatory issues.
  • Crisis Management & Remediation: If you have any major regulatory issues or compliance failures, we can step in and help at a moments notice and provide practical advice and assistance.
  • Compliance Outsourcing: We can take away the hassle of carrying out the day to day compliance function for you so that you can concentrate on developing your firm's business.
  • Consumer Credit License: We help small to medium sized firm get consumer credit licenses and/or become Authorised Payment Institutions.

Our focus is on practical and efficient regulatory advice and assistance. With our years of experience we have also developed a network of the best training partners and other experts to call upon to give you the best service possible.

All firms are subject to Anti-money laundering requirements. In particular firms are required to:

  • have AML policies and procedures in place (to reflect UK legislation, regulation and guidance)
  • carry out AML verification checks
  • provide ongoing AML training
  • monitor and report AML suspicions

Robinson Mack can provide firms with tailored up to date anti-money laundering policies and procedures, give advice and assistance on AML verification checks and monitoring. Robinson Mack can call upon the best AML training partners in the UK to meet all your AML requirements.

Leave nothing to chance. Contact Robinson Mack for all your Anti-Money Laundering requirements.

Applications for FCA Authorisation can be a complicated and daunting task to those without indepth experience. At Robinson Mack we have proven experience in helping every type of firm get authorised. We can project manage the whole application process which involves:

  • completing the core details and compliance section of the application
  • assisting in producing a comprehensive regulatory business plan
  • liaising with the firm’s accountants to complete the financial resources and systems section
  • being the main contact point for the application with the FCA and organising and attending any pre-authorisation inspections or meetings with the FCA, as required.

Or complete the Compliance Section only:

  • completing the compliance section of the application
  • providing a tailored compliance manual
  • providing a tailored compliance monitoring program
  • providing all other client documentation.

Be certain of success. Let the experts sort out your FCA authorisation. Contact Robinson Mack.

Assistance with preparation and handling of regulatory visits

Due to our previous work experience at UK regulators,  we are uniquely placed to provide ‘regulatory insight’ in helping firms to prepare for, and handle any regulatory inspection or visit.

  • We can advise firms on all the relevant documentation and procedures that need to be in place prior to any inspection.
  • We can also prepare senior management and other relevant members of staff on how to deal with regulators in an inspection or any interview scenario.

Take comfort. Bring in the experts. Call Robinson Mack.

Once firms are FCA authorised, the kind of business they carry on sometime changes thus necessitating a change/variation of permissions with the FCA. Equally a firm may wish to market into other EU countries using an ISD (Investment Services Directive) passport which will require a notification to the FCA (who in turn will notify the other relevant EU authorities).

Robinson Mack has in-depth experience of advising and assisting firms in the application process of varying permissions or completing a cross border ISD application.

Relax. Let Robinson Mack sort your variation of permission or cross border passport applications.

All firms are required to have a Compliance Monitoring Programme (CMP). A CMP effectively outlines the risks and rules applicable to a firm and sets out certain tests to check that these risks are being mitigated against and that the rules have been complied with. A CMP will vary greatly from firm to firm depending on their business activity and the instruments they trade.

Robinson Mack has indepth experience of producing practical CMPs tailored for a range of clients.

Leave nothing to chance. Let Robinson Mack produce a tailored CMP for you.

All firms must have compliance policies and procedures that reflect the business a firm carries on, in accordance with FCA requirements. This takes the form of a written compliance manual that firms must maintain.

Robinson Mack has years of experience in providing a range of firms with detailed and tailored compliance manuals. We can also review a firm's existing compliance manual to make sure it remains up to date with ever changing FCA requirements.

Keep up to date and simplify drafting and maintaining your compliance manual.

Many firms have neither the time and/or expertise to carry out the day to day compliance functions required by the FCA. There is also an opportunity cost in spending time on compliance issues that could be better spent generating revenue for your firm. Compliance outsourcing can be the ideal solution to these problems.

Robinson Mack can provide a range outsourcing packages to a large range of clients. Services can include:

  • maintaining up to date compliance manual and compliance monitoring program
  • carrying out customer classification and notification work
  • carrying out compliance, AML and transaction monitoring
  • providing ongoing regulatory advice and rule interpretation
  • organising or assisting in carrying out all ongoing training and assessment requirements.

Let Robinson Mack take the hassle out of day to day compliance duties.

There maybe times when a firm faces a crisis that can have serious regulatory implications. Such a crisis may be the result of a serious rule breach or senior management or system failure which will require immediate remedial action and appropriate notification to the FCA. Robinson Mack is available at very short notice to advise and assist you in any crisis management and show you the best remedial steps to take.

Don't panic. Robinson Mack is here to help. Just call us.

Mock FCA Inspection Visits

Sometimes firms can be too close to their own business whereby they fail to recognise certain risks facing thier business or fail to comply with FCA rules. An independent review or mock inspection visit from Robinson Mack is an ideal way to take a fresh look at a firm's investment business activity to ensure that they adhere to the standards expected of them by the FCA.

With our years of experience and regulatory insight, Robinson Mack is an expert in providing one-off or periodic reviews or carrying out a comprehensive mock FCA inspection visit.

Have peace of mind. Contact Robinson Mack to get an independent compliance review.

With its experience of applications for the FCA and previously with the OFT, Robinson Mack is ideally placed to help any firm get a consumer credit license.

Please contact us to discuss your exact requirements.

Firms are always going to require some rule interpretation and advice to ensure that they can transact their business in a timely manner and in accordance with FCA requirements. This is especially the case with the forthcoming implementation of MiFID (Markets in Financial Instrument Directive).

Robinson Mack is just a phone call or email away from providing timely and accurate advice on any regulatory issues. Any such advice can be given on a hourly rate or on a retained basis.  Robinson Mack can also call upon additional expertise from external associates if required in order to provide the best advice possible.

Be certain. Contact Robinson Mack for reliable advice and rule interpretation.

Robinson Mack has advised the following types of clients in the United Kingdom:

  • Broker/Dealers (Institutional & Retail)
  • Fund Managers
  • Hedge Funds
  • Corporate Finance Advisers
  • Equity and Fixed Income Derivatives
  • Capital Markets
  • Wholesale Markets
  • Commodity brokers/OMPs/EMPs
  • Consumer Credit Licences

Please do not hesitate to call or email us for more information.

Telephone: 07710155403 and ask for Dan Mc Aleese

Email: info@robinsonmack.com

Robinson Mack Ltd
5-7 Tanner Street
London
SE1 3LE