Regulatory

The legal and regulatory environment in which companies operate is increasingly complex. Particularly, as regulators collaborate with each other and penalties are becoming more severe.

The strength of Field Fisher Waterhouse's regulatory practice spans the legislative rules that individuals and businesses must comply with, including intervention by government bodies.  We are focussed on providing support throughout all the points of engagement, including:

• spotting regulatory risk
• compliance & training
• emergencies
• risk management
• regulatory powers
• investigations
• prosecution & defence
• challenging rivals
• litigation
• public affairs & lobbying
  
  

We are acknowledged as leading experts in the regulatory sector, with a specialist team of eight partners and over 30 lawyers. All of whom are dedicated to advising on regulatory, disciplinary and public law matters.

Our team approach means that you can:

• access specialist advice on all competition and regulatory issues;
• feel assured that you are receiving top quality practical advice; and
• receive the best legal service from commercially minded experts.
  
  

Our aim is to form strong relationships with you and your in-house legal teams. We will address the issues that effect you and your business, providing innovative solutions along the way.

Our advice covers the following legal issues:

• auditing of regulatory frameworks against best practice;
• powers and duties of public bodies and officials;
• consultation processes; and
• implementation of new statutory and non-statutory schemes.
  
  

We also advise on the requirements of fairness and natural justice, human rights and legal challenges to regulatory decisions.

Our regulatory lawyers are closely aligned with all practice areas across our firm. We work together on a daily basis to achieve the best results for our clients.

Areas we cover

Notable deals

• Sumitomo: We have advised this major Japanese chemical company on the European competition law aspects of the it's product defence under biocides legislation. This advice was given in conjunction with regulatory advice in EU biocides legislation provided by our Brussels office.  
  
  
• Cambridge Cognition: We are the sole UK/EU legal advisors to Cambridge Cognition. We are providing the whole range of commercial legal advice needed by a growing medical device company. Advised on corporate structural matters, employment law, employee benefits, and regulatory issues for medical devices.
  
  
• Orange: We have advised Orange on many high-profile competition cases in the courts and before regulators.   We advised on its participation in the 3G spectrum auction in 2000 and then advised on two major reviews of the cost of calling mobile phones - before the Competition Commission in 2002/2003 and, under a different statutory regime, before the Competition Appeal Tribunal, Competition Commission and subsequently Court of Appeal in 2007-2010.  We also advised Orange on its successful defence of allegations made by H3G that the other four mobile operators colluded to delay or obstruct improvements to the UK system for mobile number portability to the detriment of H3G.  H3G claimed that it had suffered losses of £250 million.  “The Times” described the case as the largest ever competition law action in the UK courts.