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Matt Hancock is a member of the Litigation Practice in Greenberg Traurig's London Office. He is focused on contentious regulation with a particular concentration on clients’ interactions with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA). He has considerable experience defending individuals and corporates against regulatory Enforcement action and in helping regulated corporates and individuals pre-empt and manage other forms of regulatory scrutiny. He is also very experienced in the interaction between UK regulation and employment law, with a strong background in the UK Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

Matt is recognised by Legal 500 2024 in the Financial Services: Contentious section, where he is described by sources as “one of the most savvy, charismatic and strategically effective practitioners around.” Commentators also say: “For contentious regulation, enforcement and supervision matters, Matt Hancock is the go-to individual. He is exceptionally bright and commercial, with a charming and calm manner,” and other sources add that “Matt is always engaged, has excellent judgment and strikes the perfect tone with the regulator. And he is a delight to work with.”

The FCA is consulting on proposed changes to its penalty framework that signal a tougher approach to individual accountability and deterrence, with practical implications for firms and individuals subject to FCA supervision. Comments are due by 10 August 2026.
Continue Reading UK Financial Conduct Authority Consults on Tougher Penalty Framework

  • Increasing Focus on AI — AI developments and uses and the evolving legal and regulatory landscape may bring about new litigation and enforcement risks stemming from claims of algorithmic bias, discrimination, errors made by autonomous AI agents, fraud perpetrated using AI, misuse relating to privacy and governance, monitoring and reporting, and other areas. Evolving theories
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The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is expanding the reach of its Code of Conduct (COCON) for non-bank firms and consulting on new guidance related to non-financial misconduct, with changes taking effect from September 2026 that will align requirements more closely with those already applicable to banks.…

Continue Reading UK FCA Expands the Reach of COCON and Consults on Non-Financial Misconduct

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed significant changes to the safeguarding requirements for UK registered payments and e-money firms (CP24/20). The FCA’s goal is to replace the current safeguarding regime with a new one influenced by existing client money rules that apply to authorised firms holding client money (CASS). 

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1. Non-financial misconduct – FCA guidance expected

It is anticipated that in 2023 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will provide further guidance on the increasingly uncertain question of what kinds of “non-financial misconduct” may be relevant to an assessment of a regulated individual’s “fitness and propriety”. “Fitness and propriety”…

In December 2021, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consultation to set a higher standard of consumer protection in retail financial markets, an endeavor which began in July 2018. At the core of the proposed new rules is a new Principle for Businesses: “A firm must act to deliver good outcomes for…

The Appointed Representatives Regime (ARR), a well-known and important feature of the UK regulatory landscape, enables certain businesses – Appointed Representatives (ARs) – to conduct regulated activities without having to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (the FCA). The FCA is proposing significant new rules and guidance that seek in the main to increase…

To expedite decisions to prevent or stop consumer harm, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has implemented a controversial change to its decision-making procedures. The change forms part of the FCA’s wide-ranging “Transformation Programme” that seeks (in summary) to make the regulator smarter, more proactive and more agile.

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