Brian McDonnell

Practice Areas

Brian is a founder partner of McDonnell Ellis LLP, a specialist financial services law firm working with a range of financial services firms as well as other law firms without sufficient FS regulatory expertise.

Brian's practice covers all aspects of financial services law and regulation including banking, wholesale financial services, funds and payments.

Brian's practice includes:

- all regulatory perimeter issues;

- client money / CASS;

- E-money / payments regulation;

- systems and controls (including outsourcing);

- governance / SMCR;

- PRA / FCA Handbook queries;

- derivatives / EMIR;

- bank capital / MiFIDPRU;

- cryptoasset / tokenisation issues;

- market abuse;

- money laundering compliance;

- drafting customer terms / commercial agreements with regulatory content;

- collective investment scheme advice;

- funds structuring, including all AIFMD matters;

- financial promotions; and

- regulatory authorisations (including Appointed Rep arrangements).

Brian also assists on corporate transactions including due diligence; warranties; and FCA change of control.

Professional Memberships

Vice-chair of the City of London Law Society Regulatory Law Committee.

Member of the Lexis Financial Services Consulting Editorial Board.

UK legal advisor to the Association of International Life Offices.

Publications

Author of Thomson Reuter’s A Practitioner’s Guide to Inside Information (2nd edition). ​