Financial Services
Regulatory counsel for banks, insurers, asset managers, fintechs, and the institutions that intermediate capital.
Financial services, regulated with clarity.
We advise financial institutions and market participants on the full range of regulatory matters — from licensing and product approvals to prudential requirements, conduct, and enforcement.
Our team is trusted by both established institutions and regulators-in-conversation for practical, well-argued positions and disciplined execution.
- Licensing and authorisation
- Prudential and conduct advisory
- Product & market entry
- Regulator engagement & enforcement
How we approach this practice.
We serve the full spectrum of the financial services ecosystem, from Tier 1 commercial banks to agile fintech startups — retail banking, insurance, asset management, and digital payments.
We advise on capital adequacy, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing protocols, third-party risk, and represent clients in regulatory examinations and remediation programmes before the Central Bank of Kenya and regional authorities.
The financial services regulatory stack.
CBK licensing, prudential requirements, and governance for banks and payment institutions.
CMA licensing, product approvals, and continuing obligations for market participants.
IRA and RBA licensing, product filings, and regulatory change advisory.
Payment services, e-money, crypto-asset, and digital lending regulatory advisory.
AML/CFT frameworks, sanctions screening, and Financial Reporting Centre engagement.
Defence of enforcement actions, administrative penalties, and licence conditions.
A disciplined path from concept to close.
- 01Commercial Alignment
We start with the commercial map — economics, control, contributions, and outcome — before drafting a single clause.
- 02Structural Blueprint
A structuring memo sets out the vehicle, jurisdiction, tax treatment, and regulatory path, benchmarked against comparable matters.
- 03Documentation
Bespoke documentation drafted as an integrated instrument set — designed to survive later scrutiny.
- 04Approvals & Closing
Regulator engagement, condition-precedent management, and a disciplined closing choreography.
- 05Stewardship
Ongoing counsel through the life of the matter — governance, calendaring, and dispute-prevention.
Selected financial services mandates.
A partial view of the mandates we have advised on — sanitised for confidentiality, but indicative of the scale and complexity of our work.
- 01
Advised a global fintech on the licensing and launch of a payments product in Kenya.
- 02
Counsel to a bank through a CBK-led governance and risk review.
- 03
Represented an insurer on a novel product filing with the Insurance Regulatory Authority.
- 04
Acted for a market participant in enforcement proceedings before the Capital Markets Tribunal.
Partners leading the practice.
Where this work connects.
Considering a matter? Speak with the partner who will run it.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a partner — usually within one business day.