Passmore & Oliver unveils new practice

In a significant development for the legal sector, Passmore & Oliver Partners has launched a new financial services regulatory practice. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the support provided to clients navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance in both legal and financial services. The practice will be spearheaded by Alex Roy, who is set to join the firm on 1 September 2026, bringing a wealth of experience from his previous roles at EY and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Crispin Passmore and Juliet Oliver, the firm’s founders, explained that this strategic expansion is designed to meet the needs of their existing clientele, which includes law firms functioning as exempt professional firms, claims management businesses, and organisations with intertwined legal and financial operations. Roy, who has extensive experience across various sectors including banking, payments, insurance, and retail investment, expressed his enthusiasm for joining, stating “I’ve spent my career on both sides of the regulator’s table — at the FCA, and, more recently, helping financial services firms navigate that world from EY.”

The new practice at Passmore & Oliver will provide a comprehensive suite of regulatory and compliance services tailored for banks, fintech firms, and other financial services providers. This includes services such as market entry and authorisation strategies, SM&CR implementation, governance reviews, consumer duty compliance, and ongoing accountability measures. The firm aims to offer clients the advantage of being advised by a single team fluent in both financial and legal regulations.

Passmore underscored the unique capabilities of the firm and the strategic addition of Roy, saying “Financial services and legal services have never really been separate worlds for the clients we work with. Alex has sat inside the FCA, inside a Big Four regulatory practice, and inside the legal sector's own regulator. That combination is genuinely rare, and it means we can now offer one team that speaks fluently across both perimeters."

Founded in November 2025, Passmore & Oliver Partners serves a diverse array of clients including law firms, financial service entities, legaltech, and fintech companies across the UK, US, and globally. This launch reflects the firm’s commitment to delivering high-quality legal services while adapting to the evolving needs of their clients in the regulatory landscape.