Robert is a partner in the Financial Regulation practice at Arthur Cox. He advises domestic and international financial institutions, including banks, insurers, investment firms, payment institutions, e-money institutions, crypto-firms, asset managers, credit servicing firms and other regulated businesses on Irish and European financial services regulation.

Robert’s practice spans the full spectrum of financial regulation, including authorisation and licensing issues, prudential regulation, conduct of business requirements, governance and compliance frameworks, regulatory change programmes and financial services M&A. He has particular experience advising clients on regulatory investigations, supervisory engagement and enforcement matters involving the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and the European Central Bank (ECB), including administrative sanctions procedures, fitness and probity investigations, remediation programmes and complex regulatory disputes.

He also advises clients on emerging regulatory frameworks affecting the financial services sector, including digital assets and crypto-related activities, outsourcing and operational resilience requirements, CRD VI implementation, fintech and payment services regulation, and insurance and reinsurance regulatory matters.

Relevant Experience

  • Regulatory change, governance and compliance frameworks: advising banks, investment firms, payment institutions, e-money institutions, crypto-firms, insurers, asset managers and other regulated entities on evolving Irish and European regulatory requirements, including CRD VI, prudential regulation, conduct of business frameworks, regulatory capital, governance requirements, fitness and probity obligations, AML and regulatory change implementation programmes
  • Digital assets, fintech and emerging technologies: advising payment institutions, e-money institutions, crypto-asset service providers, financial institutions and market participants on digital assets, crypto-related business models, licensing and perimeter issues, governance and compliance requirements, payment services regulation and the regulatory implications of innovative financial products and technologies
  • Regulatory investigations, enforcement and administrative sanctions procedures: advising firms and individuals in relation to regulatory investigations, supervisory reviews, enforcement actions and inquiries conducted by CBI and ECB, including administrative sanctions procedures, fitness and probity investigations, remediation programmes, systems and controls reviews and ongoing supervisory engagement
  • Operational resilience, outsourcing and risk management: advising financial institutions on operational resilience frameworks, governance and systems and controls, complex outsourcing arrangements, third-party risk management, DORA-related compliance programmes and supervisory expectations concerning operational resilience and business continuity
  • Insurance and reinsurance regulation: advising insurers, reinsurers and insurance intermediaries on Irish and EU regulatory requirements, governance, distribution arrangements, authorisation issues, regulatory change initiatives and strategic transactions involving insurance businesses and insurance assets
  • Cross-border regulatory structures and strategic transactions: advising domestic and international financial institutions on authorisation and licensing projects, financial services M&A, acquisitions and disposals of regulated businesses and financial assets, change of control processes, Brexit-related restructuring projects and the design of cross-border regulatory operating models