Corporate Finance & M&A
FCA Authorisation
Specialist regulatory support for corporate finance advisers, M&A intermediaries, and firms arranging corporate transactions for businesses and investors.
Corporate Finance Regulatory Landscape
The corporate finance sector encompasses advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, equity and debt financing, IPOs, and strategic corporate transactions. Firms in this space facilitate business sales, restructurings, and investment opportunities.
FCA regulation of corporate finance has evolved significantly under MiFID II and the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), with heightened focus on conflicts of interest management, inside information handling, transaction reporting, and investor protection in complex corporate deals.
Successfully navigating authorisation requires demonstrating deep transaction experience, robust conflict management frameworks, and comprehensive due diligence processes that protect both corporate clients and investors throughout complex deal structures.
Typical Services
- Mergers and acquisitions advisory
- Capital raising and fundraising
- IPO and public listing advisory
- Corporate restructuring and refinancing
- Private equity and venture capital transactions
- Debt and equity underwriting
Required FCA Permissions
Corporate finance firms typically require multiple permissions depending on their transaction types.
Corporate Finance Advice
Advising companies on capital structure, strategy, mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate finance matters.
- Transaction experience
- Sector expertise
- Financial modeling
- Valuation methodologies
Arranging Deals in Investments
Facilitating transactions in securities, shares, bonds, and other investment instruments for corporate clients.
- Deal structuring capability
- Investor introduction
- Transaction documentation
- Regulatory disclosures
Underwriting
Guaranteeing the purchase of securities being issued, typically for IPOs or capital raises.
- Capital adequacy
- Risk assessment
- Syndication capability
- Market making
Advising on Investments
Providing investment recommendations to corporate clients or investors on securities and investment strategies.
- Investment analysis
- Due diligence frameworks
- Conflict management
- Research capabilities
Dealing in Investments (Principal)
Trading securities on own account, often in support of corporate finance transactions or market making.
- Trading infrastructure
- Risk management
- Position monitoring
- Capital requirements
Making Arrangements with a View to Transactions
Introducing parties and facilitating discussions that may lead to investment transactions.
- Client categorization
- Execution policies
- Inducements framework
- Record keeping
Key Regulatory Requirements
Corporate finance firms must demonstrate compliance with MAR, MiFID II, and Prospectus frameworks.
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Compliance
MiFID II Corporate Finance Requirements
Prospectus Regulation (for Public Offerings)
Conflicts of Interest Management
Due Diligence and Know Your Client
Financial Resources and Capital Requirements
Common Authorisation Challenges
Issues we frequently help corporate finance firms navigate during the FCA application process.
The FCA expects senior individuals to have significant M&A and corporate finance experience. We help showcase relevant transaction history, team credentials, and sector expertise through compelling narratives and documentation.
Managing inside information under MAR is critical for corporate finance. We implement comprehensive frameworks covering insider lists, wall-crossing procedures, market soundings, and suspicious transaction reporting.
Corporate finance advisory often involves multiple parties with competing interests. We design robust conflict identification, assessment, and management frameworks including Chinese walls and disclosure protocols.
Meeting capital requirements and securing appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance can be challenging. We model capital needs, structure resources efficiently, and connect firms with specialist insurance brokers.
MiFID II transaction reporting obligations can be technically complex. We help firms implement reporting mechanisms, select appropriate reporting solutions, or arrange ARM (Approved Reporting Mechanism) relationships.
Properly categorizing corporate clients as professional or retail impacts regulatory requirements. We provide frameworks for categorization, opt-up procedures, and appropriate documentation for different client types.
How We Support Corporate Finance Firms
Pre-Application
- Business model scoping and permissions strategy
- Transaction experience assessment and presentation
- Senior Manager identification and team structuring
- Capital and financial resources planning
- Systems and infrastructure requirements
- Conflicts framework and information barriers design
Application Preparation
- Complete Connect application and supporting documents
- Inside information and MAR compliance procedures
- Conflicts of interest management framework
- Corporate finance advisory agreements templates
- Transaction reporting arrangements and systems
- Compliance manual covering all regulatory obligations
Post-Submission
- FCA query responses and clarifications
- Senior Manager interview preparation and coaching
- Additional documentation and evidence provision
- Conditional approval requirement fulfillment
- Post-authorisation compliance monitoring setup
- Ongoing regulatory advisory and updates
Ready to Get Authorised?
Speak with our corporate finance regulatory specialists to discuss your FCA authorisation.