Duncan Black

My experience is in both contentious and non-contentious financial services work, including disputes, regulatory enforcement, disciplinary action and internal investigations on the contentious side; and on the non-contentious side, perimeter guidance, conduct of business, systems and controls and compliance reviews. I have a particular focus on money laundering and market abuse.

Regulatory work covers clients including broker/dealers, banks, corporate finance providers, financial advisers, individuals and a regulated investment exchange on matters including: Conduct of Business, Market Abuse/disclosure of price sensitive information; systems and controls breaches; judicial review of disciplinary action; personal account dealing and conflicts of interest.

I defend clients under investigation by the FCA, LME and SFO. Coming from a litigation background enables me to consider the wider picture and consequences of any regulatory breach and to deploy evidence gathering skills when investigating regulatory breaches. I help clients who may be facing a VREQ.

Litigation work has included allegations of breach of fiduciary duty against a Cayman Fund director; the restructuring of a UAE Sukuk, numerous cases on calculating ISDA early termination amounts, and the leading case on the meaning of the FCA's Client Money rules (which reached the Supreme Court). I frequently act for transaction parties in securitisations.