Martin Varley

Partner

Specialisms and expertise

  • Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
  • Legal Services Act 2007
  • Regulatory compliance specialist under both FSA and LSB regimes
  • Middle East specialist with Islamic finance expertise
  • Distribution of regulated products and outsourcing arrangements in the FSA regulated environment
  • Large-scale project work and cross-border multi-party ventures.

Past and present projects

  • Leading the UK legal team advising on the world-wide restructuring of Konica Minolta's photo imaging business.
  • Advising on agreements for the establishment and national distribution of regulated products through Lloyds-TSB, AXA, Sun-Life, ASDA, the Co-Operative and other institutions and retailers.
  • Advising on development and operation of Shari'ah compliant investment products.
  • Advising on arrangements for the development and manufacture of products for Vodafone.
  • Advising on UK government outsourcing.
  • Advising institutional trustees in the regulated environment.

Achievements and other appointments

  • Martin is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and is a specialist in Islamic Finance.
  • Martin sits on the FSA Financial Regulations Panel and is an External Specialist to the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
  • Martin is the Chairman of the Tunbridge Wells and District Law Society Regulatory Committee, involved with the evolution of the legal profession under the Legal Services Act 2007, and is presently Vice-President of the Society. 
  • Martin chairs and serves on a number of remuneration committees, and is Chairman of the East Sussex Fire Authority Independent Remuneration Advisory Group.

Profile

Martin qualified into City firm Beachcroft and joined Thomson Snell & Passmore in 2003 and has been involved in many cross-border transactions, investments and joint ventures. He has acted for governments, institutions and corporations on numerous significant projects, predominantly in the banking and finance sectors and was stationed and resident in the Middle East for several years. Martin continues to act for major corporations and institutions, primarily in relation to business regulated by the Financial Services Authority. In addition to regulatory issues, he advises on domestic and international business ventures, finance and banking.