Browne Jacobson strengthens financial services bench with partner hires from Barclays and Stephenson Harwood

Browne Jacobson has appointed Adam Berry and Adam Culy as partners in its Financial & Professional Risks team in London.

The strategic double-appointment will bolster the firm's strength in contentious financial services regulatory work and complex professional liability and regulatory matters.

The dual hire brings the UK and Ireland firm's London partner recruitment to 10 since April, following strategic appointments from EY Law, Shoosmiths, Eversheds Sutherland and Bristows. It signals Browne Jacobson's aggressive expansion in London's disputes and investigations market, backed by increasing demand for specialist regulatory and professional liability expertise.

Adam Berry: Financial services investigations heavyweight 

Adam has over 15 years’ experience of working on financial services investigations – working in private practice, as well as in the Enforcement Division of what is now the FCA and, most recently, in-house at Barclays.

Adam’s practice includes defending firms and individuals in high-stakes FCA/PRA enforcement actions, advising clients in relation to regulatory enquiries, including supervision and authorisation matters, and working on internal investigations. In addition, Adam has considerable experience of working on s.166 Skilled Person reviews – both as a Skilled Person and where clients have been subject to such reviews.

Notable matters include FCA enforcement actions into ADM Investor Services International Ltd, Al Rayan Bank PLC and Sonali Bank (UK) Ltd, plus defending Mohammad Ataur Rahman Prodhan (former CEO of Sonali Bank UK) in one of the decade's most significant FCA investigations into a senior manager.

Adam Culy: PI specialist

Adam Culy brings formidable credentials from a 13-year stint as General Counsel of BDO LLP, the UK’s fifth-largest accounting firm, where he built a strong in-house legal team, performed the role of PI and captive director and managed some of BDO’s most complex litigation and regulatory matters. Since June 2020, he's been a litigation partner at Stephenson Harwood, focusing on accountancy litigation, professional regulatory investigations and professional negligence defence.

His practice centres on complex professional indemnity claims and regulatory investigations defence work (including FRC, ICAEW, SFO and Insolvency Practitioners Association cases) and risk management advice for accountants, with direct relationships with in-house legal teams at major accountancy practices.

Both Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK rank Adam as a leading partner for Professional Negligence.

Adam Berry said: "Browne Jacobson's ambition and client-first approach made this move compelling. The firm is building something special in financial services disputes and investigations, and I'm excited to help clients navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape where regulatory scrutiny of firms and individuals shows no signs of slowing."

Adam Culy said: "Joining Browne Jacobson now, at this point in their growth trajectory, is incredibly exciting. The firm's reputation for exceptional client service and its ambition to build market-leading teams made this an easy choice.”

Jonathan Newbold, Partner, Head of Financial Services and Insurance, said: “Bringing Adam Berry and Adam Culy into the partnership further enhances our ability to support clients in the most complex, high-stakes financial services and professional liability matters.”