Centre for Business Law and Practice hosts 5th Conference on Financial Law and Regulation at the University of Leeds

The Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP) at the University of Leeds School of Law, led by CBLP Director, Professor Duncan Sheehan, hosted the 5th Conference on Financial Law and Regulation.

The conference was held on Wednesday–Thursday, 24–25 June 2026 and was organised by Virág Blazsek (University of Leeds, CBLP Deputy Director), Federico Lupo-Pasini (Durham Law School), Andreas Kokkinis (Birmingham Law School), Clara Martins Pereira (Durham Law School), and Ilias Kapsis (City St. George’s Law School). It brought together academics of all levels, regulators, policymakers, practitioners and postgraduate researchers from across the United Kingdom and a large number of other jurisdictions to examine some of the most significant contemporary developments in financial law and regulation.

left to right: Eilís Ferran (University of Cambridge); Alison Lui (Liverpool John Moores University); Virág Blazsek (University of Leeds)]

Left to right: Eilís Ferran (University of Cambridge); Alison Lui (Liverpool John Moores University); Virág Blazsek (University of Leeds)

As the latest instalment of this leading UK conference series on financial law and regulation previously hosted by leading UK institutions, the event reflected the CBLP’s commitment to fostering dialogue between academia, regulators and industry on emerging challenges affecting financial markets, financial stability, and technological innovation. Several CBLP Advisory Board members, Myrte Thijssen (UNIDROIT), Winifred Tarinyeba Kiryabwire (Makerere University), and Zsuzsa Elek (Financial Conduct Authority) joined the conference, too.

Day 1: Financial Regulation and Financial Stability

The first day opened with the panel “Financial Regulation – The Big Picture,” chaired by Virág Blazsek (University of Leeds, CBLP Deputy Director). Speakers examined major structural questions in financial regulation. Federico Riganti (University of Turin and European Banking Institute) explored reforms to pension investment regulation; Eilís Ferran (University of Cambridge) considered the relationship between economic nationalism, private capital and market growth; Dalvinder Singh (University of Warwick) discussed how bank crisis management frameworks should adapt to increasingly complex and interconnected crises; and Pamela Nika (Brunel University) analysed developments in the legal framework governing open banking in the European Union.

The primary role of law is predictability; therefore, I find it concerning that, due to the need for prompt regulatory action during and after the 2008 global financial crisis, as well as the exponential digitalisation of financial services, originally informal terms (such as bailout or bail‑in) and imprecise policy terminology have entered primary legal sources (including statutory provisions and case law), thereby undermining the doctrinal coherence of this area of law.

- Virág Blazsek
Photo of Virág Blazsek

Virág Blazsek

The second panel, “Financial Regulation – Financial Stability,” chaired by Myrte Thijssen (UNIDROIT and CBLP Advisory Board), focused on resilience and stability within the financial system. David Ramos Muñoz (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) and Leopoldo Pérez Obregón (Florence School of Banking and Finance) examined resolution planning and minimum requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL). Winifred Tarinyeba Kiryabwire (Makerere University and CBLP Advisory Board) discussed pathways towards sustainable and resilient banking systems in Africa. Finally, a work authored by Rosa María Lastra and Daniele D’Alvia (Queen Mary University of London) addressed the rise of private markets and their implications for financial stability.

Left to right: Winifred Tarinyeba Kiryabwire (Makerere University and CBLP Advisory Board); David Ramos Muñoz (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid); Andrea Miglionico (University of Reading)

Left to right: Winifred Tarinyeba Kiryabwire (Makerere University and CBLP Advisory Board); David Ramos Muñoz (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid); Andrea Miglionico (University of Reading)

The afternoon panel, “Financial Regulation – New Trends,” chaired by Andrew Campbell (University of Leeds), focused on emerging developments reshaping financial markets. Andrew Haynes (University of Wolverhampton and BPP University) discussed recent developments in securitisation regulation; Alessio Azzutti (University of Glasgow) considered governance challenges arising from artificial intelligence in financial services; Alison Lui (Liverpool John Moores University) and Andrea Miglionico (University of Reading) explored accountability issues associated with deepfake-enabled financial scams; and Ci Ren (University of Leeds) examined the legal implications of tokenisation and real-world digital assets.

A highlight of the conference was the Day 1 keynote delivered by David Chaplin, Head of Enforcement and Litigation at the Bank of England, entitled “A Sea Change: how a new approach to Bank of England and PRA regulatory investigations and enforcement is emerging” (now also published on the Bank of England’s website). Chaplin examined changing patterns in enforcement practice, highlighting a growing trend towards earlier engagement, greater candour and proactive remediation by regulated entities. Drawing upon recent cases, he discussed how these developments may contribute to more efficient investigations while maintaining robust regulatory outcomes.

Leeds is an important base for the Bank of England as we build a stronger national presence and deepen our engagement with institutions, practitioners and scholars across the UK. (…) It is therefore particularly fitting to be here at the University of Leeds, contributing to a conference that brings together legal, regulatory and academic perspectives on some of the most challenging questions facing financial law and regulation today. 

- David Chaplin

Day 2: FinTech, Digital Finance and Emerging Technologies

The second day opened with a keynote by Sebastian Ricketts, Senior Manager, Innovation, at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In his presentation on “The FCA’s FinTech-related regulatory activities,” Ricketts provided insights into the FCA’s approach to supporting innovation while ensuring appropriate regulatory oversight of rapidly evolving financial technologies.

Photo of Sebastian Ricketts (Senior Manager, Innovation, Financial Conduct Authority)

Sebastian Ricketts (Senior Manager, Innovation, Financial Conduct Authority)

The first panel of the day, “FinTech – Central Bank Digital Currencies,” chaired by Clara Martins Pereira (Durham Law School), focused on some of the most significant developments in public digital money. Daniel Raya-Quero (University of Granada) discussed the digital euro and anti-money laundering regulation; Flora Huang (University of Derby) and Nanjwan Yale Damap (Anglia Ruskin University) examined legislative challenges surrounding the digital pound; and Francisco José Ciancetta (University of Southampton) analysed the legal nature of a wholesale digital euro.

The panel on “Financial Services Litigation,” chaired by Federico Lupo-Pasini (Durham Law School), included presentations by Ossie Fikret from the Bank of England’s Enforcement and Litigation Division, alongside Sandra Booysen (National University of Singapore), Charlotte Eborall (3VB Chambers) and Teniola Onabanjo (3VB Chambers), examining contemporary developments in financial services disputes and regulatory litigation.

On this picture from left to right: Federico Lupo-Pasini (Durham Law School); Charlotte Eborall (3VB Chambers); Teniola Onabanjo (3VB Chambers); Sandra Booysen (National University of Singapore)

On this picture from left to right: Federico Lupo-Pasini (Durham Law School); Charlotte Eborall (3VB Chambers); Teniola Onabanjo (3VB Chambers); Sandra Booysen (National University of Singapore)

The subsequent panel on “Debt Finance, Lending & Credit,” chaired by Karina Patrício Ferreira Lima (University of Leeds), addressed developments in credit markets. Trevor Clark (King’s College London) discussed leveraged lending; Emily E. Roach (Durham Law School) explored the growing private credit market; and Maryna Utkina (Edge Hill University and Sumy State University) examined anti-money laundering challenges linked to virtual assets and financial intelligence.

The conference concluded with the panel “Financial Regulation, Supervision & Technology,” chaired by Ilias Kapsis (City Law School). Anat Keller (King’s College London) and Andreas Kokkinis (University of Birmingham) considered regulatory simplification and deregulation; Pedro M. Batista (University of Leeds) discussed coordination challenges in bank supervision; Siyu Dong (University of Warwick) examined regulatory responses to AI-driven asset management; and Igor Szpotakowski (University of Leeds) explored intellectual property management in the FinTech sector.

Bringing together internationally recognised scholars and senior representatives of the Bank of England, the FCA, and the UNIDROIT, the conference demonstrated the strength of the CBLP’s research network and its long-standing role as a hub for engagement with the legal, regulatory and policy issues shaping the future of financial markets. The breadth of topics discussed – from bank crisis management and sovereign debt governance to artificial intelligence, digital assets and central bank digital currencies – highlighted both the dynamism of the field and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing contemporary regulatory challenges. The conference is also part of the line of events celebrating the CBLP’s 30th anniversary this year.

The conference was supported by the Banking and Financial Services Law subject section of the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) and the University of Leeds School of Law Impact Fund.