About Us:
Creed Solicitors is a trusted FinTech law firm with substantial corporate and commercial experience. We help clients understand, negotiate and draft clear legal documentation.
Business owners, boards of directors and heads of compliance need advisers that understand their industry and speak plainly. We slice through the jargon so that our clients know what their legal documentation really says. Our clients comprehend their obligations, what they are signing up to and what they are asking others to sign.
Creed Solicitors works with payment institutions, electronic money institutions, firms that sell currency options, start-ups and large financial institutions.
Richard Creed, Director
I help payment institutions, electronic money institutions and challenger banks in the UK and Ireland manage their legal risk, so that they can concentrate on growing good and profitable businesses, without the worry that a legal problem will come out of the woodwork to bite them later on.
I focus on the following areas:
- drafting customer-facing, consumer-duty-compliant terms and conditions;
- negotiating contracts with third parties;
- providing advice on safeguarding;
- providing advice on new business models (including introducer and agent/distributor arrangements);
- providing advice on the regulatory perimeter and the exemptions of the payment services regulations, the electronic money regulations and FSMA;
- acting for buyers and sellers of payment institutions and electronic money institutions in the UK and Ireland; and
- acting as an external “in-house” legal adviser.
Unlike other solicitors, I focus solely on advising electronic money institutions, payment institutions and challenger banks. Clients like that I “speak their language” and “get” their business, without them having to explain a lot to me.
I’ve drafted customer-facing terms for Revolut, Tripadvisor, Tide, Lumon FX and many more. In addition, I’ve acted as external “in-house” legal counsel for Paynetics, Tide, Railsbank and Payrnet. I’ve acted for numerous clients in selling or purchasing authorised payment institutions and electronic money institutions in the UK and Ireland.
The reason I started Creed Solicitors was I believed that payment institutions, electronic money institutions and challenger banks weren’t getting the bespoke advice that they required. I was told by clients that advising these businesses just wasn’t a priority for other law firms and so this work ended up falling to junior solicitors. I therefore built a firm where every solicitor is a specialist adviser to electronic money institutions, payment institutions and challenger banks and advice is partner led. If you’re an electronic money institution, payment institution or challenger bank and want a solicitor who speaks your language and understands your issues, then click here to start a conversation.
Gavin Murphy, Solicitor
I work directly with electronic money institutions, payment institutions and MiFID investment firms. Having specialised in the sector since 2021, I speak the language of EMIs and PIs and am focused on providing the legal support my clients need to thrive.
I have worked with FinTech’s of all sizes to:
- Provide compliant, water-tight terms and conditions.
- Provide regulatory and permissions guidance that gives firms the confidence they need to grow their business.
- Provide guidance on insurance and investment permissions and derivative products, particularly currency options.
- Draft robust commercial agreements, including introducer, outsourcing and technology agreements that give firms a solid footing in the context of increasingly complex service models.
- Act in the acquisition or disposal of UK EMIs and PIs.
- Provide company secretarial support.
I particularly enjoy working with clients who have created novel financial products and business models – where I can provide them with clear guidance to ensure that they are on the correct regulatory footing when operating their business.
I was seconded to leading compliance consultancy company, where I worked with the team to carry out AML audits, provide regulatory guidance and undertake large scale remediation projects. This provided me with a different insight into the industry’s operations and needs that I now bring into my legal practice.
Prior to joining Creed Solicitors, I worked in a global law firm with a focus on M&A due diligence and regulatory investigations. After practising as a barrister for several years, I joined Creed Solicitors and qualified as a solicitor. I am qualified to act in England & Wales and Northern Ireland.
Bronwen Loughran-Lowe, Solicitor
I am a commercial contracts lawyer helping busy commercial teams in the payments, financial services and fintech space. I look after the legal issues in their contracts whilst protecting their commercial interests so that they stay focussed on running and growing their businesses.
I am a qualified interpreter and translator in French and Spanish and have over 20 years of professional experience in the legal sector. With this combination of skills and experience, I have been able to help businesses across a wide variety of work streams and jurisdictions.
Before joining Creed Solicitors, I provided in-house legal support to a large multi-national company, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating its UK commercial contracts, working with multiple stakeholders. I then transferred to its European function assisting commercial teams with their procurement and customer-facing contracts and negotiations covering France, Benelux and the Nordics regions.
I joined Creed Solicitors in 2023 and love being part of a positive, dynamic and collaborative team of lawyers. I have a keen interest in data protection and both personal and professional development.
I obtained my undergraduate degree in Interpreting and Translating from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, followed by my post-graduate LLB (Hons) degree in Law from the University of Wales. I am qualified to practice in England & Wales and Northern Ireland.
Arianna Sophia McBurney
I focus on assisting clients in the financial sector meet their regulatory obligations so that they can devote their time to running their business. I also advise on the acquisition and disposal of companies and protect my clients’ commercial interests by facilitating the development and execution of robust commercial agreements.
I obtained my First Class LLB (Hons) degree in Common and Civil Law with Hispanic Studies from Queen’s University Belfast. I am bilingual and have prior experience utilising my linguistic abilities in Spanish within the legal and commercial spheres. I attended the University of Salamanca Spain, where I spent a year studying Law. While there, I obtained a First-Class grade. Since then, I have undertaken the England & Wales Legal Practice Course where I was awarded a Distinction. I will qualify as a solicitor this year.
