Louise Neave

Louise has extensive experience of advising in relation to UK and international financial services regulation and best practice. She joins Weightmans LLP from DLA Piper LLP where she was a Legal Director with responsibility for the firm’s consumer finance practice.

Louise focusses on providing consumer finance legal and regulatory advice to a diverse range of clients including high street and challenger banks, finance houses, high street retailers, motor finance providers/manufacturers, point of sale lenders, store card providers, brokers and debt managers/collectors.

She typically advises on the development of innovative credit/hire products; requirements for becoming and being FCA authorised and regulated to undertake various consumer credit related activities, including consideration of exemptions; how to compliantly enter and operate credit/hire agreements; drafting of credit/hire agreements; due diligence and funding arrangements involving portfolios of regulated credit/hire agreements; brokerage agreements; affinity agreements; financial promotions and advertising clearance; regulatory changes; FOS complaints; and FCA investigations.

Louise has also held various in-house legal advisory and management roles in the UK financial services sector, including at RBS Insurance, where she headed a legal team servicing the legal needs of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Insurance Division businesses (including Direct Line Insurance plc, Churchill Insurance Limited, NIG, Privilege Insurance) and a senior policy role in a leading market financial services regulator in the Middle East, where she was responsible for developing the regulatory framework for Banks, Insurers and Asset Managers and for promoting international cooperation.