Financial Markets and Exchanges Law

This work is essential for banking and investment business legal practitioners and provides an invaluable reference source on current on and off-exchange market trading and regulatory issues, in the banking, investment and derivatives fields.

The book provides a comprehensive and authoritative analysis on the regulation of financial markets and market infrastructure. It focuses on stock markets and exchanges, associated trading, clearing, and settlement, and on payment systems, set in their historical and current contexts. The new edition includes updated content in light of all of the recent changes announced to the UK system of financial regulation, and has been expanded to provide a wider international reach including coverage of relevant EU, US and Asian markets. The book examines financial derivatives and the regulation of other specific markets including equity and debt, both on-exchange and off-exchange from UK, European and International perspectives. It also includes associated topics, such as global custody and credit rating.

Since the first edition published in 2007 and following the financial crisis, there have been major changes made, or proposed, to financial regulatory regimes at national, regional and international levels. In the UK and the EU generally the implementation of MiFID has had a significant impact on the shape and structure of the markets. Those changes have been reflected in the work. Institutional revision within the EU, including the creation of five new agencies in the banking and financial areas, and the allied developments on payments and electronic money are covered.

The book examines regional developments alongside domestic measures including the changes to the FSA Handbook (particularly on Listing, Prospectuses and Disclosure), the proposals under the Financial Services Bill, and parallel revisions under the Dodd Frank Act in the US. The publication of this second edition is particularly timely due to new emphasis on the systematically important elements of market infrastructure in European regulation, and the general shift of policy making initiatives from the member states to the central institutions of the EU.

Michael Blair QC is in independent practice at the Bar of England and Wales specialising in financial services. Previously General Counsel to the Board of the Financial Services Authority. Queen's Counsel honoris causa 1996.


George Walker is Professor in International Financial Law at School of Law, Queen Mary University of London and is a member of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS). He is also a Barrister and Member of the Honourable Society of Inner Temple in London.


Stuart Willey is Counsel and Head of the Regulatory Practice in the Banking & Capital Markets group of White & Case in London. Stuart specializes in financial regulation focusing on the securities markets, banking and insurance.