Michael Ruck is a partner in the firm’s London office. He is a member of the Investigations, Enforcement, and White Collar practice group. Michael has a broad range of experience including advisory, regulatory liaison and large-scale, complex multi-jurisdictional investigations. Throughout his career, including previously working in the FCA’s Enforcement Division, he has led financial services regulatory projects, investigations and proceedings for a range of institutions, including asset and fund managers, insurance businesses and banks. His experience spans various regulatory issues and he has worked closely with a number of UK and foreign regulators, including the FCA, SFO, ICO, DOJ and IRS.

Michael also leads our UK sanctions team which is part of our Global Sanctions Practice. Michael has advised on various sanctions related issues, including financial and trade sanctions, along with obtaining specific licences and export authorisations. He has also led a variety of sanctions related investigations, including cross-border matters and those requiring interaction with various sanctions enforcement bodies, including the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and the US Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Michael has a deep understanding of a wide range of regulatory issues and procedures, making him a trusted adviser to his clients, often at board level. The Legal 500’s 2023 directory describes Michael as “a key name for complex financial services investigations,” as well as for “financial crime issues such as market abuse” in the UK. Client testimonials note that he is “personable and calm and able to bring his years of in house FCA experience to the table.” The team are also “highly regarded in the market for their highly experienced partners and ability to cover regulatory and criminal investigations”, providing “excellent practical advice to corporates which it achieves through its collaborative ethos within the team”.

Michael is the Chair of ILAG’s (Insurance & Life Assurance Group) Financial Crime Practitioner Group.