Cooley Grows Financial Services Enforcement and Regulatory Practice With London Partner Hire

London – 4 November 2025

Charlotte Witherington has joined Cooley as a partner in the firm’s London financial services enforcement and regulatory group. Witherington’s practice is focused on the intersection of cutting-edge tech and financial services, and she joins the firm at a pivotal moment when its market presence and client roster are growing significantly in the UK, Europe and globally. Witherington joins from Taylor Wessing, where she was head of the UK financial services regulatory group.

‘Charlotte is an outstanding financial services regulatory lawyer’, said Claire Keast-Butler, co-partner in charge of Cooley’s London office. ‘With the UK being the leading fintech hub in Europe, we are excited about the opportunity for the firm as Charlotte helps to bolster support for our client base in the space, including European and US companies, from startups through to global corporates, and their investors’.

Witherington’s non-contentious financial services regulatory practice spans payments, fintech, crypto-assets, banking and investment regulation, with a focus on financial technology and the role of artificial intelligence in financial services. Clients include investment banks, asset managers, private equity and venture capital investors, fintechs, payments companies and major corporates.

‘Charlotte is a go-to advisor to the fintech and financial services market, providing critical regulatory counselling and transactional support as clients enter and transform the fintech ecosystem’, said Michelle L. Rogers, Cooley partner and chair of the firm’s global financial services enforcement and regulatory group. ‘Our clients worldwide need support that is as innovative, practical and forward-looking as we are.  Charlotte’s experience, passion and entrepreneurialism make her a great fit for Cooley’.

‘Cooley is the leading global law firm for tech, and it’s been so exciting to watch its growth, especially in London since the office opened 10 years ago’, said Witherington. ‘Cooley’s clients are some of the most innovative in the world, and they need practical, complete solutions to complex challenges. I’m thrilled to be joining a world-class transatlantic team providing seamlessly integrated regulatory advice to those clients across Europe and beyond. I look forward to being part of Cooley’s continued success’.

Cooley’s financial services team supports clients throughout the entire business and regulatory life cycle, from product development and deal support to defending significant supervisory, investigative, enforcement and litigation matters.

Widely recognised for its market-leading experience, the team represents clients before leading UK and European regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority, Prudential Conduct Authority, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and European Banking Authority, and in the US, before state and federal financial regulatory agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Department of the Treasury and prudential bank regulators.In recent years, Cooley’s financial services enforcement and regulatory practice has accrued market recognition, including rankings in The Legal 500 UK for fintech: regulatory and fintech: corporate and commercial. This adds to the practice’s numerous US accolades, including in The Legal 500 US for fintech, financial services regulation: banking, and financial services regulation: consumer finance, and in Chambers USA for fintech, financial services regulation: consumer finance (compliance) and (enforcement & investigations).

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation.

Cooley has nearly 1,400 lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of more than 3,000 people.