Maria Beatrice Nista
London
Summary
A 34-year-old Associate, with a legal and regulatory background, currently seeking new professional challenges where both legal and regulatory skills can be regarded as assets to the team.
Skills and strengths include strong communication and interpersonal skills, adaptability to different environments and ability to work in fast paced environments with both internal and external stakeholders of different levels of seniority.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
ASSOCIATE - BANKING AND INSURANCE (AUTHORISATIONS)
Financial Conduct Authority
05.2021 - 08.2024
- Assessing applications by firms seeking FCA authorisation as insurers, insurance intermediaries and third country branches; carrying out background/intel checks on firms and individuals; making regulatory decisions based on an assessment of applicant firms' business model/strategy, financial information, systems and controls; drafting clear and concise case decision papers.
- Assessing Part VII transfers (insurance business transfers); challenging the independence of the Expert and Peer Reviewer; reviewing the Report/Supplementary Report of the Expert, witness statements of the Transferor/Transferee, drafts of newspaper publications and suggesting amendments to the documents based on regulatory expectations; drafting court papers prior to the Directions and Sanctions Hearings.
- Reviewing applicant firms' policies/procedures, systems and controls in place to ensure compliance with regulatory expectations.
- Liaising with other home state regulators to obtain information on applicant firms in order to assess their fitness and propriety.
- Leading meetings with firms' senior management, often consisting of delivering difficult messages constructively, challenging individuals' fitness and propriety, recommending the most appropriate course of action.
- Acting as the team's point of contact for CASS related queries (holding and controlling client money by insurance intermediaries).
- Undertaking project work such as designing and delivering regulatory training to internal stakeholders.
INVESTIGATOR PARALEGAL (ENFORCEMENT AND MARKET OVERSIGHT)
Financial Conduct Authority
09.2018 - 05.2021
- Reviewing evidence (both in English and Italian) in order to identify inside information and regulatory breaches under FSMA 2000.
- Drafting documents such as MOAs, NOAs, Intelligence Tasking Forms, LPP Risk Assessment Forms, Annotated Warning Notices, Chronologies of Events.
- Assisting case teams in the preparation of interview bundles.
- Attending scoping meetings with suspects of investigations and taking notes accordingly.
- Working on the disclosure of the evidence, reviewing documents and redacting highly confidential information.
- Coordinating the logistics of searches and arrests of suspects under investigation and preparing bundles of evidence for the court.
CASE OFFICER (THRESHOLD CONDITIONS TEAM)
Financial Conduct Authority
05.2020 - 11.2020
- Corresponding with firms/sole traders to ensure their ongoing compliance with the FCA's Threshold Conditions in respect of regulatory returns and fees and advising them on the consequences of Enforcement action against them.
- Carrying out intel checks on firms and individuals by using public and private databases.
- Drafting Warning Notices, Enforcement Submission Documents and preparing bundles of evidence for the Regulatory Decisions Committee when recommending the cancellation of non-compliant firms' regulatory permissions.
- Independently managing a diverse portfolio of cases and conflicting deadlines accordingly.
IN-HOUSE LEGAL & ADMIN ASSISTANT
Philip Morris Italia S.R.L.
07.2017 - 07.2018
- Assisting the Legal Department in drafting PMI's internal policies and translating legal documents from Italian to English and vice-versa.
- Carrying out legal research on Italian and UK legislation and analysing EU regulations and decisions, particularly in relation to competition and consumer-related legal issues.
- Assisting the Privacy Leader for Italy as to the implementation of the GDPR by drafting/updating contract clauses (both in English and Italian).
- Drafting mini legal opinions on behalf of the supervising Legal Counsel and internal communications on behalf of the CEO and PMI's Senior Legal Counsel.
- Carrying out administrative tasks such as billing, archiving and dealing with senior management's expenses.
LITIGATION PARALEGAL
Allen & Overy LLP
03.2016 - 07.2017
- Drafting legal documents such as case chronologies and indices, acting as a 'primary paralegal' and supervising the work of 'secondary paralegals' whilst also acting as a project manager in respect of the assigned cases until trial.
- Proof-reading/quote-checking legal documents for the Litigation and Arbitration teams, reviewing/redacting highly complex documents on Relativity in order to preserve client confidentiality.
- Assisting the Legal Department in the preparation of complex trial bundles both in hard copy and electronic format.
ASSET FINANCE LEGAL & ADMIN ASSISTANT
Clifford Chance LLP
04.2015 - 02.2016
- Assisting the Legal Team in global asset finance transactions by carrying out 'live' and 'post-closing work' (collating originals) on asset finance deals (aviation).
- Drafting execution emails to high profile clients and managing CP checklists ahead of cross border transactions.
- Supporting the closing/signing of deals (sale/lease of aircrafts), including flying abroad to witness signings.
LEGAL COSTS PARALEGAL
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
10.2014 - 04.2015
- Preparing court bundles and drafting clients' application forms for the Legal Aid Agency.
- Reviewing expert reports, court orders and client attendance notes whilst corresponding with clients, the Legal Aid Agency, the High Court of Justice and county courts.
- Carrying out administrative tasks such as managing and archiving client files.
Education
LLB (Honours) Law -
University of Westminster
LondonSchool of Classical Studies -
Liceo Classico (Federico Secondo)
Apricena, ItalySkills
- Italian (mother tongue)
- English (fluent)
- Communication
- Team work
- Adaptability / Fast learner
- Self-management
- Attention to detail / Critical thinking
- Ability to work in fast paced environments
- Interpersonal skills
Timeline
ASSOCIATE - BANKING AND INSURANCE (AUTHORISATIONS)
Financial Conduct Authority
05.2021 - 08.2024
CASE OFFICER (THRESHOLD CONDITIONS TEAM)
Financial Conduct Authority
05.2020 - 11.2020
INVESTIGATOR PARALEGAL (ENFORCEMENT AND MARKET OVERSIGHT)
Financial Conduct Authority
09.2018 - 05.2021
IN-HOUSE LEGAL & ADMIN ASSISTANT
Philip Morris Italia S.R.L.
07.2017 - 07.2018
LITIGATION PARALEGAL
Allen & Overy LLP
03.2016 - 07.2017
ASSET FINANCE LEGAL & ADMIN ASSISTANT
Clifford Chance LLP
04.2015 - 02.2016
LEGAL COSTS PARALEGAL
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
10.2014 - 04.2015
LLB (Honours) Law -
University of Westminster
School of Classical Studies -
Liceo Classico (Federico Secondo)
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