
Sarah Thompson
+44 28 9026 5894
[email protected]
Ten Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
D02 T380
Ireland
Sarah Thompson is Head of our Financial Regulation Group, and is also Head of our cross-disciplinary ESG Group.
Sarah has experience in advising a broad range of clients on financial regulation matters and is admitted to practice in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England & Wales.
Sarah advises on Central Bank of Ireland authorisation processes, perimeter issues, ongoing compliance with conduct of business and other requirements (with a special focus on ESG matters and on the Individual Accountability Framework and the Senior Executive Accountability Regime, IAF/SEAR), and financial services M&A.
Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Sarah worked in London as a member of the Financial Regulation Group of Linklaters LLP and a partner in the Financial Services Regulatory team of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.
Relevant Experience
- Assisting clients with applications for authorisation as MiFID investment firms and electronic money institutions
- Advising a number of leading US private equity houses on their obligations under MiFID, SFDR and IFR/IFD
- Assisting a number of global financial institutions in tracking ESG developments and preparing for compliance (at firm and product levels)
- Advising the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility (designed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with Afreximbank) on its inaugural repo transaction with Citi
- Delivering training to client legal and compliance teams on various matters including governance matters, IAF/SEAR and sustainable finance regulation
- Working with a number of Irish credit institutions to prepare for the introduction of the revised Irish client asset regulations
- Advising Montagu and Hg on financial services regulatory matters connected to their investments in Waystone
- Advising Global Shares plc on financial services regulatory matters connected to its acquisition by JP Morgan
Insights Blog

Council Supports "Stop the Clock" Proposal

IAF/SEAR Update: Business Standards Regulations published (effective 24 March 2026)

CPC and Standards for Business: Central Bank launches two sets of regulations (to apply from 24 March 2026)

A Practitioner’s Guide to IT Outsourcing – A Review of Risk and Reliance

A Practitioner’s Guide to IT Outsourcing – When Things go Wrong

A Practitioner’s Guide to IT Outsourcing – The Complexities of Sub-Outsourcing
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