Aidan Lawes

Aidan Lawes advises clients on matters relating to financial services regulation in the United Kingdom and Europe, and he is one of the leaders of the Firm's ESG (environmental, social, and governance) regulatory team. Aidan brings to clients a combination of technical private practice experience and real-world knowledge of how institutions operate, gained from a number of years spent in senior in-house roles. He advises clients from across all parts of the financial markets, as well as multinationals, on their global ESG obligations.

Much of Aidan's work focuses on helping firms understand and navigate the swathes of European and UK domestic and financial services rules. He also has extensive experience providing transactional support to M&A, finance, and funds departments regarding regulatory due diligence, structuring assistance, and post-completion integration, particularly in cross-border matters.

More recently, Aidan's practice has expanded to cover advising clients on the ever-growing number of ESG-related laws and regulations flowing from UK and EU regulators. Aidan has particular experience with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, helping clients develop reporting strategies, coordinate disclosures, and mitigate regulatory risk. Working with colleagues from across the globe, he helps clients follow new sustainability laws and track regulatory enforcement action, as well as monitor ESG-related litigation.

Prior to joining Jones Day in 2018, Aidan was head of regulatory change for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region at Mizuho Bank's London Branch, where he advised on upcoming legislation and led implementation projects. In addition, he has experience working with senior stakeholders from the European Parliament, Commission, and national governments on proposed legislation.