In Person: Scale with confidence – What FinTech leaders need to get right before they scale

We’re pleased to invite you to a co-hosted roundtable event with Penningtons Manches Cooper, in partnership with Tech London Advocates, taking place during London Tech Week. Join us for “Scale with Confidence: What FinTech Leaders Need to Get Right Before They Scale” on Wednesday 10 June, 4:30pm, at Penningtons London office.

In a market where investor scrutiny is tougher than we have ever seen and regulated firms are under pressure to scale responsibly, the businesses that move fastest are typically the ones that have already sorted the fundamentals.

Built for FinTech founders and senior leaders, this roundtable will focus on the decisions that matter most before the next raise, partnership or exit. From governance, diligence and regulatory posture to finance-function readiness, tax efficiency and cash discipline, this session will explore how scaling businesses can grow with fewer surprises, stronger investor credibility and better operational resilience.

Topics we will cover:

What does real investment-readiness look like before the next round or deal?
Which legal and regulatory weak spots most often derail FinTech growth?
What reporting, controls and board information make a business look credible to investors and lenders?
Where can founders unlock runway without creating tax or compliance problems later?
What changes when your FinTech starts to operate like a regulated business, not just a fast-moving start-up?
How should founders approach AI adoption?

Timings of the event:

4:30pm - Registration, drinks and networking
5:15pm - Roundtable discussion
6:30pm - Drinks and networking

Speakers:

Toby Hermitage

Partner, Tax

Toby has been providing bespoke tax planning to owner managed businesses for over 20 years.
He has substantial experience in corporate structuring and M&A transactions, Research & Development allowances, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and dealing with HMRC enquiries.

Toby also specialises in:

Corporate restructuring and M&A transactions
Research & Development allowances
Share transactions and schemes, employee rewards and employment-related securities
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
Dealing with HMRC enquiries
Working with clients who have international tax aspects and opportunities
Valuations

Career highlights, to date, include that from having joined Alliotts straight after qualifying, he become their head of corporate tax in just four years. Toby has also headed up two tax practices and has worked for the big four.

Speak to Toby

Ben Chernoff

Partner, Head of Managed Business Services

Ben leads Gravita’s Managed Business Services team and Essex office, and has been in the accountancy industry for well over a decade, advising clients from start up phase, right through to listing and beyond.

As well as supporting his tech clients on the day to running of their businesses, Ben’s clients typically require support on R&D, EIS, EMI, business plans, cash flow forecasting and cash management.

Ben plays a key strategic role in helping his clients plan for the future and supporting them throughout that journey, particularly within the fintech, medtech and sustainability arenas. Ben also specialises in supporting small and medium sized businesses, particularly those within the tech, property and recruitment sectors.

Speak to Ben

Adam Carling

Corporate Partner - Penningtons Manches Cooper

Adam is a partner in the corporate team in London. He advises on transactions on the equity capital markets, as well as public and private M&A. Adam’s main sectors of focus are energy, technology and real estate.

His clients include some of the leading mid-market investment banks in London; he also acts for listed and private companies. The deals he works on often have a cross-border element. Adam has extensive experience of pan-European M&A and regularly advises North American clients on acquisitions and financings. His recent transactions include advising FTSE-250 REIT Sirius Real in connection with two substantial fundraises, each of approximately £150 million.

He has also advised on a number of public M&A transactions, including takeover offers, schemes of arrangement, and significant acquisitions and disposals. Adam led the team which advised AIM-listed Rotala plc on its take-private transaction, which won the ‘Deal of the Year (£10 – 50m)’ category at the Insider Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2024. He is described in Chambers UK as a ‘very experienced, solutions-orientated lawyer with strong, deal-making skills’. He also enjoys working for founders and growth companies on financings, exit transactions and on their broader governance and shareholder arrangements. Adam is a regular speaker on corporate finance topics and is a member of the firm’s digital business and fintech practice groups. He joined Penningtons Manches Cooper in 2022 from another leading UK firm.

Charlotte Hill

Partner, CDR - Penningtons Manches Cooper

Charlotte is an experienced commercial litigator in the commercial dispute resolution team, ranked in band 2 for crypto-asset disputes in Chambers UK, and as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ in the Legal 500.

She advises on a broad range of complex, high-value cross-border disputes across a number of commercial and business sectors, and has specialist expertise in fintech, emerging tech and digital assets disputes, where she leads the firm’s digital assets and cyber security team. She is a well-known industry commentator in this space, having appeared on both TV (Channel 4) and various audio mediums (including the BBC World Service and various podcasts). In 2023, Charlotte won the esteemed title of ‘Woman of the Year – FinTech/Crypto Innovation – UK’ at the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards, for the impact of her work in the sector. She was also named on Innovate Finance’s Women in Fintech Powerlist 2023 and as one of Citywealth’s Top 50 Fintech, TMT and AI lawyers in 2024. Aside from her vast experience in these areas, she also has expertise in financial services, commercial disputes, fraud and asset recovery, and corporate insolvency disputes.

Charlotte sits on the Law Society Council on behalf of civil litigators and is a committee member of both the London Solicitor Litigation Association, and the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery Network. She is also the chair of EMEA for Multilaw’s Young Lawyers Group (having won Multilaw’s ‘Rising Star’ award in 2024), vice-chair of the Cyber Insurance Association, and former member of the Law Society’s Civil Justice Committee.

Kristina MacPherson

Financial Services Regulatory Associate - Penningtons Manches Cooper

Kristina is an associate in the banking and finance team, specialising in financial services regulation. Her experience spans supporting financial services clients in meeting their FCA, PRA, and cross-border and associated regulatory obligations.

She has advised banks, insurers, asset managers, wealth firms, fintechs, and other regulated entities in how to best meet their regulatory obligations. Kristina understands the need to take a risk-based approach, considering the application of regulatory regimes to the unique circumstances of each client. She employs her knowledge and analysis of regulatory obligations with the goal of translating these into robust and commercially pragmatic solutions for boards and senior executives.

Kristina works with clients throughout their growth journey, from applications for UK authorisation and advising on specific regulatory matters, to supporting with regulatory strategy and engagement. While a regulatory generalist with wide-ranging experience, Kristina’s key areas include governance, section 166 reviews, financial crime, product governance and the Consumer Duty, as well as compliance management.