U.K. & Europe

Greyline has a London office covering U.K. and European regulation, and provides a full range of services to U.K.-based investment managers, as well as assisting overseas managers seeking to raise assets or setup operations within the U.K. or Europe.

Greyline’s U.K. staff has more than 20 years of experience partnering with FCA-regulated and authorised firms with respect to their compliance requirements, during which time we have worked with or for many of the premier alternative investment managers in the U.K. This experience includes particular expertise on AIFMD, market abuse controls, and the application of MiFID II to buy-side investment firms.

Services we offer include:

  • Initial authorisation and setup of firms’ compliance infrastructure.
  • Ongoing assistance in implementing your firm’s compliance programme.
  • Undertaking compliance monitoring and providing external assurance that the firm’s policies are being adhered to, and that regulatory requirements are being met.
  • Ongoing review and recommendations for enhancements where necessary.
  • Detailed, one-off reviews of the firm’s compliance programme and infrastructure. This includes an in-depth review and gap analysis of all aspects of the firm’s written supervisory procedures. Upon completion of this review, Greyline will deliver a detailed report, including findings and recommendations, and if required, assist in any remediation.
  • Ongoing review of incoming rules and regulations, along with published regulatory actions and updates to determine the impact on your firm. Greyline will also assist with ensuring the firm is compliant with any new regulations from the date they become applicable and operating in line with FCA expectations.
  • Custom training on a variety of topics, including:
    • General all-staff annual/refresher compliance training
    • SMF16 Compliance Officer Training
    • SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer Training
    • SMCR and FCA Conduct Rules
    • Market abuse training
    • Financial crime training
    • New staff compliance inductions
    • Coverage of other compliance related areas, including GDPR and cybersecurity
  • FCA visit/exam preparation, as required.
  • Assistance dealing with regulatory enquiries or actions from the FCA or other regulators.
  • Assistance with U.K. regulatory filings, such as Annex IV, GABRIEL returns, new AIF managing/marketing notifications and capital issuance notifications.
  • Assistance with regulatory capital requirements, including the ICAAP process and related Pillar 2 filings to the FCA.
  • Assistance with applications to the FCA, such as Variations of Permission, Changes in Control, Waivers, capital withdrawal requests and Approved Persons.
  • Advice and assistance on marketing and notification requirements when raising fund assets in the U.K. and overseas jurisdictions.
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Darren Mooney

Partner and Co-Head of Business Development

Darren Mooney is a Partner and the Co-Head of Business Development at Greyline. Before joining Greyline, Darren served as deputy chief compliance officer of Partner Fund Management where he held primary responsibility for the compliance program of the second-largest hedge fund in the Bay Area. Prior to that, Darren spent five years providing compliance consulting services at Cordium and then ACA Compliance Group, where he led the company’s San Francisco office and west coast operations. In addition to providing ongoing consulting services to a variety of investment managers, including hedge fund, private equity, venture capital, real estate, quantitative and other wealth managers, Darren also regularly guided clients through the SEC registration process, implemented tailored compliance programs, supported clients’ live SEC exams, and served as an SEC-mandated independent compliance consultant following an SEC enforcement action. Darren’s other experience includes serving as deputy chief compliance officer and associate counsel at F-Squared Investments where he directly supported the compliance program during the investigation and subsequent enforcement regarding historical advertising practices. Darren has a B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. He is a member of the Massachusetts bar.

Annie Kong

Partner and Head of Venture Capital
Annie Kong is a Partner and Head of the Venture Capital Division at Greyline. She provides ongoing compliance consulting to investment advisers and manages client relationships. Prior to joining Greyline, Annie was part of compliance and operations at a long-only manager-of-managers that advised pension fund clients. While there, she conducted compliance and operational due diligence on SEC-registered investment advisers on the platform. She also oversaw and counseled on various legal matters across the firm. Annie has a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. She is an active member of the State Bar of California.
Greyline is pleased to announce that we are the recipient of the 2021 HFM U.S. Service Award in the Best Technology Firm – Newcomer category.