The Financial Centres Summit, FCSDublin, 2019: Key themes

FCSDublin, 2019 in Dublin Castle on October 15th and 16th next will feature amongst its keynote speakers the Chairman of the SEC in the USA, Jay Clayton, the United States’ most senior regulatory official for the stock markets and for other exchanges and markets, possibly the most important US regulator outside of the Chairman of the Fed.

Ken Clarke, QC, and MP, has been a consistent advocate against Brexit, a minority within the Conservative party, and an influential thought leader in British and European politics, underscored by his status as father of the UK House of Commons.

Ireland's Chief Justice, the Hon Mr Justice Frank Clarke, is the most senior national chief state amongst the EU nations presiding over a common law legal system in the European Union. He is an advocate of the development of the common law tradition within EU27, and the potential of the Republic of Ireland's Courts system as a Common Law Finance Centre for arbitration and resolution after Brexit.

The summit will, as with previous summits going back to 2010, have the theme of building bridges across international financial services centres (IFSCs) globally, through the development of mutual recognition and common standards, be they through common legal systems and global regulatory and financial standards. Brexit has been to the fore of discussions at the Summit in the past two years, and will again feature this year – the topics for discussion set to encourage the delivery of solutions that will enable trade and finance to prosper, despite whatever outcomes the vagaries of the coming years will bring.

Amongst the many speakers at these events over the years have been US SEC Commissioners Paul Atkins, and former Commissioner Dan Gallagher (2018); EU Commissioner for the Single Market and Financial Services, Lord Jonathan Hill (2017), the Irish Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, the most senior Common law judge on the bench of the European Court of Justice (2018), and many other distinguished speakers.

The emergence of Ireland as the most popular asset management company hub in EU 27 will feature at the Summit, which will also be discussing US-Europe capital markets and asset management issues, Brexit, and the ongoing implications, including Ireland’s future as the principal common law jurisdiction in the EU after Brexit.

The Summit, the fifth in a series that began in 2008, has always championed the idea that invividual international financial services centres can offer original and innovative solutions to the delivery of cutting edge financial services globally that serve both customers and all stakeholders best.

As global standards and regulation evolve to serve the aims of better finance globally FCSDublin, 2019 will focus on the most difficult questions that are facing us, as Brexit, and other realignments of trade relationships create threats and opportunities for financial centres across the globe.

Ireland, the financial centre, has been to the fore in this uncertain process, but has met with great success, having emerged as the No 1 favoured location for IFS companies in the past year seeking to maintain passporting arrangements in EU 27, ahead of Luxembourg, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, in that order. FCSDublin, 2019, amongst other things, will be providing insights as to the reasons for this success.

The summit will focus on Ireland's emerging lead role within EU27 as an alternative location for UK based FS businesses and how its businesses, institutions and professional advisers can provide a global financial services bridge for Europe, Britain, the US, and other centres. It will also provide a shop window for other dynamic and responsive financial centres to advise delegates of their special advantages.

The Financial Centres Summit, Dublin, 2019 will be a meeting place for the leading international financial services providers and advisers to network and help develop the global financial services architecture of the 2020s.

Our aim will to ensure that it will deliver real and lasting opportunities for you and your organisation. We look forward to sharing them with you.

Ken O'Brien
Managing Director,
Fintel Publications Ltd, publisher of Finance Dublin and Aviation Finance