Conor Foley, Global Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Conor leads Norton Rose Fulbright’s government relations and public policy practice. He and his team advise clients on legislative and regulatory matters pertaining to cross-border transactions, the provision of financial services and access to markets ranging from agricultural commodities to structured finance products. His clients include agribusinesses, asset managers, banks, commodity trading companies, exchange groups, proprietary traders, major industrials, oil and gas producers and utilities. He also advises a treaty-based international financial organisation and a registered futures association.
Conor has over a decade’s experience in international cooperation on financial services. He served on the European Commission’s derivatives expert group, which devised the first clearing obligations for over-the-counter (OTC) derivative contracts. He assisted a large US exchange group in securing recognition for US central counterparties under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) regime. He also led lobbying for a large group of commodity market participants, which delivered equivalence decisions in respect of third country markets located in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore. He has since June 2016 advised UK legislators and a UK government department on third country provisions in European Union financial services law.
Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Conor led a Brussels-based government relations practice where he worked with a wide range of clients across the commodities and financial services sectors. Previously Conor worked for oil and gas company Total, where he managed engagement with governments and stakeholder groups on the company’s exploration and production activities in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. He worked previously in the European Commission’s foreign and security policy directorate general in Brussels and began his career with the Washington, DC office of Eurasia Group – a leading risk advisory firm.
Conor is a solicitor qualified in England and Wales. He is a graduate of BPP University Law School, Georgetown University and Trinity College, Dublin. He is a regular commentator for broadcast, online and print media.