HSBC’s head of legal for worldwide operations and deputy general counsel (GC), Richard Given, has left the bank to join fintech startup 10x Banking as GC and company secretary. He is replaced internally by associate general counsel Stephen Cooke.
Given had been in his role at HSBC for almost six years, and leaves as the bank is on the cusp of renewing its UK legal panel.
Given began his career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was instrumental in delivering the PFI contract which enabled the implementation of Oystercards across London’s transport networks. He then moved in-house in 2000 with media company Aegis Group, before joining IT company Cisco in 2006. After five years with Cisco, Given joined HSBC in 2011.
10x Banking is a fintechech-driven banking platform set up in April 2017 by former Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins, which claims to be ‘building a universal platform built on open banking principles, infinitely configurable and constantly evolving to deliver better, more personal, experiences for everyone.’
In December 2016, HSBC completed a review of its global legal panel, where a host of firms retained their places. Magic Circle firms Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters all retained their places, while global firm Norton Rose Fulbright also kept its place on the legal line up. US giant Davis, Polk & Wardwell also won a spot on the panel.
Given joins several other senior banking names who have switched to fintech companies including Dean Nash who moved from Barclays to Monzo and WorldRemit head of legal Sam Ross who also left Barclays to work in the emerging financial technology sector.
tom.baker@legalease.co.uk
Read more about fintech GC’s in: ‘The Companies of Tomorrow: Fintech and Alternative Finance‘