Founder, Reg Advantage
James Lane
Former Head of Compliance at Citadel Securities and Engineers Gate, and Chief Compliance & Risk Officer at IMC, where he held SMF 16 and SMF 17. Now on your side of the table.
Compliance that enables growth.
James has spent 15 years across legal, compliance and risk — at Linklaters, HSBC Global Banking & Markets, Citadel Securities, IMC and Engineers Gate. He has been the first UK hire at more than one firm, building legal, risk and compliance frameworks from scratch, delivering FCA authorisation from a standing start and taking firms from zero to trading-ready.
His background is hands-on with quantitative and systematic trading — algorithmic market making, systematic credit and global cross-asset algo trading — alongside fundamental and discretionary strategies. In smaller firms his work naturally spans CCO, general counsel, CRO and COO responsibilities.
He has worked at the intersection of COOs, traders, technologists and business development throughout his career, and has been the main contact for regulators, exchanges, brokers, external counsel and vendors.
The number of SMF 16/17 mandates James holds directly is kept deliberately small, assessed against the size, complexity and risk of each firm. How the FCA views fractional SMF appointments.
Career
- Reg Advantage
Founder
Fractional CCO, compliance consultancy and AI-built compliance tooling for investment firms.
- Engineers Gate
UK Head of Compliance
First UK hire for the New York-headquartered quantitative multi-strategy hedge fund. Mapped, built and ran the UK compliance framework for the UK business and the US SEC-registered adviser, ready for the Part 4A application and the move from Appointed Representative to direct authorisation.
- IMC
Chief Compliance & Risk Officer (SMF 16/17), London
First dedicated UK hire. Delivered FCA Part 4A authorisation and took the business to 30 people in a role spanning compliance, risk and operational leadership. Built the compliance and risk framework for FX and precious metals derivatives market making and chaired the risk committee. Supported launch and ongoing advisory for the crypto market making business and its regulatory location strategy.
- Citadel Securities
Head of Compliance and Deputy CCO, EMEA
Systematic and proprietary trading across EMEA cash equities and futures. Supported the launch and ongoing advisory of crypto derivatives market making across London and Singapore, and Middle East market expansion.
- HSBC Global Banking & Markets
VP Compliance
Global cross-asset compliance lead for algorithmic trading (MiFID II RTS 6) and digital, including tokenisation of FX and gold. Delivered global trade, e-comms and voice surveillance builds, and contributed to the BIS FX Global Code and LBMA Precious Metals Code.
- Linklaters
Contentious regulatory
Large international regulatory investigations (FCA, DoJ, CFTC, JFSA, AMF) for European banks, including FX and LIBOR/EURIBOR.
Digital assets, from inside traditional finance.
James has always worked in traditional finance firms, and has brought that discipline to their digital asset businesses. At Citadel Securities and IMC he supported the launch and ongoing advisory of crypto market making operating across the UK, EU and Singapore.
He was an early member of the FIA EPTA Digital Assets working group, contributed to HM Treasury and ESMA MiCA consultations through industry groups including EPTA, and worked on early DLT tokenisation of FX and gold at HSBC.
That combination suits cryptoasset firms moving from MLR registration to full FCA authorisation, where institutional-grade governance, market abuse controls and prudential discipline are what the FCA will test. FCA authorisation →
Expertise and industry work
- FCA Part 4A
- SMCR and SMF 16/17
- MiFID II / UK MiFIR
- MiFIDPRU
- Algo trading and RTS 6
- MAR and surveillance
- Transaction reporting
- AIFM and CPMI
- AML and KYC
- Short selling and best execution
- Cryptoassets
Founding co-chair of the LBCO Algorithmic Trading Roundtable. Chaired the HFM Legal AI panel in October 2025. Active across AfME, FIA EPTA and AIMA, with input through those groups to FCA, HM Treasury, ESMA (including MiCA) and central bank consultations, and on-site regulatory reviews across the UK, Ireland, UAE, US, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Qualified across legal, risk and compliance with the University of Law and the CISI.
Start with a 30-minute call.
Tell James where the firm is and what it needs next. No pitch deck, no obligation.