Legal Guidance and Research / Experts / Laura Norris
Laura Norris#14423

Laura Norris

Eversheds Sutherland
Laura is a Principal Associate Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) at Eversheds Sutherland in their Litigation and Dispute Management Group.
 
In her PSL role, Laura keeps lawyers and clients at the forefront of legal and regulatory developments. She provides strategic technical advice, manages risk, and designs and delivers training for lawyers at all levels. Laura also plays a key role in supporting a number of the firm’s strategic client relationships, delivering tailored horizon scanning, briefings and bespoke training on emerging dispute risks.
 
Laura brings significant frontline experience to her role, having spent many years acting for banks and other financial institutions on complex, high‑value disputes as well as large-scale mass claims, particularly in the consumer credit sphere. She has also substantial experience advising on and handling complaints before the Financial Ombudsman Service, and closely tracks and advises on ongoing and proposed reforms to the FOS regime and their impact on complaints handling and litigation risk for financial institutions.
 
In addition, Laura has deep experience in pensions trust litigation, including advising on the construction and rectification of scheme documentation, professional negligence claims arising from defective benefit amendments, and complaints before the Pensions Ombudsman.

Practice Area

Panel

  • Contributing Author

Experience

  • Eversheds Sutherland (2008 - Current)

Membership

  • Association of Pensions Lawyers
  • Association of Professional Support Lawyers

Qualifications

  • LLB (Hons) (2007)
  • Legal Practice Course (2008)

Education

  • University of Birmingham (2004-2007)
  • College of Law (2007-2008)

2 Contributions by Laura Norris

Claims management companies and the FCA SM&CR: authorisation, firm classification, Senior Managers, certification, Conduct Rules, fitness and propriety, enforcement and transitional arrangements (England, Wales and Scotland)
PRACTICE NOTES
Claims management companies and the FCA SM&CR: authorisation, firm classification, Senior Managers, certification, Conduct Rules, fitness and propriety, enforcement and transitional arrangements (England, Wales and Scotland)
SM&CR—essentials for claims management companies Note: On 15 July 2025, the government unveiled the Leeds Reforms, setting out plans to streamline the SM&CR. At the same time, the PRA and FCA released consultation papers CP18/25 and CP25/21, which closed in October 2025. The regulators set out a two-stage programme of reform, with Phase Two to follow, subject to legislative changes under HM Treasury consultation. Final Phase One requirements are expected in mid-2026, with any later Phase Two consultations dependent on HMT legislation. See News Analysis: Reform of the SM&CR—Proposals and next steps. Introduction On 1 April 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed responsibility for oversight of the claims management sector from the Claims Management Regulator (CMR). As a consequence, the sector must meet the FCA’s standards on professionalism, conduct and governance, collectively referred to as the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR). The SM&CR was extended to FCA solo-regulated firms, including claims management companies (CMCs), on 9 December 2019; for CMCs operating under a temporary permission on that date, the SM&CR applies from the point at which the CMC became fully FCA authorised. Under the SM&CR, individuals within CMCs are personally responsible for taking customers’ interests into account and for treating them fairly...
Financial Services
FCA Consumer Duty and Claims Management Companies: UK scope, compliance expectations, CMCOB overlap, FOS standards, enforcement risks, and using the Duty to pursue consumer complaints
PRACTICE NOTES
FCA Consumer Duty and Claims Management Companies: UK scope, compliance expectations, CMCOB overlap, FOS standards, enforcement risks, and using the Duty to pursue consumer complaints
This Practice Note explores two effects of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Consumer Duty on claims management companies (CMCs). First, it looks at how the Duty applies to CMCs, covering why CMCs fall within scope, sectoral considerations for each cross-cutting obligation and for each of the four customer outcomes, and how the FCA’s historic and current concerns have informed its expectations of CMCs in meeting the Duty. Second, it considers how CMCs may use the Consumer Duty to progress consumer claims. For an outline of the main features of the FCA’s Consumer Duty, see Practice Note: The FCA Consumer Duty—essentials. For key developments, see: The FCA Consumer Duty—timeline... Overview and key points for CMCs and the Consumer Duty CMCs are broadly understood as firms or individuals that support consumers by handling claims for compensation or other benefits. Although CMCs are rarely referenced in the FCA’s consultation documents, policy statement and finalised guidance on the Consumer Duty, the Duty nevertheless applies to them because they are FCA-regulated firms that can determine or “materially influence” retail customer outcomes...
Financial Services
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