Our story

We help corporates and investors succeed in an increasingly complex world.

We founded Flint in 2015 from our conviction that businesses and investors operating in global markets need the best possible commercial advice in their dealings with regulators and governments, provided by experts with deep, first-hand experience.

Our team works with clients from all over the world, across all major sectors of the economy. We help them anticipate, interpret and respond to policy developments, provide technical regulatory, economic and competition advice, and support the successful execution of transactions and other high-value situations. Our goal is always to deliver real commercial value.

Our services

Our practice areas provide advice on all aspects of public policy in European and global markets.

Policy and political analysis

Geopolitics advisory

Competition and regulatory advice

Fund and asset management advice

Mergers and acquisitions and transaction clearance

Economic modelling

Financial services advisory

Tax and business rates advisory

ESG and sustainability

Policy and political analysis

We help businesses anticipate, interpret and respond to developments in policy and politics.

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Geopolitics advisory

We have an outstanding group of senior experts in diplomacy and international politics. We apply their geopolitical analysis and judgement directly to the commercial challenges faced by our clients, helping them identify risks and opportunities.

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Competition and regulatory advice

Our team of economists and regulatory finance experts have extensive experience at the most senior levels within regulators, competition authorities and government bodies in the UK, the EU and Asia-Pacific.

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Fund and asset management advice

Flint helps investors understand and manage risks and opportunities in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

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Mergers and acquisitions and transaction clearance

Flint supports transaction parties to assess and execute M&A across the UK, Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

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Economic modelling

We help clients present evidence-based cases to decision-makers that are robust and effective.

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Financial services advisory

Flint helps financial services businesses and institutions, across the spectrum from established players to growing fintechs.

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Tax and business rates advisory

Our team of tax policy experts and economists are specialists in how tax policy is developed within government and the important role that high-quality economic analysis plays in the policymaking process.

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ESG and sustainability

We help investors and companies navigate the complex political, policy and regulatory environment on sustainability and ESG.

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Our CEO and Founding Partners

Our CEO and founders already had proven records of success in government, regulation and consultancy.

Sir Simon Fraser

Founding Partner and Chair

Ed Richards

Founding Partner and CEO

James Purnell

CEO

Sir Simon Fraser

Founding Partner and Chair

Sir Simon Fraser is a co-founder. He advises clients on policy, political and regulatory issues in the UK and Europe.

From 2010 to 2015 Simon was Head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service. He ran the global network of British embassies and was on the National Security Council.

In 2009-2010, as Permanent Secretary, Simon led the UK Department for Business (BIS) in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, playing a central part in planning for recovery.

Prior to that Simon was for four years Chief of Staff to the European Commissioner for Trade in Brussels. He was closely engaged in EU trade negotiations with the United States and China.

Simon is a Senior Adviser at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), a member of the UK board of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Honorary President of the British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG).

Ed Richards

Founding Partner and CEO

Ed Richards is a co-founder of Flint. He advises clients who face regulatory challenges, and assists them in adapting to, and making the most of, competition and policy developments. Ed also leads client teams working on issues in the digital/tech sector and in a range of network industries, as well as on general competition and regulatory issues.

Before co-founding Flint, Ed spent more than eight years as the Chief Executive of Ofcom, the UK’s telecoms and media regulator.

During this time, he worked closely with the European Commission and was Vice-Chair of the Body of the European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). After leaving Ofcom, Ed led an independent review into financial services representation, which led to the merger of six financial services associations in the UK.

Earlier in his career Ed worked as an adviser in the office of the UK Prime Minister and headed the corporate strategy team at the BBC.

James Purnell

CEO

In 2001, James was elected Member of Parliament for Stalybridge.

He was a minister from 2005 to 2009, including as Secretary of State for Culture and then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the UK government of PM Gordon Brown.

Before that he was an adviser in PM Tony Blair's Number 10 Policy Unit covering telecoms and Internet policy, as well as culture, media, sport and post-16 education.

In 2010, he joined Boston Consulting Group as a senior adviser, before moving to the BBC in March 2013 as Director of Strategy and Digital. At the BBC he launched BBC Sounds.  In 2021 James became President and Vice Chancellor of the University of the Arts before joining Flint as its new CEO.

Our board

Our Board sets the strategy of Flint and is accountable for our long-term success. It sets our values, leads our culture and ensures that we have sound financial stewardship, risk management, compliance and governance.

Board members

James Purnell

CEO

Sir Simon Fraser

Founding Partner and Chair

Ed Richards

Founding Partner and CEO

Alison Gaskins

COO

Alex Panayi

CFO

Anthony Cardona

Non-Executive Director

Balazs Lam

Non-Executive Director

2015

2018

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Our journey

Sir Simon Fraser, Ed Richards, and Nigel Gardner founded Flint, based in Manchester Square, London.

Our journey

Gregor Kreuzhuber opened our Brussels office.

Our journey

Flint completed a significant minority investment from UK private equity fund Growth Capital Partners.

Our journey

Flint opened an office in Paris headed up by Anne-Juliette Rohrbach.

Our journey

Flint established a presence in Asia-Pacific, incorporated both in Singapore and Hong Kong and led by Mark Austen.

Our journey

James Purnell began his role as chief executive officer of Flint Global. Taking on the executive leadership of the firm from managing partners Simon Fraser and Ed Richards.

Our journey

Flint opens a new office at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Our journey

Flint secured a strategic investment from global private equity firm Cinven, supporting its next phase of growth.

Mission

We give clear, expert advice that helps our clients achieve results

Vision

We want to be the global leader for organisations navigating challenges at the crossroads of economics, policy, politics and regulation. These areas are shaping every sector, and we help our clients face them with confidence. We want to be the best place to work for people passionate about these issues.

Expertise and excellence

Collaboration and inclusion

Integrity and honesty

Ambition and commercial initiative

We do our best work when we work together. That means bringing the right mix of perspectives and experience to each project – across teams, offices, and specialisms. We create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

We’re straight with our clients, and with each other. We share our honest views, even when they’re not always what people want to hear. That commitment to integrity ensures trust in our relationships and confidence in our work. Everything we say is based on real expertise, evidence and a strong understanding of the context.

We think commercially and act boldly. We look for new ways to grow our business, support our clients’ success, and create value - whether that’s entering new markets, developing services, or building new relationships. We’re ambitious about Flint’s future and believe that as the company succeeds, so should our people. We reward initiative and impact, and stay agile in a fast-changing world.

Mission and values

Our goal is to be the best advisers for business on policy, politics, regulation and competition.

Candid

Offering honest, open and straightforward advice and judgements.

Rigorous

Addressing issues in depth, drawing on evidence, experience, knowledge and judgment.

Constructive

Meticulous in our thinking, to produce the best answer, not the easy answer, while understanding the interests and concerns of our clients.

Case studies

Mapping a major Asian manufacturer's exposure to UK/EU-China relations

Identifying the international commercial impacts of the Ukraine crisis

Case studies

Advising a payment systems operator on political and regulatory risk, involved in a major commercial decision

Multi-jurisdictional due diligence for a global health investor on a telemedicine target

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Where we are

Our team work globally from offices in London, Brussels, Netherlands, Hong Kong and Singapore; with a more wide-reaching network of in-country Senior Advisers across Europe and Asia Pacific.

London

Brussels

Paris

Berlin

Amsterdam

Across Europe

Hong Kong

Singapore

Australia

London

Our London headquarters is home to a multinational team of experts. They work on high-profile regulatory and policy initiatives, transactions and competition cases.

Our London office:- Met Building, 22 Percy Street, London, W1T 2BU, UK

Meet the London team

Brussels

The Flint team in Brussels has experience working in European governments, EU institutions and the private sector. This expertise means they can offer authoritative advice on developments in policy, regulation and politics in Europe and beyond. They work collaboratively with our offices around the globe, and closely collaborate with our Senior Advisers in Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw and other European capitals to ensure excellent, integrated support for our clients.

Our Brussels office:- Avenue des Arts 44, 1000 Bruxelles

Meet the Brussels team

Paris

We have a strong team of political, policy and public affairs specialists in our Paris office, supporting businesses and investors in France and working closely with our Brussels and wider European team.

Our Paris office:- 6 rue Auber 75009 Paris

Meet the Paris team

Berlin

In Berlin we provide advice and offer an authoritative perspective on German policy, regulation, and politics – combined with a multi-country approach. We provide a set of services from a single source through an integrated team of experts in Germany, the member states of the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Our Berlin office:- Pariser Platz 4a 10117 Berlin

Meet the Berlin team

Amsterdam

Our Dutch team offers the best regulatory and policy advice to Netherlands-based and international clients, working in close cooperation with our teams in Brussels, London and beyond.

Our headquarters are in London, with offices in Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore and a global network of staff and advisers.

Our Amsterdam office:- Claude Debussylaan 82–84, The Rock 1082 MD Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Meet the Amsterdam team

Across Europe

In addition to our offices across Europe and the UK, Flint Global has an extensive network of Senior Advisers based in over ten European countries. Their expertise provides strategic advice for our clients based outside of our core teams, giving them insight to multiple jurisdictions, such as Spain, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Poland and more.

Meet the Europe team

Hong Kong

Our Hong Kong teams offer high-quality political, policy and regulatory advice, with a focus on financial services and tech. The Hong Kong and Singapore teams serve clients across the region and draw upon the help of a wide network of Flint Senior Advisers across Asia-Pacific, including India, Australia, Japan, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

Our Hong Kong office:– Level 5, Chinachem Tower No. 34–37 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong

Meet the Hong Kong team

Singapore

Our Singapore teams offer high-quality political, policy and regulatory advice, with a focus on financial services and tech. The Hong Kong and Singapore teams serve clients across the region and draw upon the help of a wide network of Flint Senior Advisers across Asia-Pacific, including India, Australia, Japan, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

Our Singapore office:– 71 Robinson Road #14-01 Singapore 068895

Meet the Singapore team

Australia

The Flint team in Australia provides high-quality political, policy and regulatory advice to corporates and investors across a range of sectors. Our team is based in Melbourne, with an advisory presence that stretches across Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane. They work closely with colleagues across Asia, Europe and the UK to bring a global perspective to local issues.

Our Sydney office:- 39 Martin Place, Sydney / Eora Nation, New South Wales, 2000

Our Melbourne office:- 55 Collins Street, Melbourne / Naarm, Victoria, 3000

Meet the Australia team

US

Flint operates a strategic partnership with a Washington-based consultancy, Highland Global Advisors led by Michael Pedroni.

This partnership enables us to offer a fully-rounded international perspective on politics, policy and regulation.

Highland Global Advisors

Berlin

Our people in Berlin have worked in politics, financial services institutions and more widely across the private sector. They offer in-depth policy and regulatory advice to German-based and international clients, often in collaboration with our other EU and UK offices.

Meet the London team