Shona Watson

Shona Watson has extensive experience in the field of legal counsel and regulatory matters. Shona is currently working at OpenPayd as a Senior Counsel - Regulatory since February 2022. Prior to this, they worked at Simmons & Simmons as a Supervising Associate - Financial Services Regulatory from April 2019 to February 2022. In this role, they focused on consumer and SME facing products in financial services, providing advice on regulated lending, banking, payment services, and investments, as well as consumer protection. Shona also gained experience in licensing, regulatory requirements, governance, FCA/PRA authorisation applications, and drafting customer contracts. Shona provided practical advice to banks and fintech businesses on conduct of business, system and controls, and other regulatory requirements.

Before Simmons & Simmons, Shona worked at Taylor Wessing as an Associate Solicitor - Financial Services Regulatory from September 2015 to March 2019. Shona also served as a Trainee Solicitor at Taylor Wessing from August 2013 to August 2015. Additionally, they had a short-term secondment as a Trainee Solicitor at Amazon UK from March 2015 to August 2015. Shona also volunteered as a Debt Adviser at South West London Law Centres from 2012 to 2013.

Shona Watson completed their A Levels and GCSEs at Coombe Girls' School from 1999 to 2006. Shona then pursued an LLB Law with Study in Continental Europe at the University of Bristol from 2006 to 2010. Later, they attended The College of Law, London Bloomsbury from 2011 to 2012, where they obtained a Legal Practice Course.