Ali Vakhobov, Paralegal

Ali Vakhobov is a legal professional at Cleveland & Co with over 9 years of international experience advising on corporate, commercial, and financial regulatory matters across the UK, China, and Central Asia. Currently based in London, Ali supports clients across private and public markets on a broad range of investment management, regulatory, and cross-border matters, bringing a rigorous and commercially grounded approach to transactional work, regulatory risk, and multi-jurisdictional legal issues. He supports sophisticated investment structures through legal research, disclosure and contract review, and by contributing across transactional and regulatory workstreams, always keeping the commercial objective front and centre.

Prior to joining Cleveland & Co, Ali gained valuable experience at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), where he supported financial regulatory and criminal investigations involving financial crime, mis-selling, and market abuse. He conducted multilingual document reviews, prepared disclosure materials, and assisted in drafting case summaries and briefings, strengthening his ability to manage complex documentation and apply clear judgement in fast-moving, high-stakes environments.

Alongside his regulatory background, Ali has advised on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, including cross-border M&A, joint venture structuring, corporate governance, and commercial contract negotiations. He has supported corporate and financial due diligence processes and worked on banking regulatory compliance, AML requirements, securities filings, and international capital flows—bringing technical precision and practical judgement to complex transactions.

Fluent in English, Russian, Mandarin, Tajik, and Farsi, Ali brings a rare multilingual capability to international matters, enabling him to operate effectively across jurisdictions, cultures, and legal systems. He is qualified as an Attorney-at-Law (Advocate) and is currently progressing through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), reflecting his continued commitment to developing deep expertise in sophisticated legal contexts.

Beyond his client work, Ali has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to service through pro bono legal translation, including serving as Student Director of the BPP Legal Translation Service. Outside of work, he enjoys Muay Thai, learning languages, and collecting coins—interests that reflect the same focus, curiosity, and discipline he brings to his legal practice.