An associate in law firm Foot Anstey’s Bristol-based Islamic finance team has won a prestigious award in recognition of her outstanding result in a specialist exam.
Leena Payyappilly, pictured, gained the President’s Award in the Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) level 3 certificate exam, which was also passed by five other members of the team earlier this year. 
Issued by the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI), the IFQ level 3 is recognised as the standard qualification for Islamic finance practitioners in the legal, banking and accountancy professions.
Foot Anstey’s Bristol office staged a two-day revision course in February with Faizal Karbani of Simply Ethical, a Middlesex-based provider of Sharia compliant and socially responsible investments, to enable the six team members to study for the exam.
The success of the six – Nick Loewendahl, Karl Bradford, Laura Autiero, Emily Hendy, Aziz Deen and Leena – means 13 members of Foot Anstey’s Islamic finance now hold the qualification.
Leena, who will be presented with her certificate at the CISI Bristol & Bath branch’s annual dinner next month, said: “I’m delighted to have been awarded this accolade and look forward to receiving my certificate.
“I’m thankful for Foot Anstey’s support, which has enabled my colleagues and I the opportunity to obtain the IFQ qualification and bolster our skills.”
Islamic finance was Foot Anstey’s second best performing sector in its 2021-22 financial year, with revenues up 18%. During the period the team advised on a number of landmark deals, including the UK’s first Islamic financed acquisition of a mobile CT scanning unit, which will be used in Bristol, and what was believed to be the first UK peer-to-peer Islamic finance fintech deal.
Islamic finance is one of Foot Anstey’s six key sectors along with development, energy & infrastructure, private equity, private wealth and retail & consumer. The firm also has offices in Exeter, London, Plymouth, Southampton, Taunton and Truro.
