Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • September 23, 2024

    HMRC Raises £1B Cracking Down On Tax Fraud

    HM Revenue & Customs raised almost £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in its most serious criminal investigations of tax fraud year-on-year in April, according to research published by a law firm Monday.

  • September 23, 2024

    Consumers Seek Class Status For £800M Sewage Spill Claim

    An environmental consultant told Britain's antitrust tribunal Monday that a landmark £800 million ($1 billion) claim by millions of customers who allege six water companies misled regulators by underreporting spills should be allowed to go ahead as the first environmental class action in the U.K.

  • September 23, 2024

    FCA Chair Cleared Over Whistleblower Complaints Handling

    Britain's finance watchdog said Monday that its chair had been cleared of wrongdoing over his handling of two whistleblower complaints but that it will strengthen protection for people who sound the alarm after it reviewed its internal policy.

  • September 23, 2024

    FCA Faults City Bodies' AML Policing As Inconsistent

    The Financial Conduct Authority on Monday raised concerns over the inconsistent enforcement of anti-money laundering regulations by City professional bodies, particularly in the legal and accountancy sectors.

  • September 23, 2024

    Ex-National Trust Employee Jailed For 6 Years Over £1M Fraud

    A former National Trust building surveyor who defrauded Europe's largest heritage charity out of more than £1 million ($1.3 million) has been jailed for six-and-a-half years, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

  • September 23, 2024

    Finance Sector Seeks Regulatory Clarity As Challenges Loom

    The financial services sector is pushing for clearer regulations on artificial intelligence and environmental, social and governance criteria, according to research by global law firm DLA Piper.

  • September 20, 2024

    UK Budget May Seek Gains From Inheritance Tax, Firms Say

    The U.K. government may try to squeeze more revenue out of the wealthy via inheritance tax, wealth management firms said Friday following the release of data showing the levy is generating higher returns for HM Treasury.

  • September 20, 2024

    EU Moves To Hike Ukraine Loan To €35B In Case US Pulls Out

    The European Commission proposed Friday that the European Union should increase its share of loans to Ukraine backed by frozen and immobilized Russian state assets up to €35 billion ($39.1 billion) from about €18 billion in case the U.S. backs out of its part of a Group of Seven agreement.

  • September 20, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen crypto exchange Binance face a new claim from the co-founder of SO Legal, a U.S. immersive art company take on a Bristol venue for copyright violations and Blake Morgan LLP hit with a pension schemes claim by The Trust for Welsh Archeology. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 20, 2024

    Businessman Gets 18 Months In Prison For COVID Loan Fraud

    A British businessman was sentenced to 18 months in prison at a criminal court Friday for dishonestly obtaining a COVID-19 small business loan to repay an associate embroiled in a fight with the Serious Fraud Office.

  • September 20, 2024

    Insurance Brokers Say Big Cos. Don't Need Consumer Rules

    The Financial Conduct Authority should exclude bigger businesses from the scope of consumer protection regulations, in order to boost the competitiveness of the U.K. insurance sector, a trade body said.

  • September 20, 2024

    Solicitor Struck Off Over Blackmail Conviction

    A London tribunal has banned a solicitor from practicing in the profession after he was convicted by a criminal court of blackmailing a company director in a board meeting.

  • September 20, 2024

    Insurers Deny Liability For $911M Stranded Aircraft Claims

    Two insurers have argued they are not liable for claims totaling $911 million over aircraft stranded in Russia as part of a wave of claims worth £13 billion ($17.3 billion) that have flooded courts following the invasion of Ukraine.

  • September 20, 2024

    Audit Watchdog Revises Actuarial Standard For Insurers

    Britain's accounting watchdog on Friday published a revised version of the rules for actuarial work in the insurance sector that it said reflected recent regulatory changes around delivering good outcomes for consumers.

  • September 20, 2024

    Harrods, Met Face Potential Litigation Over Rape Claims

    Lawyers are investigating potential claims against the Metropolitan Police and London luxury department store Harrods over allegations that its former staff were raped and sexually abused by Mohamed Al-Fayed, its billionaire owner and former chair.

  • September 20, 2024

    UK Fraud Reimbursement Plan Could Attract Organized Crime

    A program launching in October that allows victims of fraudulent authorized push payments to get reimbursement from banks and payments companies could be exploited by organized crime to cash in with bogus claims, according to lawyers.

  • September 19, 2024

    Dechert Settles Aviation Exec's Hack Cover-Up RICO Claims

    An airline mogul has cut a confidential deal with Dechert and two former partners of the firm to let them off the hook in his sprawling civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act lawsuit in New York federal court, the settling parties announced Thursday.

  • September 19, 2024

    London Law Firm Fined For Breaching AML Rules

    A London law firm must pay £3,700 ($4,900) in fines plus costs after it failed to comply with strict anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules, the solicitors' watchdog for England and Wales has said.

  • September 26, 2024

    Wiggin Scores 6-Person Sports Law Team From Walker Morris

    Wiggin LLP announced Thursday it has hired a new chief for its sports law practice, along with his five-strong team, as the firm looks to cement its practice in the area.

  • September 19, 2024

    EU Top Court Rules UK's CFC Tax Breaks Not State Aid

    The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that tax breaks the U.K. gave to certain companies under controlled foreign company regulations did not breach European Union state aid law.

  • September 19, 2024

    Apple Ruling Prompts EU Lawmakers To Call For Tax Justice

    Citing the recent European court judgment requiring Apple to pay €13 billion ($14.5 billion) in taxes to Ireland, European Union lawmakers demanded Thursday that the fight against tax evasion and for corporate tax harmonization be stepped up.

  • September 19, 2024

    SFO Ordered To Disclose Total Cost Of Failed ENRC Probe

    The Serious Fraud Office must disclose the total cost of its now-moribund corruption investigation into Eurasian Natural Resources Corp., a London tribunal ruled on Wednesday.

  • September 19, 2024

    Insurers Wrestle With 'Cyberwar' Policy Exclusions

    The evolving cyberinsurance market could be heading for a seismic shift if more insurers scale back standard business IT breach policies to limit the impact of state-backed cyberattacks on their bottom line.

  • September 19, 2024

    UK Issues Disclosure Exemptions For Investment Trusts

    The government and Financial Conduct Authority announced Thursday plans to reform the U.K. retail disclosure rules in early 2025, with immediate interim exemption of investment trusts from current requirements on cost disclosures to retail investors.

  • September 19, 2024

    AI Helping Rise In UK Insurance Fraud, Report Shows

    Nearly one in five insurance claim handlers believe that many fraud claims now involve fake supporting documents created or altered using artificial intelligence tools, a new report shows.

Expert Analysis

  • 10 Ways To Manage AI Risks In Service Contracts

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    With the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act coming into force on Aug. 1 and introducing a new regulatory risk, and with AI technology continuing to develop at pace, parties to services arrangements should employ mechanisms now to build in flexibility and get on the front foot, says James Longster at Travers Smith.

  • What Future May Hold For AI Innovation In UK Under Labour

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    Labour’s recent King's Speech was notable in its absence of discussion of a comprehensive artificial intelligence bill, and while this may indicate to many that the UK is open for business, the party’s approach to cross-sectoral engagement will be critical for shaping Britain's AI landscape in the near term, says Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith.

  • Unpacking The New Concept Of 'Trading Misfeasance'

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    In addition to granting one of the largest trading awards since the Insolvency Act was passed in 1986, the High Court recently introduced a novel claim for misfeasant trading in Wright v. Chappell, opening the door to liability for directors, even where insolvent liquidation or administration was not inevitable, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

  • EU WhatsApp Deletion Fine Sends Clear Message

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    The recent European Commission fine of International Flavors & Fragrances — the first for the deletion of social media messages during a dawn raid — although halved as a result of IFF's cooperation, shows the commission's view on obstruction poses a real risk to companies under investigation, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

  • Key Takeaways From Proposed EU Anticorruption Directive

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    The European Commission's anticorruption proposal, on which the EU Council recently adopted a position, will substantially alter the landscape of corporate compliance and liability across the EU, so companies will need to undertake rigorous revisions of their compliance frameworks to align with the directive's demands, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Implications Of EU Network Directive For Data Center Owners

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    With the October implementation deadline of the EU’s new cybersecurity regime under the Network Systems Directive fast approaching, data center owners and operators need to consider compliance steps, and U.K. companies providing services in the EU should take note, say lawyers at Bird & Bird.

  • New EU Guidelines Provide Insights On Global AI Regulation

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    The European Data Protection Supervisor’s first guidelines on artificial intelligence only apply to governmental bodies, but together with the EU AI Act they demonstrate a strong and prescriptive policy, and offer a glimpse into what could be the next phase in world AI regulation, says Kevin Benedicto at Redgrave.

  • Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.

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    The plea deal for conspiracy to defraud regulators that Boeing has tentatively agreed to will, on the one hand, probably help the company avoid further reputational damage, but also demonstrates to companies that deferred prosecution agreements have real teeth, and that noncompliance with DPA terms can be costly, says Edmund Vickers at Red Lion Chambers.

  • Keeping Up With Carbon Capture Policy In The US And EU

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    Recent regulatory moves from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission in the carbon capture, sequestration and storage space are likely to further encourage the owners and operators of fossil fuel-fired power plants to make decisions on shutdowns or reconfiguration to meet the expanding requirements, say Inosi Nyatta and Silvia Brünjes at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • How AI Treaty Will Further Global Governance Cooperation

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    The EU’s recently adopted treaty on artificial intelligence represents a significant step toward global cooperation in AI governance in emphasizing human rights obligations, although additional guidance and clarity would be beneficial to minimize varied interpretations at national level, say lawyers at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • EU Investor-State Dispute Transparency Rules: Key Points

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    The European Union's recent vote to embrace greater transparency for investor-state arbitration will make managing newly public information more complex for all parties in a dispute — so it is important for stakeholders to understand the risks and opportunities involved, say Philip Hall, Tara Flores and Charles McKeon at Thorndon Partners.

  • How Regulation Of Tech Providers Is Breaking New Ground

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    The forthcoming EU regulation on digital operational resilience and the U.K. critical third-party regime, by expanding the direct application of financial services regulation to designated technology providers, represent a significant development that is not to be underestimated, say David Berman and Emily Lemaire at Covington.

  • Takeaways From EU's Initial Findings On Apple's App Store

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    A deep dive into the European Commission's recent preliminary findings that Apple's App Store rules are in breach of the Digital Markets Act reveal that enforcement of the EU's Big Tech law might go beyond the literal text of the regulation and more toward the spirit of compliance, say William Dolan and Pratik Agarwal at Rule Garza.

  • Why Trustees Should Take Note Of Charity Code Consultation

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    The Charity Governance Code Steering Group's recently launched governance code consultation is unlikely to result in a radical overhaul, but with the bigger issue being awareness and application by smaller underresourced charities, trustees should engage with the process to help shape the next iteration of this valuable tool, says Chris Priestley at Withers.

  • What EU Net-Zero Act Will Mean For Tech Manufacturers

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    Martin Weitenberg at Eversheds Sutherland discusses the European Council’s recently adopted Net-Zero Industry Act and provides an overview of its main elements relevant for net-zero technology manufacturers, including benchmarks, enhanced permitting procedures and the creation of new institutions.

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