Financial Services UK

  • August 20, 2024

    Clifford Chance 'In Shock' Over Missing Partner

    Clifford Chance said Tuesday that it is "in shock and deeply saddened" that a partner is among six passengers missing from a yacht that was reportedly chartered to celebrate the legal victory of technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

  • August 20, 2024

    FCA Move To Results-Based Regulation Could Hurt Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority's planned move to an outcomes-based approach to regulation is raising concerns among lawyers that the resulting uncertainty could undermine companies in the sector and weaken the government's push for international competitiveness.

  • August 20, 2024

    Pinsent Masons-Led Broker AUB Acquires UK Movo Group

    AUB Group Ltd. has said that it has agreed to buy an 80% equity stake in U.K. insurer Movo Group, as the Australian broker bids to expand its operations in Britain.

  • August 20, 2024

    EU OKs CMS-Led Aareal Bank To Sell Unit To TPG For €3.9B

    The European Union approved on Tuesday the sale for approximately €3.9 billion ($4.3 billion) by German lender Aareal Bank AG and investment company Advent International of a property management and maintenance software company to U.S. private equity firm TPG and Canada's CDPQ.

  • August 20, 2024

    Gov't Launches Pension Credit Promo Before Fuel Benefit Cut

    The government launched a campaign on Tuesday to boost the number of people claiming pension credits, after it said that winter fuel allowances will be a means-tested benefit this year.

  • August 19, 2024

    Mike Lynch, Clifford Chance Pro Among Missing After Yacht Sinks

    Former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch and a Clifford Chance LLP partner who helped him beat federal fraud charges back in June are among those missing after their chartered luxury yacht sank during a storm off Sicily early Monday during a trip reportedly to celebrate Lynch's legal victory.

  • August 19, 2024

    Deutsche Bank Moved Money For ISIS, Victims' Families Say

    Families of two journalists and an aid worker captured and killed by the Islamic State sued Deutsche Bank AG in New York federal court for allegedly facilitating the financing of the terrorist group, a case that comes on the 10th anniversary of the death of journalist James Foley.

  • August 19, 2024

    Broker Wins Claim Over Bosses' Postchemotherapy Demands

    Vantage Capital Markets Ltd. discriminated against a broker by withholding her pay until she completed excessive requirements to prove she was fit to work following cancer treatment, an employment tribunal has ruled.

  • August 19, 2024

    HMRC Did Not Victimize Female Civil Servant, Tribunal Finds

    A former caseworker at HM Revenue and Customs was not unlawfully victimized by her manager who proposed a work meeting at her home because the request had nothing to do with her being a woman, a London employment tribunal has ruled.

  • August 19, 2024

    Ex-Finance Co. Director Denies Forcing CEO's Share Transfer

    The former director of a lending business has denied forcing the chief executive of the company to transfer shares by concocting a false fraud allegation, and told a London court that his report to a regulator was justified.

  • August 19, 2024

    German Finance Watchdog Warns Of AI-Linked Discrimination

    Germany's financial watchdog has said it will take "decisive action" against the companies it supervises it they fail to stop illegal discrimination caused by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

  • August 19, 2024

    Former BHS Directors Liable For £110M Over Collapsed Biz

    Two former directors of the defunct British Home Stores retail chain have been found liable for more than £110 million ($142 million) after they allowed the company to continue trading when there was no prospect of recovery.

  • August 19, 2024

    Gov't Targets Consolidation In First Phase Of Pension Review

    The Labour government has said that the first phase of its retirement savings review will be centered on the consolidation of the defined contribution pension market.

  • August 19, 2024

    RPC Helps Japanese Fintech Debut In London After Purchase

    Japanese crowdfunding platform MOH Nippon PLC was admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange on Monday after being bought by a special purpose acquisition company for £34.5 million ($44.7 million).

  • August 19, 2024

    Pinsent Masons Steers Aviva's £34M Macmillan Pension Deal

    Aviva PLC has covered £33.7 million ($43.7 million) of pension liabilities for Macmillan Cancer Support, which covers the retirement savings plans of all the retirees and deferred members of the British charity.

  • August 16, 2024

    Deutsche, Ex-Trader End 2nd Libor Malicious Prosecution Suit

    Deutsche Bank and a former U.K. derivatives trader who accused the bank of scapegoating him to U.S. authorities investigating interest rate-rigging have resolved his $30 million malicious prosecution lawsuit in New York state court.

  • August 16, 2024

    Telecom Directors Deny Adviser's HMRC Fraud Claim

    Two directors have denied owing a financial adviser a fee for attempting to source a £5 million ($6.4 million) investment for their telecommunications business, characterizing his July claim that they hoped to defraud the U.K.'s tax department through the company as "entirely fictitious."

  • August 16, 2024

    Local Council Accuses Tycoon Of Misappropriating £150M

    A local English council pushed into effective bankruptcy after a spate of failed investments has sued a businessman for upward of £150 million ($194 million) it claims he siphoned off to buy yachts, private jets and a country estate.

  • August 16, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen Barry Manilow sued by music rights company Hipgnosis, a struck-off immigration lawyer take on the Solicitor's Disciplinary Tribunal and the former CEO of a collapsed bridging loan firm start proceedings against the FCA. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • August 16, 2024

    Pension Scheme Endgames Pushed Back Amid Falling Yields

    The average timeline for U.K. pension schemes to reach a point where they can buy out their liabilities with an insurance company was extended last month, due to falling bond yields, experts said.

  • August 16, 2024

    Specialist Lender OSB Announces New £50M Share Buyback

    OSB Group PLC said it will roll out a share repurchase program worth up to £50 million ($65 million) as the buy-to-let lender announced an increased pretax profit but warned of more competition in the "subdued" mortgage market.

  • August 16, 2024

    PwC Fined £15M For Failing To Flag LC&F Fraud Suspicion

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday it has fined PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP £15 million ($19.3 million) for failing to report to the regulator its belief that London Capital & Finance PLC might be involved in fraud.

  • August 16, 2024

    Revolut Valued At $45B After Secondary Equity Issue

    U.K. fintech Revolut said Friday it has secured a $45 billion valuation in a share sale by its employees to new and existing investors, cementing its status as Europe's most valuable private technology company.

  • August 16, 2024

    FCA Apologizes For Treatment of 'Voluntary Requirement'

    Britain's financial watchdog has apologized for an unnecessary extension of two years of publishing on its register a "voluntary requirement" for a company indicating failure to meet standards after the Complaints Commissioner upheld a claim.

  • August 15, 2024

    Union Group Calls For UK To Address Gender Pension Gap

    The Trades Union Congress has said retired women receive £7,000 ($9,000) a year less from their pensions than retired men, a gender gap, it warns, that is closing far too slowly.

Expert Analysis

  • What The Anti-Coercion Instrument Will Bring To The EU

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    Vassilis Akritidis and Jean-Baptiste Blancardi at Crowell & Moring discuss why the European Union recently adopted a report on the anti-coercion instrument to reform its trade legislation, how the instrument will be used to respond to unfair economic pressure from third countries, and how businesses can impact the EU's decision making.

  • Why FCA Crypto Rules Need To Align With UK Gov't Aims

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    There is a critical need for cryptocurrency regulations that protect consumers while supporting the government's aim to make the U.K. a crypto hub, but the Financial Conduct Authority’s recently effective rules on financial promotion of crypto-assets bring an unintended risk that legitimate firms will be driven out of the market, says Laura Navarathnam at the Crypto Council for Innovation.

  • CMA Report On AI May Lead to Greater Competition Control

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    The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority’s recent report on artificial intelligence foundation models is a sign that developers could face increased merger control and antitrust enforcement, and businesses should be mindful of these views to ensure that their models do not come under investigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • UK Mozambique Ruling Will Have Int'l Ramifications

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    The recent U.K. Supreme Court judgment in Mozambique v. Privinvest considered for the first time stay proceedings under the Arbitration Act, offering guidance on whether claims are a "matter" within the scope of an arbitration clause, which could become a point of reference for foreign courts in the future, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.

  • Recent Trends In European ESG-Related Shareholder Activism

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    New ESG reporting standards in the European Union, as well as recent climate change, board diversity and human rights cases, illustrate how shareholder activism may become more prominent in years to come as regulation and investor engagement continues to strengthen, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • Audit Regulator Review Has Tips On Climate Metric Reporting

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    The U.K. Financial Reporting Council’s recent review of climate-related metrics and targets in listed companies’ annual reports is an extremely useful guide for issuers considering the quality of their disclosure reporting, with a number of key areas identified as central to further improvement, say lawyers at Bryan Cave.

  • What Russia Case Reveals About UK Sanctions Enforcement

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    The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation recently issued its first enforcement action under the U.K.'s expanded Russia sanctions against a relatively small company for a moderately severe breach — a decision that highlights several questions about the watchdog’s purpose and methods, say Maia Cohen-Lask and Tasha Benkhadra at Corker Binning.

  • Breaking Down The UK's Draft Updates To Prospectus Regime

    While there still may be changes, the U.K.'s near-final draft statutory instrument to update and in some parts replace the current on-shored EU prospectus regime is likely to represent a significant overhaul of the existing regime and may make U.K. capital markets a more attractive venue for listings for issuers, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Italy's Bank-Profits Tax Plan May Become Model For Eurozone

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    If Italy's recently proposed 40% bank-profits tax helps keep its populist coalition government in power, notwithstanding the European Central Bank's legal challenges, the passage could spark a windfall tax trend across the eurozone and even in the U.K., says Cris Cicala at Stinson.

  • Bitcoin Case Highlights Advanced Age Of UK's IP Law

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    An appellate court's recent decision in a case involving the copyright of bitcoin's file format emphasizes the role of copyright protection in software, and also the challenges of applying decades-old laws to new technologies, say Marianna Foerg and Ben Bell at Potter Clarkson.

  • Accountability Is Key To Preventing Miscarriages Of Justice

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    The wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson and other recent cases show that in order to avoid future miscarriages of justice, there needs to be a fundamental reevaluation of how investigators, prosecutors and the Criminal Cases Review Commission operate, prioritizing stronger penalties and increased funding, say Thomas Walford at Expert Evidence International and policy analyst Gerald Frost.

  • 4 Compliance Considerations Under FCA Consumer Duty

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    Following the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent introduction of the new consumer duty regime, firms will need to be mindful of data protection implications when managing their compliance with the duty and data protection legislation, say lawyers at Bird & Bird.

  • What Could Come Of CFPB, EU Consumer Finance Collab

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    A recent joint statement from the European Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau focused on how technology is affecting consumers of financial services, potentially recognizing that legal protections are lacking because tech regulations lag behind its development, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • 6 Key Factors For Successful Cross-Border Dispute Mediation

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    The European landscape of cross-border disputes diverges markedly from the U.S. experience and presents unique challenges, including the amalgamation of diverse cultures and legal systems, but there are several practical steps that practitioners can take to effectively navigate the process, says Peter Kamminga at JAMS.

  • Operational Resilience Considerations In Financial Services

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    A recent letter from the Financial Conduct Authority reminds CEOs of U.K. wholesale banks of their role in the safety and soundness of markets, but all firms can draw lessons and consider their own operational resilience for longer-term security and commercial benefit, says Richard Tall at Faegre Drinker.

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