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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

Ephgrave's Exit Leaves SFO At A Crossroads

Nick Ephgrave will leave the Serious Fraud Office better off, faster and more aggressive than he found it, raising challenges for his successor to build on the foundations laid during his relatively short tenure, lawyers have said.

Sign outside the headquarters of the UK anti-fraud agency

The SFO's Options To Pursue Guralp For Alleged DPA Breach

Sanctioning and potentially even prosecuting a British company for breaching a plea deal would bolster the U.K.'s flagging criminal settlement regime, although the Serious Fraud Office will have to weigh whether a tough stance is in the interests of justice, lawyers say.

Exterior of the financial regulator's offices in London

FCA Kick-Starts New 'Name And Shame' Enforcement Tactic

The Financial Conduct Authority has begun 2026 with a clear sign that it will use its newly won power to "name and shame" companies under investigation for suspected misconduct as it seeks to bolster protection for consumers.

portrait of a smiling white woman with long straight blonde hair wearing a suit

Sprenger Follows The Puck To New Boutique Dream Team

White collar veteran Polly Sprenger explained her decision to join the new London office of U.S. firm Michelman & Robinson with Wayne Gretzky's famed follow-the-puck mantra. Here she talks to Law360 about seeking out a different way of working, what clients actually need and why she thinks good lawyers should reveal rather than conceal the truth.

January 20, 2026
Letby Avoids Further Criminal Charges Over Baby Deaths

British prosecutors said Tuesday that they would not be charging Lucy Letby with the murder and attempted murder of nine more infants because there was not enough evidence to pursue the case, as the former nurse serves out her whole-life prison sentence.
January 20, 2026
UK Launches Service To Combat Cyber Crime And Fraud

The U.K. has launched a national reporting and intelligence service for fraud and cyber crime intended to help protect victims and tackle billions of pounds lost each year, a police force announced Tuesday.
January 20, 2026
Ex-Entain Execs Lose Privacy Claim Against Watchdog

Two former executives at the predecessor of betting giant Entain have lost their claim that Britain's gambling regulator wrongly published private and confidential information about them in its announcement of regulatory review.
January 20, 2026
Mail Says Celebs 'Clutching At Straws' In Privacy Trial

The publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper said Tuesday that Prince Harry and other public figures were "clutching at straws" in their case alleging that its journalists had paid for and used unlawfully-obtained information for decades.
January 20, 2026
Bar Council Appoints 1st Commissioner To Fight Misconduct

The Bar Council said Tuesday that it has appointed a former government minister as its first commissioner for conduct to tackle what an independent review described as an "unsustainable" situation of bullying and sexual harassment in the profession.
January 20, 2026
Russell Brand Faces New Rape, Sexual Assault Charges

Actor and comedian Russell Brand attended a London court remotely on Tuesday to face two new charges of rape and sexual assault.
January 20, 2026
Gov't Scraps Long-Awaited UK Audit Sector Reforms

The government said on Tuesday that it would not push ahead with long-awaited audit and governance reforms designed to improve trust in the sector after a string of high-profile accounting scandals.
January 20, 2026
Brazil Dam Contempt Case Has No Legal Authority, BHP Says

BHP urged the Court of Appeal Tuesday to grant it permission to appeal against an order allowing Brazilian municipalities bringing litigation over the collapse of a dam to continue criminal contempt proceedings because it raises issues of "general public importance."
January 20, 2026
UK Regulators Sideline Probes Into Open Banking Fees

U.K. finance watchdogs said Tuesday they will not prioritize competition law investigations into future bank fees on varying regular bill payments, opting to avoid uncertainty in open banking operations.
January 20, 2026
Osborne Clarke Pro Overturns SDT's Zahawi SLAPP Ruling

An Osborne Clarke partner has overturned a disciplinary tribunal's finding of misconduct over his attempts to prevent a blogger from disclosing a defamation threat by former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, as a London court found on Tuesday the decision lacked sufficient reasons and was "unfair."
January 19, 2026
London Firm Fined £25K For AML Compliance Failures

A London law firm has reached a deal to avoid enforcement action after the solicitors' regulator found that it had fallen short in meeting its legal obligations on anti-money laundering.
January 19, 2026
Former NHS Manager Gets Prison Sentence For £123K Fraud

A former NHS manager has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for fraudulently diverting more than £123,000 ($165,000) from the health service, most of which he spent on gambling.
January 19, 2026
Celebs Accuse Daily Mail Of 'Systematic' Privacy Intrusions

Prince Harry, Elton John and other public figures accused the publisher of the Daily Mail of having a "culture of unlawful information-gathering" at the start of the High Court trial over their blockbuster privacy claim on Monday.
January 19, 2026
BHP To Pay £43M Over Mariana Dam Case As It Seeks Appeal

BHP will have to pay £43 million ($58 million) of costs on account after it was found liable for the deadly collapse of a Brazilian dam, a London court ruled Monday as it rejected the mining giant's request to appeal against the decision.
January 19, 2026
Tribunal Upholds FCA Ban, £2M Fine For 'Dishonest' Adviser

The Financial Conduct Authority said Monday that a court has upheld its decision to ban and fine a financial adviser more than £2 million ($2.7 million) for misconduct it described as the worst it has seen over the British Steel Pension Scheme scandal.
January 16, 2026
UK Supreme Court To Hear Landmark Whistleblowing Case

The U.K.'s top court will soon determine whether whistleblowers who claim automatic unfair dismissal can bring separate detriment cases based on sackings, after senior barristers formally filed their appeal in the landmark case.
January 16, 2026
Ex-Client Defamed It With Fraud Allegations, Law Firm Says

A law firm asked a court on Friday to find that a former client's series of emails accusing it of fraudulently overcharging him were accusing it of being dishonest as a matter of fact.
January 16, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London saw the David Lloyd gym chain file an intellectual property claim against its founder, security company Primekings reignite a long-running dispute with the former owners of an acquired business, and a pair of Belizean developers sue a finance executive they say shut them out of a cruise port project.
January 16, 2026
Former Directors Cop To SFO's £70M Ethical Forestry Case

Two men accused by the Serious Fraud Office of defrauding investors as part of a £70 million ($94 million) tree plantation scheme pleaded guilty to fraud charges at a London court on Friday, two weeks prior to their trial.
January 16, 2026
UK Businesses See AI As Growing Legal Threat, Allianz Warns

More than half of U.K. businesses fear legal risks and damage to reputation from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, insurance giant Allianz has warned.
January 16, 2026
Ex-Finance Exec Hit With 5-Year Ban For Ignoring FRC Probe

The accounting regulator revealed Friday that a former finance executive has been removed from the profession for five years for failing to cooperate with its investigation into suspected accounting irregularities at a pipeline company which had collapsed.
January 16, 2026
Insurance Brokers Plan Directory To Boost Cyber Protection

The British Insurance Brokers' Association has said it is working with the government to develop a directory of cyber insurance brokers in an effort to close the so-called protection gap at U.K. businesses.
January 16, 2026
Consultant Hit With Fine For Insider Trading In Oil Shares

The finance watchdog said Friday that it has fined an oil rig consultant for breaching market abuse rules by using inside information about the discovery of oil and gas to pocket almost £130,000 ($174,000).
January 15, 2026
Jockey's Cos. Say He Can't Cover £765K In Tax Debt

An Italian jockey is not able to pay back over £765,500 ($1.02 million) in company tax debt to HM Revenue & Customs following his bankruptcy last year amid a private dispute with the U.K. tax authority, according to company documents.
January 15, 2026
NHS Settles Whistleblower Claims In Letby Hospital Case

A former NHS chief executive won a payout to settle her unfair dismissal case against the health service, after she raised concerns over leadership at the trust where Lucy Letby was accused of murdering seven babies.

Editor's Picks

6 Bombshell Moments From Staley's Bid To Clear His Name

Jes Staley has suffered a bruising week as he testified about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, culminating in an admission by the former banker that he had sex with a member of the disgraced financier's staff.
5 Questions For Spencer West Partner Karl Foster

The Financial Conduct Authority's approach to enforcement and consumer protection has come up against government economic growth priorities and resistance from the sector to its proposals to "name and shame" companies early on during regulatory probes.
UK Russia Sanctions Face Landmark Test At Supreme Court

The U.K.'s sanctions regime faces a major test on Wednesday as billionaire Eugene Shvidler seeks to have his financial restrictions cast off — the first case to challenge Russian sanctions that has reached the country's highest court.

Expert Analysis

What Is In Store For ESG Litigation In UK And EU

With 2025 seeing more sophisticated and far-reaching environmental litigation, and regulatory enforcement set to continue, a focus on greenwashing and climate attribution science is likely in 2026, and organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their approach to sustainability risks and opportunities, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.
Noting Similarities And Divergences In UK, EU Apple Rulings

While recent judgments against Apple by the Competition Appeal Tribunal and European Commission all focus on the Apple ecosystem and point toward closer scrutiny of its App Store rules, their analytical methodologies and potential enforcement routes differ, highlighting differences in approaches to competition law, say lawyers at Perkins Coie.
Decoding Arbitral Disputes: EU Law And Treaty Arbitration

A recent Singapore court ruling in DNZ v. DOA upholding an arbitration award against Poland constitutes a significant affirmation of the autonomy of international arbitration from regional constitutional orders when disputes are adjudicated outside those orders, says Josep Galvez of 4-5 Gray's Inn.
What To Expect From UK Prospectus Regime Changes

The new U.K. prospectus regime for trading on regulated markets, effective Jan. 19, aims to streamline processes and reduce costs, but a significant shift in structuring and disclosure obligations will increase pressure on practitioners to manage risk under tighter timelines, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
10 Financial Regulatory Changes To Prepare For In 2026

A number of changes in the financial regulatory sphere are due this year, from targeted support to payment safeguarding and a new consumer composite investments regime, and firms should plan to address the policies and regulatory strategies relevant to them, say lawyers at Womble Bond.
How Gov't AML Supervision Reform Will Affect Law Firms

In confirming that the Financial Conduct Authority will become the single supervisor for professional services, HM Treasury’s planned reform of the U.K.’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervision regime marks a significant change for the legal profession, signaling a greater emphasis on evidence and accountability, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
EU Financial Regulation Trends Cos. Need To Watch In 2026

An ever-increasing number of initiatives on the European Union regulatory agenda, with simplification and consistent implementation being priorities, means financial services businesses with a footprint in the EU or seeking to establish one will face significant challenges and strategic opportunities, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.
What To Expect From UK, EU Crypto Regime Changes In 2026

With 2025 marking the first operational year of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and the U.K.’s rules reaching their final legislative form, the two jurisdictions are converging in focus, but structural design differences mean firms active in both markets will require dedicated documentation to ensure compliance, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
What Cos. Can Expect From CMA Consumer Protection Drive

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently launched consumer protection drive targeting banned online sales practices focuses on supporting compliance rather than on enforcement, although firms should expect this to change once businesses have had time to adapt to the regulator's new regime, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
Preparing For UK's New Tax Fraud Whistleblower Program

With the U.K. government introducing a U.S.-style whistleblower incentive scheme to tackle high-value tax avoidance and evasion, companies should take proactive steps and establish clear protocols to mitigate the potential increase in tax investigations, say lawyers at Skadden.
Key Trends Shaping ESG And Sustainability Law In 2026

2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.
Digital Regulation In EU And UK: The Enduring 2025 Themes

With EU and U.K. digital regulation becoming an operational reality in 2025 and no sign of slowing in 2026, organizations need to embed content moderation, cybersecurity and data access obligations into their compliance structures, although legislative divergences mean that multinational businesses must also consider parallel and sometimes conflicting expectations, say lawyers at Morrison & Foerster.
FCA Enforcement Trends In 2025 And Expectations For 2026

The Financial Conduct Authority’s clear intention in 2025 to conduct fewer, faster investigations and reinforce transparency is likely to continue in 2026, with a dual-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and assertive supervision to fight crime, support growth and help consumers as its priorities, say lawyers at WilmerHale.
Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails

The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
Brazil Dam Ruling Highlights Role Of Corporate Accountability

The recent High Court judgment in Municipio de Mariana v. BHP concerning the collapse of the Fundao dam establishes a precedent for holding parent companies that exercise significant control and assume responsibility liable for the actions of group entities, notwithstanding their multinational corporate structure, say lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.