Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

Campaigners for For Women Scotland outside the Supreme Court in London

5 More Things For Employers To Consider After Sex Ruling

The ruling in April by the U.K. Supreme Court on the legal definition of a woman will compel employers to rethink much more than who uses what toilet, lawyers say.

FCA Set To Get Enforcement Boost From New Fraud Offense

The new "failure to prevent" fraud offense that comes into force in September will indirectly boost the Financial Conduct Authority's opportunities for enforcement against corporate senior managers, countering its recent retreat from plans to "name and shame" companies it is investigating, lawyers say.

Nick Ephgrave, director of the Serious Fraud Office

Fess Up, Or Wait And See? SFO Policy Shift Stirs DPA Debate

The Serious Fraud Office's "cast iron" promise that companies self-reporting wrongdoing will duck prosecution could lead to a new wave of settlements — but only if other controversial reforms push businesses to the negotiation table, lawyers say.

Questions Linger On UK Sanctions Enforcement Despite Win

British prosecutors recently won their first-ever case against a former politician for breaching Russian sanctions, but some experts question whether the authorities are picking simpler cases rather than prosecuting more complex, substantive breaches.

May 01, 2025
ECB Says Consumers Ready To Avoid US Goods Over Tariffs

European consumers are prepared to avoid American goods for the long term, following the impact of tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration, according to a survey by the European Central Bank.
May 01, 2025
Lawyer Bids To Ax 'Greedy' Allegation In $11B Award Ruling

A solicitor asked the Court of Appeal on Thursday to strike out references to his being "greedy" and "corrupt" in a judgment over a fraudulent arbitration award against the Republic of Nigeria, arguing that these comments breached his due process rights.
May 01, 2025
Cross-Border Payments Firms Lack Transparency, FCA Says

Companies offering international money remittance and cross-border payment services often fail to explain their fees clearly and should consider making improvements under the Consumer Duty, the Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday.
May 01, 2025
UK Crypto-Asset Business Shut Down For International Fraud

Crypto-asset company BTCMining has been shut down by a court in England after complaints from across the globe that it did not pay out their returns, according to the Insolvency Service.
May 01, 2025
Ex-Solicitor Gets Prison For Pocketing £160K In Client Money

A former solicitor who duped more than 300 clients over three years into paying more than £160,000 ($213,000) into her personal bank account rather than to her firm has been jailed for two-and-a-half years, police have said.
May 01, 2025
Ex-NCA Official Denies Claiming He Was Spy For Top Job

A former National Crime Agency official pleaded not guilty to fraud charges on Thursday — allegations that he lied about being an intelligence analyst for Britain's spy agency when he applied for a senior position in the U.K.'s maritime security service.
April 30, 2025
Calif. Privacy Agency Inks Cooperation Pact With UK Authority

The California Privacy Protection Agency has taken its latest step toward boosting its collaboration with data protection authorities around the world, announcing Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the U.K.'s privacy regulator to compare investigative methods, research into new technologies and other vital tools.
April 30, 2025
Ex-Janus Analyst Insists Cash Was For Father's Business

A former analyst for asset management company Janus Henderson told jurors that £198,000 ($264,100) in cash — alleged by the Financial Conduct Authority to be dirty money — was for his father's construction business, denying the FCA's accusation.
April 30, 2025
EU Busts $10M VAT Fraud Ring Involving Chinese Imports

The European Anti-Fraud Office and Polish authorities uncovered a value-added tax fraud ring that exploited European Union rules to dodge over 38.2 million Polish zloty ($10.1 million) in value-added taxes on goods imported from China, they said Wednesday.
April 30, 2025
Cyberattack Forces Co-op Legal Services To Restrict Access

The Co-operative Group said Wednesday that measures it took to restrict access to key internal systems caused delays within its legal services arm, after the company took action to minimize the threat from an attempted cyberattack.
April 30, 2025
Briton Staves Off S. African Extradition In £36M Bribery Case

A Briton wanted in South Africa to face charges regarding an alleged £36 million ($48 million) government bribery scandal has successfully challenged his extradition, with a London court ruling Wednesday that the wrong authority had requested the extradition.
April 30, 2025
FCA Says Meta Slacking In The Removal Of Suspect Ads

The Financial Conduct Authority named Facebook owner Meta on Wednesday as the biggest laggard among the big tech companies in terms of responding to requests to take down material from "finfluencers" about whom the watchdog had issued warnings.
April 30, 2025
HMRC Should Use AI To Boost Services, Report Says

HM Revenue & Customs is still not doing enough to improve its services and should prepare to use artificial intelligence to enhance customer service for U.K. taxpayers and increase its productivity, according to a parliamentary report.
April 30, 2025
SFO Arrests 3 In Bribery Probe Tied To Microsoft Center

The Serious Fraud Office arrested three people on Wednesday in an international bribery investigation into allegations that a British infrastructure company made £3 million ($4 million) in corrupt payments in connection with construction of a data center used by Microsoft.
April 30, 2025
UK Finance Sector Calls For Cuts To Audit Regulation

A group of finance and corporate trade bodies urged the government on Wednesday to reduce and simplify regulation of auditors to support U.K. growth.
April 30, 2025
Lender Says Company Owner Gifted Biz To Son To Evade Debt

A finance provider has sued a businessman for allegedly gifting a company to his son the day after the lender had demanded payment of more than £4.7 million ($6.3 million) under a loan guarantee.
April 30, 2025
Pro Darts Player Hit With 11-Year Ban For Match Fixing

A professional darts player has been hit with an 11-year competition ban and ordered to pay almost £18,000 ($24,000) after the sport's watchdog found him guilty of fixing a dozen matches.
April 30, 2025
Axiom Ince Execs Deny Fraud Charges Over Firm's Collapse

Five former senior figures at Axiom Ince denied allegations on Wednesday that they had defrauded clients and covered up their wrongdoing during a regulatory probe into the law firm, which collapsed with a hole of more than £60 million ($80.1 million) in its client accounts.
April 30, 2025
Israeli PI Can Be Extradited Over Alleged Exxon Hacking Plot

An Israeli private investigator accused of hacking activists to help ExxonMobil undermine climate-change litigation can be extradited to the U.S. after a London judge rejected claims that his prosecution was politically motivated.
April 29, 2025
EU Top Court OKs Polish Property Tax Break For Railway

The Polish government may grant a property tax exemption to a private railway owner to make part of the railway available to carriers without breaking European Union law on state aid, the EU's top court ruled Tuesday.
April 29, 2025
Gov't Cracks Down On Crime With UK Cryptocurrency Rules

HM Treasury unveiled new regulations for crypto-exchanges on Tuesday, which it said would protect the growing number of adults who are investing in risky assets, while encouraging innovation in the sector.
April 29, 2025
CCRC Execs Defend Roles Amid Criticism Over Failures

Executives who head the body that investigates miscarriages of justice said Tuesday that they are still the "right people" for the job as they were grilled by MPs over damning findings about the mishandling of historic convictions.
April 29, 2025
Ex-Russells Partner Denies Role In Alleged Share Sale Plot

Russells Solicitors and a former partner have denied being part of an alleged plot to hide plans for a $40 million takeover of a celebrity intellectual property licensing company to get a former director to sell his shares cheaply.
April 29, 2025
UK Treasury Appoints 4 New FCA Board Members

HM Treasury said Tuesday it has appointed four new members to the board of the Financial Conduct Authority.
April 29, 2025
EU Prosecutors Accuse Audit Body Of Blocking Fraud Probe

European Union prosecutors have sued the European Court of Auditors for blocking a request for several of the court's members of staff to testify in a criminal investigation launched in the wake of allegations of fraud at the top of the audit institution.

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

Expect Complex Ruling From UK Justices In Car Dealer Case

While recent arguments before the U.K. Supreme Court in a consumer test case on motor finance commissions reveal the court’s take on several points argued, application of the upcoming decision will be both nuanced and fact-sensitive, so market participants wishing to prepare do not have a simple task, says Tom Grodecki at Cadwalader.
Why Cos. Should Investigate Unethical Supply Chain Conduct

The U.K. government’s recent updated guidance for businesses on reporting slavery and human trafficking in supply chains underscores the urgent need for companies to adopt transparent and measurable due diligence practices, reinforcing the broader need for proactive internal investigations into unethical or criminal conduct, say lawyers at Seladore and Matrix Chambers.
FCA Bulletin Highlights Risks Of Leaking Inside M&A Info

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent bulletin on the consequences of leaking sensitive information during transactions, warning that such disclosure may result in market abuse allegations, demonstrates the regulator’s determination to root out and penalize insider dealing, say lawyers at Cadwalader.
New Anti-Corruption Task Force Bolsters Int'l Collaboration

The recent creation of an anti-corruption task force by the U.K., France and Switzerland demonstrates a commitment to tackling bribery within national and international frameworks, and organizations within these jurisdictions’ remit, including U.S. companies operating in Europe, should review their compliance practices to ensure they address diverging requirements, say lawyers at Skadden.
FCA's Regulatory Plans Signal Cause For Cautious Optimism

The Financial Conduct Authority’s latest strategy document plans for less intrusive supervision, a more open and collaborative approach, and a focus on assertive action where needed, outlining a vision of deepened trust and rebalanced risk that will be welcomed by all those it regulates, says Imogen Makin at WilmerHale.
How CMA Is Responding To UK Gov't Pro-Growth Agenda

With the U.K. government’s recent call for the Competition and Markets Authority and other regulators to better support economic growth, the competition policy landscape is shifting materially toward an emphasis on a more proportionate and targeted approach to merger enforcement, say lawyers at Macfarlanes.
US Diversity Policies Present Challenges To UK And EU Cos.

Following President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders calling for increased scrutiny of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, it is clear that global businesses operating in the U.K. and European Union will need to understand regional nuances to successfully navigate differing agendas on either side of the Atlantic, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.
Updated EU Procedure Streamlines Data Transfer Approval

The European Data Protection Board’s updated approval procedure for binding corporate rules for transfers of personal data to non-European Union countries promotes consistency for regulator communications during the application process, and sets expectations for processing timelines, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
What Cos. Must Note From FCA Bulletin On Leaking M&A Info

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent bulletin on strategic leaks in merger and acquisition transactions, as the second such publication in four months, acts as a warning for issuers and their advisers to tighten up their current policies for handling inside information, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.
FCA's Odey Decision Is Wake-Up Call For Financial Firms

The Financial Conduct Authority recently banned hedge fund boss Crispin Odey from working in financial services, underscoring the critical importance the regulator places on whether individuals are fit and proper to perform regulated activities, and the connection between nonfinancial misconduct and the integrity of the financial markets, say lawyers at Pallas Partners.
How Ransomware Payment Reforms Could Affect UK Cos.

The Home Office’s recent proposals to ban ransomware payments by publicly owned bodies is a welcome first step in its aims to tackle the cybercrime industry, but the risk remains that hackers will now focus on private companies that are still permitted to pay a ransom, says Dominic Holden at Lawrence Stephens.
Key Takeaways From The 2025 Spring Antitrust Meeting

Leadership changes, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement tools dominated the conversation at the recent American Bar Association Spring Antitrust Meeting, as panelists explored competition policy under a second Trump administration, agency discretion under the 2023 merger guidelines and new frontiers in conduct enforcement, say attorneys at Freshfields.
Rising To The Task Of Online Safety Act Compliance

The arrival of the Online Safety Act’s deadlines for all in-scope services and children’s access in March and April, enabling the Office of Communications to begin enforcing safety duties regarding illegal content, presents formidable compliance challenges for affected businesses, says Louisa Chambers at Travers Smith.
Google Win Illustrates Hurdles To Mass Data Privacy Claims

The Court of Appeal's December decision in Prismall v. Google, holding each claimant in a mass data privacy suit must demonstrate an individualized and sufficiently serious injury, demonstrates the difficulty of using representative action to collect damages for misused private information, say lawyers at Seladore Legal.
What To Know About FCA's UK Listing Rules Proposal

A recent consultation paper from the Financial Conduct Authority aims to streamline the securities-listing process for U.K.-regulated markets, including by allowing issuers to submit a single application for all securities of the same class, and aligning the disclosure standards for low-denomination and wholesale bonds, say lawyers at Debevoise.