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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

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OFSI Overhauls Its Powers, But Lawyers Doubt Impact

Moves to double the fining powers of Britain's sanctions watchdog would have little impact on enforcement, lawyers fear, although they say that a proposed program for agreeing settlements with companies could be just enough to speed up the regulator's cases.

Name sign outside one of the government's main ministries in Westminster.

New 'British FBI' Plan Missing Vital Detail, Lawyers Say

Plans by the government to merge several fraud enforcement agencies give little detail about how the largest policing overhaul in 200 years will operate in practice, although lawyers say the Serious Fraud Office appears to be safe — for now.

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FCA Urged To Clarify AI Rules For Senior Managers

The Financial Conduct Authority is facing calls from legal experts for it to plug gaps in its rules that could leave senior managers on the hook for failings in artificial intelligence under existing accountability regulations.

Slapped Down: SRA At Crossroads After SLAPP Setbacks

The string of failed prosecutions brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against City lawyers accused of trying to silence journalists on behalf of clients has raised questions about its enforcement strategy, with critics accusing the watchdog of overreaching its rules.

February 10, 2026
Ex-Clifford Chance Pro Says £8M Libel Claim Is SLAPP

Legal commentator Dan Neidle asked a court on Tuesday to use new powers to throw out an £8 million ($11 million) libel claim accusing the former Clifford Chance partner of engaging in a vendetta against a barrister, arguing that the claim was launched to silence him.
February 10, 2026
FCA Hits 2 With Fines For Insider Trading In Ad Tech Biz

The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has hit a former interim financial director and a trader with a combined fine of £108,731 ($148,800) for insider dealing in shares in an advertising technology company.
February 09, 2026
Deutsche Bank Escapes FDIC's RMBS Underwriter Claims

A brokerage and investment banking arm of Deutsche Bank ducked a lawsuit the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. had brought against it over investment losses suffered by now-failed Citizens National Bank, after a New York federal judge determined Monday it did not have a relevant role in underwriting residential mortgage-backed securities Citizens bought more than two decades ago.
February 09, 2026
Post Office Chair Backed Nixing Convictions Ahead Of Appeal

The chair of the Post Office said he would support legislation to overturn earlier sub-postmaster convictions based on false accounting data weeks before the organization announced it would contest the first appeal, Parliament records show.
February 09, 2026
Patisserie Valerie Fraud Trial Pushed Back To 2028

A London judge on Monday pushed back the trial of four people charged with fraud over the collapse of high street café chain Patisserie Valerie until 2028, weeks before the case brought by the Serious Fraud Office was due to start.
February 09, 2026
EU Moves To Block Meta's WhatsApp Restriction On AI Rivals

The European Union's competition regulator revealed Monday it plans to impose restrictive measures on Meta over suspicions that the tech giant has breached antitrust rules by excluding third-party artificial intelligence apps from WhatsApp.
February 09, 2026
Gov't Issues Gender Pension Gap Reporting Guide For LGPS

The Government Actuary's Department has published guidance designed to help administering authorities within the Local Government Pension Scheme meet their new gender pension gap reporting obligations.
February 09, 2026
€306M Money Laundering Network Sting Leads To 13 Arrests

Law enforcement agencies in the European Union have arrested more than a dozen people in several raids after an investigation into a €306 million ($364.5 million) international money laundering scheme with links to drug trafficking and tax fraud.
February 08, 2026
HMRC Nets £246M In Evasion-Focused Inheritance Tax Probes

Britain's tax authority has recovered an additional £246 million ($336 million) in inheritance tax secured by investigations, according to data released Sunday.
February 06, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London saw a unit of Johnson & Johnson sue the U.S. government in a patent dispute, Southampton Football Club file a claim against Aviva Insurance, and an events business face a claim by Live Nation (Music) over potential licensing issues for Chelmsford City Live, a music festival that featured Justin Timberlake last year. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
February 06, 2026
Elton John Says Mail Intrusion Was 'Outside Human Decency'

Elton John told a London court Friday that alleged invasions of his family's privacy by the publisher of the Daily Mail were "outside even the most basic standards of human decency."
February 06, 2026
EU Warns TikTok To Change 'Addictive' Design Or Face Fines

The European Union's enforcement arm warned TikTok on Friday to change its "addictive" design to avoid potential financial penalties for breaching the bloc's digital safety rules.
February 06, 2026
Payroll Pro Reinstated In Missing Wages Whistleblowing Case

A tribunal has ordered a foam manufacturer to rehire a payroll administrator pending a full decision or settlement of her claims that bosses made her redundant for blowing the whistle on £100,000 ($136,150) missing from workers' wages.
February 06, 2026
Watchdog Shuts Firms For Aiding 11K Fake Registrations

The Insolvency Service has shut down three companies that aided more than 11,000 mainly Chinese businesses to gain a foothold in the U.K. — even though they did not have a physical presence in the country.
February 05, 2026
Billionaire Lewis' Pilots Ink SEC Deals Over Insider Trading

Two private-jet pilots for British billionaire Joseph Lewis have agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a total of more than $233,300, resolving the regulators' civil claims accusing them of trading on confidential information, according to filings in New York federal court.
February 05, 2026
Apple Avoids Heightened EU Rules For Ads, Maps

The European Commission announced Thursday that Apple's Ads and Maps features aren't used enough in the European Union to warrant imposing interoperability and other obligations foisted on other services from Apple and other major technology companies deemed "gatekeepers" under the Digital Markets Act.
February 05, 2026
Catalan Leaders Regain Immunity From Referendum Charges

The European Union's highest court overturned the decision of the bloc's parliament to strip a Catalan separatist leader and two colleagues of political immunity on Thursday, after they were charged with misusing public money to fund a failed Catalan independence referendum.
February 05, 2026
Plane Part Lessor Bids To Revive Breach Claim Over Fraud

An Irish aircraft component lessor on Thursday sought to revive its claim against a Thai plane maintenance company it alleges caused the lessor to send $824,900 to someone impersonating both companies in emails.
February 05, 2026
Amazon Attacks £4B Class Actions Over 'Outrageous' Funding

Amazon sought permission on Thursday to challenge two class actions totaling more than £4 billion ($5.4 billion) over its unfair treatment of third-party sellers, arguing that the Competition Appeal Tribunal was wrong to certify the claims without grappling with their "outrageous" funding agreements.
February 05, 2026
EU Body Eyes Unified AML Oversight Across Bloc By 2028

The European Union's anti-money laundering watchdog has unveiled a three-year plan to take direct oversight of the bloc's 40 most impactful credit and financial institutions, aiming to create a more consistent approach to tackling illicit financial flows.
February 05, 2026
Funeral Scheme Directors Appear In Court On Fraud Charges

Two former executives made their initial court appearance in London on Thursday on charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office accusing them of misleading thousands of individuals after their prepaid funeral scheme collapsed with debts in excess of £70 million ($95 million).
February 05, 2026
Cos. At Risk Over Doubts On Cover For Cyberfines, Aon Says

Businesses are being left financially exposed by tougher fines for cyberbreaches and laws that are unclear on whether insurance can protect them against regulatory penalties, according to a report by Aon PLC.
February 04, 2026
Russells Beats Claim Over Alleged IP Biz Share Sale Plot

A London court struck out an executive's case on Wednesday that two of his business associates and Russells Solicitors plotted to hide plans for a $40 million takeover of a celebrity intellectual property licensing company to get him to sell his shares cheaply.
February 04, 2026
Law Firm, Consultant Fined £80K For Misusing Client Account

A law firm and its consultant have been hit with a fine of almost £80,000 ($109,000) between them after the Solicitors Regulation Authority found that the consultant had improperly used a client account to move money for a Russian client.
February 04, 2026
Keoghs Expands With Counter-Fraud Team From Clyde & Co.

Keoghs LLP said Wednesday that it has hired a team of counter-fraud experts from Clyde & Co. LLP as it expands its services in central England.

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

Irish Consumer Law Proposals Expose Concerns Over Privacy

The Irish government’s recent proposals to amend and clarify competition and consumer law would allow new investigative powers and greater financial sanctions, leading to concerns from businesses whether the benefits outweigh the privacy risks, says Kate McKenna at Matheson.
Where PCAOB Goes Next After A Year Of Uncertainty

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board will likely bring fewer enforcement matters in 2026, reflecting a notable change in board priorities following the change in administrations, say Robert Cox and Nicole Byrd at Whiteford Taylor and Matthew Rogers at Bridgehaven Consulting.
Nigeria Ruling Offers Road Map For Onerous Costs Requests

The Court of Appeal's judgment in Nigeria v. VR Global Partners is significant because it tests the extent to which a court may prioritize accessibility and its own resources over a judgment creditor's desire for immediate recourse, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.
Consolidation Of Lloyd's Bylaws Will Be Useful For Members

Lloyd’s of London’s recent consolidation of its bylaws will make the rules governing its market more accessible, providing immediate results as well as the necessarily flexible framework to address the future needs of its participants, say lawyers at Skadden.
How EU Prospectus Rule Changes May Boost Market Access

The European Union Listing Act’s forthcoming changes to EU prospectus requirements aim to reduce the regulatory burden for issuers of securities, facilitating more efficient transaction execution and reducing market risk, of particular relevance to small and midsize enterprises, say lawyers at Covington.
4 Securities Trends For Pension Trustees To Watch In 2026

With the U.K. signaling it will soon demand more active fiduciary stewardship from pension trustees, British and EU fund managers must follow key trends in mass securities litigation, investment disclosures, and U.S. enforcement that could require intervening for their investors in 2026, say lawyers at Labaton Keller.
Sanctions Spotlight: Compliance Insights After OTSI's 1st Year

The Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation's recent report on its first year of operation offers insights into OTSI's interpretation of its mandate as the U.K.'s civil enforcement body for trade sanctions and efforts to operationalize its enforcement powers, giving businesses a compliance road map for areas it will prioritize in 2026, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.
FTO Designations: Containing Foreign Firms' Legal Risks

Non-U.S. companies can contain legal risks related to foreign terrorist organizations by deliberately structuring operations to demonstrate that any interactions with cartel-affected environments are incidental, constrained and unrelated to advancing harm on the U.S., says David Raskin at Nardello & Co.
A Look At ESMA's New Governance Framework For EU Boards

The European Securities and Markets Authority's recently finalized supervisory expectations for management bodies mark a shift toward improved board oversight across culture, risk, strategy and accountability that firms should view as a benchmark, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.
UK Class Actions Appear Set For Resurgence In 2026

In 2026, the U.K. will likely see an uptick in class actions as a result of legal and regulatory developments, including the landmark court decision in BHP Group v. PGMBM Law that boosted confidence in the enforceability of funds-committed litigation funding arrangements, say lawyers at Winston & Strawn.
Limited Claims Raise Concerns About Subsidy Act's Efficacy

With significantly fewer challenges to date than expected under the Subsidy Control Act, it appears that parties may be unwilling to bring claims or unaware of their rights, calling into question the effectiveness of the regime, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.
How To Navigate AI M&A Risks, Compliance In Europe

As the artificial intelligence industry continues to witness substantial M&A transactions in Europe, parties should be mindful of the unique challenges posed by the acquisition of intangible AI technologies, monitor the evolving regulatory landscape, and establish optimal mechanisms for risk allocation, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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.