Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • November 20, 2025

    StanChart Appeals Disclosure Order In £1.5B Sanctions Case

    Standard Chartered on Thursday relaunched a fight to withhold regulatory documents from investors that are suing the bank for £1.5 billion ($2 billion), as they allege that the lender made untrue or misleading statements about its noncompliance with sanctions.

  • November 20, 2025

    SFO Launches Probe Into $28M 'Crypto Hedge Fund'

    The Serious Fraud Office arrested two men and opened a criminal investigation on Thursday into the collapse of a $28 million cryptocurrency scheme over suspected fraud after plans to create a "crypto hedge fund" failed. 

  • November 19, 2025

    Trademark Infringements Dominate £500M UK Counterfeit Haul

    Britain's border control agency seized counterfeit goods worth more than £500 million ($654 million) between 2021 and 2023, with trademark infringement continuing as the most common intellectual property violation, a government report has revealed.

  • November 19, 2025

    FCA Says 3 Arrested In Suspected Fraudulent Debt Probe

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that three individuals have been arrested as it investigates suspected "unauthorized debt activity" that it believes targeted people facing repossession proceedings.

  • November 19, 2025

    Russian Tech Co. Hit With Sanctions Over Ransomware Links

    The U.S., U.K. and Australia on Wednesday announced coordinated sanctions on Russia-based Media Land LLC and employees of the so-called bulletproof hosting service over allegations that the business has acted as a key enabler for ransomware attacks.

  • November 19, 2025

    WH Smith CEO Quits Over North America Accounting Error

    WH Smith PLC's chief executive stepped down with immediate effect on Wednesday, after an independent review by Deloitte LLP found that the company's North American division made an accounting blunder that overstated profits by as much as £50 million ($65.4 million).

  • November 19, 2025

    Lloyds Trims Arena TV Liquidators' £1.3B Fraud Case

    Lloyds Bank PLC convinced a London court on Wednesday to ax a chunk of the £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) in claims that accused the lender of failing to spot an alleged fraud by directors at a broadcast equipment company.

  • November 18, 2025

    Employers Bracing For Impact As EU AI Act Deadline Nears

    Less than a fifth of employers feel very prepared to comply with European Union artificial intelligence regulations despite widespread awareness of how upcoming rule changes will affect workers, according to a report published Wednesday.

  • November 18, 2025

    BHP Dam Case Highlights Legal Risk For UK Businesses

    A landmark ruling holding mining giant BHP liable for a catastrophic dam collapse in Brazil signals the English courts' growing readiness to hold U.K.-based multinationals to account for harm overseas.

  • November 18, 2025

    SFO To Move Headquarters To Canary Wharf In 2026

    The U.K.'s white-collar crime agency said on Tuesday that it will move its headquarters to Canary Wharf in 2026 as it stressed that the new location in east London will help it meet the challenges of investigating serious fraud and corruption.

  • November 18, 2025

    Mike Lynch's Estate Seeks To Challenge HP Fraud Judgment

    Mike Lynch's estate asked a London court on Tuesday for permission to appeal against a judgment that found he had defrauded Hewlett Packard Enterprise, attacking a ruling that an entity set up to buy the technology entrepreneur's company was misled.

  • November 18, 2025

    Ex-Mishcon Client's Contempt Of Court Bid Challenged

    A London judge challenged a former client of Mishcon de Reya LLP who alleges that the firm's lawyers gave false statements to court, telling her Tuesday that she has put forward no simple or straightforward charge of contempt of court.

  • November 18, 2025

    Seismic Tech Co. Güralp Says SFO Missed DPA's Deadline

    A seismic technology company urged London judges on Tuesday to rule that it had not breached its corporate bribery settlement agreement with the Serious Fraud Office, arguing that the agency had missed its deadline.

  • November 18, 2025

    EU Targets Financial Cyber Risks With New IT Provider Rules

    The three financial watchdogs of the European Union named on Tuesday the designated third-party providers of critical information and communication technology for finance companies, which it will regulate directly.

  • November 18, 2025

    Kuwaiti Pension Chief's Heirs Fight To Avoid $1B Fraud Debt

    The children of a former Kuwaiti pensions fund director told an appeals court on Tuesday that they should not be held liable for their now-dead father's alleged $1 billion fraud debt, arguing that successors outside the English jurisdiction cannot be forced to pay.

  • November 17, 2025

    SAP Proposes Fixes Amid EU Antitrust Probe

    German software giant SAP has offered a set of commitments to European enforcers who raised concerns over maintenance and support services for the company's business management software.

  • November 17, 2025

    Solicitor Faces Tribunal Over Allegations Of Misleading Client

    A criminal defense solicitor fought allegations in a London disciplinary tribunal Monday that he had instructed a client to falsely deny allegations of corruption and to fabricate a narrative for their high-profile trial.

  • November 17, 2025

    TotalEnergies, Partners Fined €187M For Fuel Depot Collusion

    A French competition regulator revealed Monday that it has imposed fines totaling almost €187.5 million ($217.4 million) against the owners of Corsican oil depots, including fuel giant TotalEnergies, for colluding to reserve the use of the only two fuel stores on the Mediterranean island for themselves.

  • November 17, 2025

    Trafigura Accuses Gupta Of $600M Sham Nickel Trade At Trial

    Trading company Trafigura told the High Court on Monday that Prateek Gupta and his companies defrauded it out of $600 million in a sham nickel trade, opening a long-awaited trial over Trafigura's purchase of purported nickel shipments that turned out to be "worthless."

  • November 17, 2025

    Fugitive Can't Appeal Extradition For 5-Year Fraud Sentence

    A fugitive sentenced to more than five years in prison for fraud can't appeal his extradition to Italy, as a court ruled Monday that the decision correctly weighed up the public interest in him serving time against the difficulties his family would face.

  • November 17, 2025

    Fraudulent Insurance Claims Continue To Top £1B A Year

    Fraudulent claims in the U.K. general insurance sector rose again in 2024, with those linked to motor cover driving much of the increase, the Association of British Insurers warned on Monday.

  • November 17, 2025

    Hacker Ordered To Forfeit £4M In Crypto After Twitter Heist

    A London court has ordered an aspiring web developer to pay back £4.1 million ($5.4 million) worth of cryptocurrency after he was convicted of hacking high-profile Twitter accounts and money laundering in the U.S.

  • November 14, 2025

    Italian Police Seize Assets In €260M VAT Fraud Probe

    Italian financial police seized corporate assets Friday as part of an investigation into a criminal ring suspected of evading €260 million ($302 million) in value-added taxes on fuel, European Union authorities said.

  • November 14, 2025

    Trafigura's $600M Fraud Trial To Test Metals-Trading Practices

    Metals magnate Prateek Gupta will face trial in London on Nov. 17 over allegations that he and his companies perpetrated "systematic fraud" against Trafigura, with the trading company alleging that Gupta cheated it out of $600 million in a nickel fraud scheme.

  • November 14, 2025

    Billionaire Used Spy To Extract Privileged Info From Solicitor

    Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego used a private intelligence agent to dupe a law firm partner into divulging privileged and confidential information about a man Salinas claims defrauded him out of more than $415 million, a London court has found.

Expert Analysis

  • How UK Supreme Court May Assess Russia Sanctions Cases

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    In two recent U.K. Supreme Court cases challenging the U.K. Russia sanctions regime, the forthcoming judgments are likely to focus on proportionality and European Convention on Human Rights compatibility, and will undoubtedly influence how future challenges are shaped, says Leigh Crestohl at Zaiwalla.

  • Practice Leader Insights

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    This year, 42 leaders of employment, intellectual property, insurance and transactions practice groups shared thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area.

  • How EU Digital Act Could Shape UK Technology Disputes

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    Noncompliance with the recently effective European Union Digital Operational Resilience Act will add layers of complexity to disputes and litigation for U.K.-based firms servicing EU entities, but international standards may serve as a bridge between jurisdictional and contractual misalignments, says Siobhan Forster at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • Key Findings From EU Report On Antitrust Remedies

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    Although the European Commission’s recent report assessing the effectiveness of its antitrust policy on behavioral remedies is not binding, it may influence future cases and promote coherence, providing useful insights for national competition authorities and courts when considering remedies in their own jurisdictions, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • How Foreign Cos. Should Prep For New UK Fraud Law

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    As the U.K. prepares to hold companies criminally liable for failing to prevent fraudulent acts of their associates, U.S. and global companies should review their compliance measures against the broad language of this new offense, which could permit prosecution of acts committed entirely abroad, say attorneys at Latham & Watkins.

  • Opinion

    EU's AI Code Of Practice Creates Risk Of Regulatory Clashes

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    The second draft of the European Commission's Artificial Intelligence Code of Practice significantly expands beyond the European Union's existing legal framework for AI — especially around copyright protection, public transparency and reporting obligations — and risks interfering with other EU laws by introducing requirements contrary to existing regulations, say lawyers at MoFo.

  • Ruling In SFO Case Shows How Contract Rules Apply To DPAs

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    The Court of Appeal’s recent decision upholding the Serious Fraud Office's first-ever attempt to enforce an expired deferred prosecution agreement illustrates that the courts' approach to DPAs is governed by the rules of contract, and that the intention of the parties at the time of agreement is critical to contract interpretation, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.

  • What To Know About Compliance As EU AI Act Takes Effect

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    Raj Shah at Mishcon de Reya explains how recently effective provisions of the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, which concern prohibited AI practices and AI literacy, will affect both providers and users of AI systems, and suggests steps that companies can take now to plug any compliance gaps.

  • Banker Remuneration Proposals Could Affect More Than Pay

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    The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority’s pending proposals to reduce banker remuneration restrictions bring obvious personal financial advantages for bankers, but may have repercussions that result in increased scrutiny of bonus payments and wider changes to workplace culture and overall accountability, say lawyers at Fox Williams.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • EU Report May Influence Regulation Of Decentralized Finance

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    The European supervisory authorities’ recent report on decentralized finance highlights the major regulatory challenges and increased cybersecurity risks of this ecosystem, and will likely provide useful guidance on how the market could be regulated to limit potential risks for investors, say Hubert de Vauplane and Hugo Bordet at Morgan Lewis.

  • EU Paper Urges Data Protection And Competition Law Unity

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    A recent European Data Protection Board position paper calls for closer cooperation among data protection and competition authorities, and provides valuable insight for businesses seeking to ensure compliance across an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • Market Infrastructure Regs Aim To Reinvigorate EU Trading

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    The recently amended European Market Infrastructure Regulation, imposing a requirement on certain financial and nonfinancial institutions to maintain an active EU counterparty account, hopes to incentivize the central clearing of trades, although there are concerns that higher compliance costs will lead to a decrease in competitiveness, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • The Pros And Cons Of A 2nd Trump Term For UK Tech Sector

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    While U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist stance on trade could disrupt global supply chains on which many U.K. tech firms are reliant, anticipated deregulation could provide fertile ground for investment and growth, and the U.K. tech sector is bracing for a mix of opportunities, say lawyers at Shoosmiths.

  • Why EU Omnibus Package Is Receiving Mixed Reactions

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    Although the forthcoming European Union omnibus simplification package consolidating corporate sustainability reporting requirements aims to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses, reaction to the proposals has been mixed, and reassurance is needed that these measures will not result in a watering down of the legislation, say lawyers at Peters & Peters.

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