Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

Former Top Prosecutors Back Judge-Only Fraud Trials

Radical reforms dispensing with jury trials for complex fraud and many other criminal cases may be the only way to stop the justice system from collapsing under its own weight, former chief prosecutors have told Law360.

4 Things To Watch As UK Releases Budget

The U.K.'s Labour government is set to release an autumn budget Wednesday that faces a test of balancing a pledge not to raise working people's taxes with an expected need to boost revenue to meet fiscal rules. Here are four things to watch for as the budget is issued.

Blocks featuring binary code with locks on dark blue background as illustration of blockchain technology.

SFO's Crypto Probe Marks Shift In Tackling Blockchain Fraud

The launch by the Serious Fraud Office of its first cryptocurrency investigation signals an appetite for using new resources to crack down on fraud, part of a wider move by U.K. law enforcement agencies to treat blockchain as a mainstream threat, lawyers say.

Individual cryptocurrency coins on view on a black surface.

How Mishcon Helped Uncover £5.6B Money Laundering Plot

Law360 examines here how a suspicious activity report raised by Mishcon de Reya about a client's attempted transactions served as the catalyst for one of the biggest cryptocurrency seizures in British history.

December 04, 2025
Sheffield Hallam Uni Settles Forced Labor Libel Claim

A university apologized in a London court on Thursday to a major Hong Kong-based textile and clothing manufacturer for a report into apparel supply chains which linked some of the suppliers to human rights abuses against China's Uyghur minority and other groups.
December 03, 2025
EU Adds Russia To Money-Laundering Blacklist

The European Commission said Wednesday that it has added Russia to a list of high-risk countries in order to protect the European Union against financial crime.
December 03, 2025
Payments Firm Denies Suspecting LC&F Funds Tied To Fraud

A payments processing business has denied being liable to the administrators of London Capital & Finance for allegedly allowing £20.3 million ($27 million) to be diverted to the defunct investment firm's former directors and others.
December 03, 2025
Eurojust Probes 5 Linked To €2.6M Insider Trading At IT Firm

Five individuals linked to a Swiss information technology company are facing investigations in Switzerland, Germany, and the U.K. as part of a probe into suspected insider trading worth up to €2.6 million ($3 million).
December 03, 2025
Investment Fund Director Charged Over Alleged £20M Fraud

A former investment fund director appeared at a London court on Wednesday accused of perpetrating a years-long fraud worth up to £20 million ($26 million).
December 03, 2025
Lawyers Condemn 'Unprincipled' Plan To Scrap Jury Trials

The U.K. government's plan to end jury trials for some criminal cases has been subjected to withering criticism from criminal defense lawyers who warn the reforms could undermine the foundations of the justice system without even speeding up proceedings.
December 03, 2025
BHP Fails To Block US Testimony In Pogust Goodhead Row

BHP failed Wednesday to block Pogust Goodhead from pursuing deposition testimony from a U.S-based witness for potential use in English legal proceedings arising from compensation agreements with victims of the Fundão dam disaster in Brazil.
December 03, 2025
Gambling Biz Betfred Hit With Fine For AML Failures

The Gambling Commission said Wednesday that it has fined online gambling company Betfred £825,000 ($1.1 million) for social responsibility and money-laundering failings.
December 02, 2025
Watchdog Says It Warned UK Treasury Of Budget Leak Risks

The U.K. Office for Budget Responsibility warned senior HM Treasury officials about the risks of leaks of the autumn budget before the document was accidentally revealed early, the watchdog's officials told a parliamentary committee Tuesday.
December 02, 2025
Ex-CBA Head Sidhu Fights Disbarment For Sexual Misconduct

The former head of the Criminal Bar Association asked a court on Tuesday to overturn his disbarment for sexual misconduct toward a young aspiring lawyer, arguing that a long suspension would be a more appropriate sanction.
December 02, 2025
5 Questions For RPC Partner Dan Wyatt

The Financial Conduct Authority has recently warned that banks must do more to stop romance scams in which victims send money to fraudsters who have created false relationships with them — but it's easier said than done.
December 02, 2025
Gov't Will End Jury Trials For Complex Financial Crime Cases

The government confirmed on Tuesday that it plans to get rid of jury trials for the most complex fraud and financial crimes, part of a battery of changes designed to cut soaring court backlogs.
December 02, 2025
FCA Censures Bookkeepers' Body For AML Oversight Failings

The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday it has censured the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers for serious deficiencies in its anti-money-laundering supervision, its first enforcement action against a professional body supervisor.
December 02, 2025
EU Seizes €25M Laundered Through Crypto-Mixing Service

Authorities have seized more than €25 million ($28 million) in cryptocurrency after dismantling a crypto-mixing service suspected of being used to help criminals launder stolen money, the European Union's law enforcement agency has said.
December 01, 2025
Capita Faces Legal Action Over 2023 Data Breach Failures

Capita faces a London claim on behalf of as many as 6.6 million people over the distress and financial loss caused by a 2023 cyberattack on the outsourcing giant that exposed their personal data.
December 01, 2025
Brett Wilson Denies Mishandling Ex-IT Exec's Defense

Brett Wilson has rejected claims that it provided negligent advice and failed to properly defend a former chief technology officer in criminal and civil proceedings over a cyberattack at his employer.
December 01, 2025
Judicial Proceedings Immunity Can't Stop Whistleblower Claim

A London appeals court revived on Monday a former charity worker's claim that his employer launched arbitration proceedings against him in retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged verbal and physical abuse of staff.
December 01, 2025
Credit Suisse Charged With Laundering Over Tuna Bond Case

Swiss prosecutors have charged UBS and Credit Suisse over alleged money laundering failures linked to the transfer of almost $7.9 million as part of a corrupt $2 billion scheme to tie Mozambique into loans to finance a tuna fishing fleet.
December 01, 2025
FCA Proposes ESG Ratings Regime To Boost Transparency

The Financial Conduct Authority proposed a regulatory regime for ESG ratings on Monday, a move to improve transparency and handling of conflicts of interest, which would support government ambitions for the U.K. to become a sustainable finance global hub.
December 01, 2025
Director Pleads Guilty To International Aircraft Parts Fraud

A director of an aircraft parts supply company pled guilty at a London criminal court on Monday to charges of falsifying equipment certification documents in a scare that caused airlines to ground planes around the world over safety fears.
November 28, 2025
LetterOne Denied Compensation Over Forced Broadband Sale

An investment group backed by Russian oligarchs failed on Friday to secure the "fair market value" for its shares in a regional broadband provider that the U.K. government forced it to sell over national security concerns.
November 28, 2025
Private Prosecutors Eye Victims' Assets Amid SFO Probe

Lawyers and a fintech claims manager said Friday that they have begun efforts to help victims of an alleged $28 million fraud recover their money after a fraud-enforcement agency opened a criminal investigation into the "crypto hedge fund" scheme.
November 28, 2025
Odey Libel, Sex Assault Claims To Reach Trial In June

Former hedge fund manager Crispin Odey's £79 million ($104 million) libel claim against the Financial Times, alongside claims from five women accusing him of sexual abuse, will reach trial in 2026, a judge said at a London court on Friday.
November 28, 2025
PrivatBank Pursues $3B Fraud Judgment Against Ex-Owners

PrivatBank has said that its former owners have failed to pay more than $3 billion ordered by a London court after it found that they had orchestrated an elaborate money-siphoning scheme of sham loans tied to fictitious commodity trades.
November 28, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen the National Crime Agency target an Azerbaijan politician and a subsidiary of Withers over a disputed £50 million ($66 million) property portfolio, the eldest son of a British aristocratic family challenge the trustees of their multimillion-pound estate, and a sports lawyer suspected of dishonesty face action by the Solicitors Regulation Authority following his firm's closure.

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

CMA's Leniency Guide May Change Self-Report Calculus

The Competition and Markets Authority's updated leniency guide introduces significant changes to bolster cartel enforcement, with incentives to early self-report that will be welcomed by businesses, but the weighty specter of potential class actions could greatly outweigh the discount on administrative fines, say lawyers at Cooley.
Why EU's FDI Screening Proposals Require Careful Balance

The European Commission’s proposals to harmonize EU foreign direct investment screening regimes at the member state level require a trilogue between the commission, Parliament and council, which means political tensions need to be resolved in order to reach agreement on the five key reforms, say lawyers at Arnold & Porter.
Fashion Giants' €157M Fine Shows Price-Fixing Not In Vogue

The European Commission’s recent substantial fining of fashion houses Gucci, Chloé and Loewe for resale price maintenance in a distribution agreement demonstrates that a wide range of activities is considered illegal, and that enforcement under EU competition law remains a priority, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.
OFSI Proposals Signal Greater Focus On Enforcement Activity

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation’s proposed financial sanctions reforms, with risks of higher penalties and more stringent disclosure requirements for U.K. banks and companies, reflect the agency’s evolution into a more sophisticated and robust enforcement regulator, says Irene Polieri at Gibson Dunn.
How 2nd Circ. Decision Extends CFTC's Extraterritorial Reach

The Second Circuit recently concluded in U.S. v. Phillips that the Commodity Exchange Act extends to entirely foreign conduct if a victim of the conduct is based in the U.S., suggesting there is a heightened risk that foreign swap transactions will be susceptible to U.S. regulation when U.S. counterparties are involved, say attorneys at Skadden.
UK Getty Ruling Tests Balance Of IP Rights And AI Industry

The recent Getty Images v. Stability AI High Court decision, rejecting copyright claims while upholding limited trademark infringement, will influence the creative community and U.K. artificial intelligence industry alike, and the training of AI models in the U.K. is still a risk, say lawyers at Powell Gilbert.
Takeaways From Landmark UK Ruling On Brazil Dam Collapse

The High Court found BHP liable for a Brazilian dam collapse that resulted in a major environmental disaster, showing that England remains open for complex transnational environmental claims and providing a road map for other mass claims that are sure to follow this case, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.
Navigating Compliance As EU Cybersecurity Rules Evolve

One year after the European Union’s Network and Information Systems Directive 2 took effect, in-scope organizations are encountering mounting pressure to meet new cybersecurity standards, and national variations are creating additional challenges for companies that operate across multiple EU jurisdictions, say lawyers at Goodwin.
EBA Proposals Signal Overhaul Of EU 3rd-Party Risk Rules

The European Banking Authority’s plans to extend third-party risk controls to non-ICT services, which may be finalized by the end of the year, will place a significant compliance and operational burden on in-scope entities, which should not be underestimated, say lawyers at Travers Smith.
UK Tribunal's Clearview Decision Expands GDPR Application

The Upper Tribunal’s recent decision in Information Commissioner v. Clearview AI is an important ruling on the extraterritorial reach of the European Union and U.K. General Data Protection Regulations, broadening behavioral monitoring to include not only activity by the company, but also its client, says Edward Machin at Ropes & Gray.
Decoding Arbitral Disputes: UK Assignability Of ICSID Awards

The recent High Court decision in Operafund v. Spain clarifies the stance of English law on an important question to investors, funders and sovereigns, concluding that awards under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention are not commodities that can be traded, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.
CMA Guide Clarifies Role Of Competition Law In Employment

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recent guide to applying U.K. competition law to employment market practices, with a focus on no-poach agreements, wage-fixing and exchange of sensitive information, provides welcome and timely guidance for employers trying to navigate this area, say lawyers at Lewis Silkin.
FCA Proposals Reduce Consumer Duty Compliance Burden

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals to streamline the consumer duty regime represent a pragmatic response to industry concerns, with a move toward sector-specific supervision and potentially narrowing its scope for wholesale and cross-border business, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.
How New Companies House ID Rules Affect Businesses

Lawyers at Shepherd & Wedderburn discuss the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act’s new mandatory identity verification requirements for all company directors and persons with significant control, set to go live next week, which aim to curb fraud by improving the reliability of information held by Companies House.
Russia Sanctions Spotlight: Taking Russian Oil Off The Market

The recent sanctions targeting Russia's energy sector by the U.K., EU and U.S. aim to limit Russia’s ability to fund its war machine by the sale of fossil fuels, representing an important escalation that has the potential to affect a wide range of business activities, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.