Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

Key Reforms In UK Anti-Money Laundering Proposal

In response to concerns about an excess of suspicious activity reports, the U.K. Law Commission recently published a report recommending improvements to the U.K.'s anti-money laundering regime. The proposed reform is welcome, but may have missed an opportunity to advocate for some additional changes, says Jonah Anderson of White & Case.

A Timely Review To Enhance UK’s Company Register

The U.K. government's review of its company and persons of significant control registers, which have struggled with information reliability issues, will provide a useful yardstick on the progress of fighting money laundering and other nefarious activities, say Ian Hargreaves and Deirdre Lyons Le Croy of Covington.

Answers To Key Legal Finance Ethics Questions

While there is discussion in some quarters about new regulations on commercial legal finance, the hands-off approach taken by the majority of courts and legislatures is an implicit recognition that it is already sufficiently regulated, says Danielle Cutrona of Burford Capital.

Perspectives

Addressing Modern Slavery Inside And Outside The UK

As the problem of modern slavery persists, U.K. companies must take a broad approach when rooting out slave labor in their supply chains, and should not ignore the risk posed by suppliers within the U.K., says Maria Theodoulou of Stokoe.

Why Data Breach Group Litigation Remains Rare In The UK

While the General Data Protection Regulation would seem to create a fertile area for group litigation, U.K. data breaches have not resulted in much litigation so far, say Oran Gelb and Sarah McAtominey of Bryan Cave.

New EU Public Prosecutor's Office Will Likely Struggle

The planned European Public Prosecutor's Office faces structural and jurisdictional issues that may complicate EU investigations and prosecutions, including those in the U.K., say Peter Binning and Alex Cummins of Corker Binning.

Opinion

Danske AML Scandal Is A Wake-Up Call For Bank Regulators

While discussion of the Danske Bank scandal has focused on what went wrong and who was to blame, it is the financial regulators' failures that must be corrected in order to prevent such a massive money laundering scandal from happening again, says Neil Williams of Rahman Ravelli.

New UK Data-Gathering Powers May Be Stalled For Now

While the Crime Overseas Production Orders Act appears to significantly extend U.K. enforcement authorities' data-collection powers, overseas production orders are unlikely to be granted until a cooperation agreement is achieved with the U.S., say Peter Burrell and Francesca Sherwood of Willkie.

Norwich Pharmacal Orders Remain Vital In The Internet Age

Norwich Pharmacal orders, which can require third parties to reveal vital information despite duties of confidentiality, have proven to be a versatile remedy in a wide range of cases over the decades. Today, they remain relevant because websites provide platforms for anonymous wrongdoing, says Simon Bushell of Signature Litigation.

New FCA Regime Will Emphasize Individual Accountability

The Financial Conduct Authority's Senior Managers and Certification Regime, which will take effect this December, seeks to increase personal accountability within regulated firms and will introduce changes relevant to all FCA-authorized financial services firms, say Rosemarie Paul and Kirsten Lapham of Ropes & Gray.

8 Ukrainian Arbitration Claims In The Wake Of Crimea Events

Eight arbitration claims have been filed under the 1998 investment treaty between Russia and Ukraine in connection with the 2014 incorporation of Crimea into Russia. Nicholas Peacock and Paula Cala of Herbert Smith discuss these claims' unusual background and how they might develop.

Cannabis Investors Should Beware Money Laundering Risk

Even if marijuana-related businesses are in compliance with local laws, their investors are not free of legal risk so long as cannabis remains a controlled drug in other countries, such as the U.K., say Robert Dalling and Wade Thomson of Jenner & Block.

Do Fines Really Discourage Banks From Breaking The Law?

Recent fines imposed against Standard Chartered by both U.K. and U.S. regulators raise questions about whether banks are now viewing anti-money laundering enforcement fines as a day-to-day cost of doing big business, says Syedur Rahman of Rahman Ravelli.

Key Issues For Energy Cos. In EU Cybersecurity Guidance

The European Union's recently issued recommendations on energy sector cybersecurity are valuable input for industry stakeholders with a presence in the EU, because they take into account the sector's real-time requirements, the risks of cascading effects and the combination of legacy systems with new technologies, say Diletta De Cicco and Charles Helleputte of Mayer Brown.

The Uncertain Future Of Gov't Investigations Post-Deutsche

A New York federal judge's recent decision in the Deutsche Bank Libor-rigging case U.S. v. Connolly threatens to upend decades of established cooperation practice in government investigations, a fact to which the opinion makes only a passing reference, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.