Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

What UK Corporate Criminal Liability Reform Might Look Like

The Law Commission's recently announced review of Britain's corporate criminal liability laws could lead to reform options such as the introduction of a strict liability offense, which would be sure to improve prosecutorial chances of corporate convictions, says Aziz Rahman at Rahman Ravelli.

Increasing Investment Scams Can Implicate Lawyers, Too

With the pandemic serving as a catalyst for increased financial fraud, it's important to recognize that these scams are not only devastating for victims, they also pose a significant threat to law firms and individual solicitors who fail to do their due diligence, say James Darbyshire at the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Heather Clark at Burness Paull.

UK's Sanctions Regime Requires Unique Compliance Efforts

When the U.K.'s transition out of the European Union ends on Dec. 21, its own sanctions regime will come into effect, and though it will initially be similar to the European Union's, important differences and potential future divergences mean that the U.K. rules should be considered separately, say attorneys at Linklaters.

Divergent Paths To Open Banking In UK And US

As open-banking fintech models proliferate, regulators in both the U.S. and the U.K. appear to be embracing technology, albeit in different ways, say attorneys at Latham.

Compliance Hurdles For UK Cannabis Investors

Nicola Finnerty and Tom Surr at Kingsley Napley discuss the legal barriers U.K. investors face in reaping the rewards of cannabis legalization in Canada and the U.S., and what recent developments may mean for the future of U.K. cannabis enforcement.

Perspectives

Finding A Path Forward To Regulate The Legal Industry

Gerald Knapton at Ropers Majeski analyzes U.S. and U.K. experiments to explore alternative business structures and independent oversight for law firms, which could lead to innovative approaches to increasing access to legal services.

G4S Deferral Agreement Illustrates SFO's Enforcement Focus

The Serious Fraud Office’s recent deferred prosecution agreement with multinational security services company G4S suggests the agency’s approach to compliance, program remediation and corporate renewal is evolving to favor parent company involvement and the appointment of independent compliance monitors, say Chris Roberts and James Ford at Mayer Brown.

Perspectives

Law Commission's New Idea For Confiscation Orders Is Unfair

The recent proposal by the Law Commission of England and Wales to recall prisoners who fail to settle their confiscation orders when they have already served a sentence for nonpayment would, in effect, punish them twice for the same act, says Brian Swan at Stokoe Partnership.

Enforcement Numbers Offer Insight Into FCA Priorities

Financial crime, insider dealing and whistleblowing figured prominently in the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent enforcement report, suggesting these areas may be a critical focus for the regulator going forward, say Tracey Dovaston and Michael Jacobs at Boies Schiller.

Nigerian Oil Spill Ruling Shows Limits Of UK Class Actions

The High Court of Justice of England and Wales recently required thousands of Nigerians suing Shell in London over an oil spill to provide individual evidence of damage and individual defenses in Jalla v. Shell, illustrating how U.K. class action claimants must truly have a common interest, say attorneys at Signature Litigation.

Is It Better To Face Prosecution In The US Or UK?

A Unaoil executive's recent decision to plead guilty to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations in the U.S. rather than facing bribery prosecution in the U.K. highlights strategic considerations for individuals facing criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions, says Joshua Ray at Rahman Ravelli.

Why Cum-Ex Tax Fraud Probes Are On The Rise

​​​​​​​Neil Williams at Rahman Ravelli outlines why European regulatory investigations into cum-ex — a 1990s-era dividend arbitrage trading practice involving tax rebate claims worth tens of billions of euros — are gaining momentum years after the activities that sparked them, and who should be concerned.

Competing Libor-Transition Proposals Create More Problems

While the U.S., U.K. and EU have proposed legislation in anticipation of the approaching Libor end date, the multiplicity of their approaches gives rise to uncertainty for market participants rather than eliminating it, say Anne Beaumont at Friedman Kaplan and Janine Alexander and Audrey Favreau at Collyer Bristow.

Comparing UK's Foreign Investment Bill To US Law

The U.K.'s forthcoming National Security and Investment Bill differs significantly from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' framework for reviewing potentially dangerous foreign investment transactions by establishing nonmandatory notifications and a six-month time limit for formal review, say Angella Castille and Jonathon Gunn at Faegre Drinker.

US Push For Iran Sanctions Heightens Trade Uncertainty

The Trump administration’s recent attempt to trigger United Nations sanctions against Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal's dispute resolution mechanism, despite U.S. withdrawal from the accord, adds uncertainty to an increasingly difficult commercial landscape and could strain trade relations between the U.S. and its European allies, say Leigh Crestohl and Stephanie Limaco at Zaiwalla & Co.