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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

Signage on the outside of the London building that is home to the U.K. agency for fighting white-collar crime.

SFO Director's Surprise Exit Reignites Debate Over Its Future

Nick Ephgrave's surprise retirement from the Serious Fraud Office could turn up the heat on a simmering debate about the future of the agency and a potential merger with other law enforcement authorities such as the National Crime Agency, lawyers say.

Gov't Overhaul Plan For CMA Merger Reviews Sparks Doubts

Proposals by the government to abolish the Competition and Markets Authority's independent decision-making panel without replacing it with easier mechanisms to appeal rulings might ultimately harm the businesses that Whitehall wants to attract, experts have warned.

Ephgrave's Exit Leaves SFO At A Crossroads

Nick Ephgrave will leave the Serious Fraud Office better off, faster and more aggressive than he found it, raising challenges for his successor to build on the foundations laid during his relatively short tenure, lawyers have said.

Sign outside the headquarters of the UK anti-fraud agency

The SFO's Options To Pursue Guralp For Alleged DPA Breach

Sanctioning and potentially even prosecuting a British company for breaching a plea deal would bolster the U.K.'s flagging criminal settlement regime, although the Serious Fraud Office will have to weigh whether a tough stance is in the interests of justice, lawyers say.

January 22, 2026
UK Trading Co. Escapes £1.5M In Penalties For Tax Scheme

HM Revenue & Customs lacked sufficient evidence to justify more than £1.5 million ($2 million) in penalties on a securities trading company for careless and deliberate inaccuracies on its returns linked to a tax avoidance scheme involving an employee benefit trust, the Upper Tribunal ruled.
January 22, 2026
Ex-Trading Co. CEO Denies Signing Fake Contract In $19M Trial

The former chief executive of trading technology business Finalto didn't use the company as "a vehicle for fraud" by signing a sham employment contract, he said in evidence at a trial where he and another executive are seeking more than $19 million in unpaid benefits.
January 22, 2026
Accomplice In Chinese Bitcoin Fraud To Repay £5.6M

A London court on Thursday ordered a convicted money launderer to repay £5.6 million ($7.6 million) for his role in a conspiracy to buy cryptocurrencies using money siphoned off from tens of thousands of Chinese investors.
January 22, 2026
Judge-Only Trials Won't Ease Case Backlog, Law Society Says

Dropping jury trials for all but the most serious offenses would have "a negligible impact" on the backlog of cases waiting to be heard in the criminal courts and the government should instead invest in the entire justice system, the Law Society said Thursday.
January 22, 2026
Ethanol Biz Loses Bid To Overturn €48M Price-Fixing Fine

A Swedish ethanol producer failed on Thursday to overturn a €47.7 million ($55.9 million) fine for colluding to maintain high prices by market manipulation after a European appeals court ruled that a competition watchdog did not presume it was guilty.
January 22, 2026
Liz Hurley Tells Mail Privacy Trial Her Home Was Bugged

Liz Hurley alleged at the trial over her privacy claim against the publisher of the Daily Mail on Thursday that private investigators working for the company had tapped her landline phone, secretly placed microphones at her home and unlawfully obtained her medical information.
January 22, 2026
SFO Charges Two Ex-Funeral Directors With Fraud

Britain's white-collar crime enforcer charged two former funeral directors with fraud on Thursday over allegations that they misled thousands of individuals after its program collapsed with debts in excess of £70 million ($93 million).
January 21, 2026
Lessor Reaches Settlement With Insurer Over Stranded Planes

An aircraft lessor has reached a settlement with an insurance company that it had claimed should partly cover for an alleged $129 million loss from planes stranded in Russia after the country's invasion of Ukraine.
January 21, 2026
Starmer Says UK Won't Yield On Trump Greenland Tariffs

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that he will not yield to President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on the U.K. and several European Union countries if they don't negotiate a sale of Greenland to the U.S.
January 21, 2026
Prince Harry Tells Court Daily Mail 'Commercialized' His Life

Prince Harry said Wednesday that his private life had been "commercialized" as he made a visibly emotional appearance at the trial of his and six other public figures' privacy claims against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
January 21, 2026
Software Co. Sues Rival For Alleged Data Scraping Attacks

A technology company has sued the owner of the OnlyMonster platform over an alleged series of data-scraping cyberattacks, accusing the rival company and its affiliates of stealing sensitive client and business information.
January 21, 2026
Selling Stolen Bikes Counts As Work To Bar Benefit Claim

An appeals court said Wednesday that a man imprisoned for selling stolen bikes "at scale" was not entitled to claim Employment Support Allowance while he did so, ruling that the criminal activity he engaged in counted as work.
January 20, 2026
Letby Avoids Further Criminal Charges Over Baby Deaths

Prosecutors said Tuesday that they would not be charging Lucy Letby with the murder and attempted murder of nine more infants because there was not enough evidence to pursue the case, as the former nurse serves out her whole-life prison sentence.
January 20, 2026
UK Launches Service To Combat Cyber Crime And Fraud

The U.K. has launched a national reporting and intelligence service for fraud and cyber crime intended to help protect victims and tackle billions of pounds lost each year, a police force announced Tuesday.
January 20, 2026
Ex-Entain Execs Lose Privacy Claim Against Watchdog

Two former executives at the predecessor of betting giant Entain have lost their claim that Britain's gambling regulator wrongly published private and confidential information about them in its announcement of regulatory review.
January 20, 2026
Mail Says Celebs 'Clutching At Straws' In Privacy Trial

The publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper said Tuesday that Prince Harry and other public figures were "clutching at straws" in their case alleging that its journalists had paid for and used unlawfully-obtained information for decades.
January 20, 2026
Bar Council Appoints 1st Commissioner To Fight Misconduct

The Bar Council said Tuesday that it has appointed a former government minister as its first commissioner for conduct to tackle what an independent review described as an "unsustainable" situation of bullying and sexual harassment in the profession.
January 20, 2026
Russell Brand Faces New Rape, Sexual Assault Charges

Actor and comedian Russell Brand attended a London court remotely on Tuesday to face two new charges of rape and sexual assault.
January 20, 2026
Gov't Scraps Long-Awaited UK Audit Sector Reforms

The government said on Tuesday that it would not push ahead with long-awaited audit and governance reforms designed to improve trust in the sector after a string of high-profile accounting scandals.
January 20, 2026
Brazil Dam Contempt Case Has No Legal Authority, BHP Says

BHP urged the Court of Appeal Tuesday to grant it permission to appeal against an order allowing Brazilian municipalities bringing litigation over the collapse of a dam to continue criminal contempt proceedings because it raises issues of "general public importance."
January 20, 2026
UK Regulators Sideline Probes Into Open Banking Fees

U.K. finance watchdogs said Tuesday they will not prioritize competition law investigations into future bank fees on varying regular bill payments, opting to avoid uncertainty in open banking operations.
January 20, 2026
Osborne Clarke Pro Overturns SDT's Zahawi SLAPP Ruling

An Osborne Clarke partner has overturned a disciplinary tribunal's finding of misconduct over his attempts to prevent a blogger from disclosing a defamation threat by former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, as a London court found on Tuesday the decision lacked sufficient reasons and was "unfair."
January 19, 2026
London Firm Fined £25K For AML Compliance Failures

A London law firm has reached a deal to avoid enforcement action after the solicitors' regulator found that it had fallen short in meeting its legal obligations on anti-money laundering.
January 19, 2026
Former NHS Manager Gets Prison Sentence For £123K Fraud

A former NHS manager has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for fraudulently diverting more than £123,000 ($165,000) from the health service, most of which he spent on gambling.
January 19, 2026
Celebs Accuse Daily Mail Of 'Systematic' Privacy Intrusions

Prince Harry, Elton John and other public figures accused the publisher of the Daily Mail of having a "culture of unlawful information-gathering" at the start of the High Court trial over their blockbuster privacy claim on Monday.

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

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.
What To Expect From UK Prospectus Regime Changes

The new U.K. prospectus regime for trading on regulated markets, effective Jan. 19, aims to streamline processes and reduce costs, but a significant shift in structuring and disclosure obligations will increase pressure on practitioners to manage risk under tighter timelines, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
10 Financial Regulatory Changes To Prepare For In 2026

A number of changes in the financial regulatory sphere are due this year, from targeted support to payment safeguarding and a new consumer composite investments regime, and firms should plan to address the policies and regulatory strategies relevant to them, say lawyers at Womble Bond.
How Gov't AML Supervision Reform Will Affect Law Firms

In confirming that the Financial Conduct Authority will become the single supervisor for professional services, HM Treasury’s planned reform of the U.K.’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervision regime marks a significant change for the legal profession, signaling a greater emphasis on evidence and accountability, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
EU Financial Regulation Trends Cos. Need To Watch In 2026

An ever-increasing number of initiatives on the European Union regulatory agenda, with simplification and consistent implementation being priorities, means financial services businesses with a footprint in the EU or seeking to establish one will face significant challenges and strategic opportunities, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.
What To Expect From UK, EU Crypto Regime Changes In 2026

With 2025 marking the first operational year of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and the U.K.’s rules reaching their final legislative form, the two jurisdictions are converging in focus, but structural design differences mean firms active in both markets will require dedicated documentation to ensure compliance, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
What Cos. Can Expect From CMA Consumer Protection Drive

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently launched consumer protection drive targeting banned online sales practices focuses on supporting compliance rather than on enforcement, although firms should expect this to change once businesses have had time to adapt to the regulator's new regime, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
Preparing For UK's New Tax Fraud Whistleblower Program

With the U.K. government introducing a U.S.-style whistleblower incentive scheme to tackle high-value tax avoidance and evasion, companies should take proactive steps and establish clear protocols to mitigate the potential increase in tax investigations, say lawyers at Skadden.
Key Trends Shaping ESG And Sustainability Law In 2026

2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.
Digital Regulation In EU And UK: The Enduring 2025 Themes

With EU and U.K. digital regulation becoming an operational reality in 2025 and no sign of slowing in 2026, organizations need to embed content moderation, cybersecurity and data access obligations into their compliance structures, although legislative divergences mean that multinational businesses must also consider parallel and sometimes conflicting expectations, say lawyers at Morrison & Foerster.
FCA Enforcement Trends In 2025 And Expectations For 2026

The Financial Conduct Authority’s clear intention in 2025 to conduct fewer, faster investigations and reinforce transparency is likely to continue in 2026, with a dual-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and assertive supervision to fight crime, support growth and help consumers as its priorities, say lawyers at WilmerHale.
Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails

The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.