Financial Services UK

  • August 27, 2026

    1 In 6 UK Savers See Retirement As Affordable, Study Shows

    Only one in six savers in the U.K. believe they can afford retirement, a pensions company has said, raising further concern that scores of Britons will have to rethink what later life looks like.

  • August 27, 2026

    DWF Defeats Personal Injury Data Privacy Case On Appeal

    DWF LLP has defeated an attempt by three personal injury claimants to revive a data privacy lawsuit after the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that they sought to advance a "new, unpleaded case."

  • August 27, 2026

    Wealth Co. Enters Administration With Liabilities Of £150K

    A London wealth management company has entered into administration, the Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday.

  • August 27, 2026

    Pension Funds On The Fence Over £160B Surplus Release

    Pension sector bosses are undecided about who should benefit from an estimated £160 billion in surplus funds released under landmark reforms, a survey has found.

  • August 27, 2026

    Agri Biz Forfeits $5M In Money Laundering, Sanctions Probe

    Britain's National Crime Agency said Thursday that it has seized more than $5.2 million from an agricultural company in an investigation into suspected money laundering and evasion of sanctions on Iran. 

  • August 27, 2026

    Ex-SRA Leaders Add Finance Practice With EY Director

    A consultancy specializing in legal services regulation led by a former general counsel at the solicitors' watchdog has expanded into financial services regulation as investors target law firms and the Financial Conduct Authority takes on a greater role in anti-money laundering supervision.

  • August 27, 2026

    UK Finance Highlights Legal Risk In China Sanctions

    Financial institutions need to manage a practical legal risk arising from intensified enforcement of China's anti-foreign sanctions law, a trade body for the sector said Thursday.

  • August 27, 2026

    Plus500 Kicks Off $100M Buyback In $182.5M Returns Plan

    Plus500 launched a share buyback program worth up to $100 million on Thursday as part of the online trading company's plan to return $182.5 million to investors.

  • August 26, 2026

    Gen Z Trusts AI Over Pros For Investment Advice, FCA Warns

    Generation Z is too dependent on artificial intelligence for investment advice, the Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday, prompting the watchdog to warn consumers about the risks of relying on AI-generated information.

  • August 26, 2026

    Administrators Probe Woodville Insurance Promises

    Administrators for the car finance litigation funder Woodville are investigating whether the company lied to investors over the protection offered by insurance bonds, they said Wednesday. 

  • August 26, 2026

    Law Firm Dodges Negligence Claim Filed Too Late

    A London court ruled Wednesday that a group of property investors can't extend a limitation deadline to sue a formerly defunct law firm because they waited too long to act after it was restored to the public register.

  • August 26, 2026

    Think Tank Urges UK Gov't To Tax Wealthy Pensioners

    The U.K. government should shift the tax burden from younger workers toward wealth, property and passive gains, a progressive think tank said Wednesday.

  • August 26, 2026

    FCA Bans Trio Over £36M Scheme To Bypass UK Visa Rules

    The finance watchdog said Wednesday that it has banned three former senior figures at wealth manager Dolfin from working in the regulated financial services sector after finding they operated a scheme that helped clients circumvent U.K. visa requirements for investors.

  • August 25, 2026

    Ex-FCA Employee Seeks To Bring Surveillance Challenge

    A former employee of the Financial Conduct Authority who was dismissed for gross misconduct urged a London court Tuesday to allow him to bring a challenge against a specialist tribunal's decision to deny him the chance to sue his former employer for surveilling him.

  • August 25, 2026

    EU Weighs Rules For Regulation Of Large Investment Cos.

    A European Union financial markets watchdog said Tuesday it is floating three new regulatory rules covering reclassification of investment companies as credit institutions when they exceed the threshold of €30 billion ($35 billion) in total assets.

  • August 25, 2026

    Chesnara Eyes More M&A As Scottish Widows Deal Nears

    Chesnara PLC said Tuesday that it is eyeing further acquisitions and "opportunities to grow the business" after a string of deals which the life insurer and pensions provider expects will significantly expand its business.

  • August 25, 2026

    EY Manager Wins Redo Of 'Novel' Carer Discrimination Case

    Ernst & Young must face a claim by a former senior manager that he was discriminated against because he had to care for his wife as an appellate tribunal ruled Tuesday that his case had been thrown out too soon.

  • August 25, 2026

    UK Finance Groups Push Digital Standards For IPOs

    Financial industry groups launched a cross-sector initiative on Tuesday to digitize raising cash through equity, reduce manual processing and make initial public offerings and secondary share sales more efficient.

  • August 24, 2026

    FCA's Plans On Costs Disclosure 'Could Deter Investors'

    Proposals by the Financial Conduct Authority to streamline how financial services platforms disclose investment costs to consumers add "complexity and inconsistency" that might make it harder for Britons to make informed decisions, a trade group has said. 

  • August 24, 2026

    Hedge Fund Saba Challenges Baillie Gifford In Board Battle

    Activist investor Saba said Monday it plans to appoint three new directors to take control of a major Baillie Gifford investment trust, and will encourage the directors if they are elected to offer shareholders a full cash exit at or near the net asset value of the trust.

  • August 24, 2026

    Fraud Taskforce Chief Shifts Focus Amid 'Systemic' Warnings

    Fraud is a "systemic threat" to financial institutions and must be addressed by governments worldwide to crack international criminal networks, the president of the Financial Action Task Force said Monday.

  • August 24, 2026

    FCA Urges Big Tech To Take 'Proactive' Anti-Fraud Steps

    Big tech companies must pull their weight to stop fraudsters by adopting a more "proactive" approach toward preventing their platforms from being exploited, the Financial Conduct Authority said Monday.

  • August 24, 2026

    Pension Program Surpluses Need Flexibility, Trade Body Says

    Paying defined benefit pension scheme surpluses to employers must become more flexible, a retirement savings trade group has said, amid the U.K.'s plans to allow sufficiently robust programs to release cash.

  • August 24, 2026

    P&O Pays £94M To Merchant Navy Seafarer Pension Fund

    P&O Ferries has paid £94 million ($128 million) to the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund, a move the retirement savings plan said Monday would settle all historic contributions the ferry operating giant owed to the plan.

  • August 24, 2026

    Santander Completes €5B Share Buyback Program

    Banco Santander SA said Monday that it will reduce its share capital by just over 3% after it finalized a share buyback program worth €5.03 billion ($5.86 billion).

Expert Analysis

  • What FCA Code Reforms May Mean For Solo-Regulated Firms

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals to create a more consistent and streamlined remuneration framework for solo-regulated firms will allow firms to design more flexible policies, but mean greater scrutiny of the firms’ decision-making, governance and recordkeeping, say lawyers at Birketts.

  • Key Points From High Court Ruling On FOS Time Bar Rule

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    In Barclays Bank v. Financial Ombudsman Service, the High Court recently blocked the FOS from investigating consumer complaints that fall outside the legal time limit, demonstrating courts’ willingness to look at the ombudsman's approach to its own jurisdiction, says Rachael Healey at RPC.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Morgan Lewis' Paul Denham

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    Paul Denham, head of Morgan Lewis' London finance practice group, discusses why working with nurturing partners helped him understand what good leadership should look like, how a Formula 1 financing transaction allowed a personal interest to cross into his day job, and the importance of being willing to adapt as markets change.

  • UK Corp. Crime Landscape Raises Global Governance Stakes

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    The Crime and Policing Act 2026 recently entered into force, highlighting a growing emphasis on governance and senior management oversight, the influence of compliance on commercial decision-making, and an overlap between legal and regulatory risk across jurisdictions, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • NYDFS Swedbank Order Offers Lessons On Candor

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    The New York State Department of Financial Services' consent order with Swedbank reflects the department's broad view of its investigative authority, emphasizes transparency, and underscores the risks of intrusive investigations that can occur if a regulator believes that it was misled, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

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    Practice Leader Insights From Broadfield's James Duncan

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    James Duncan, Broadfield's head of U.K. funds, discusses how his journey to team leadership has had more twists than a Netflix thriller, how Brexit created a labyrinth of compliance, and why lawyers who thrive will be the ones who see change as both a challenge and an opportunity.

  • Saxon Woods Ruling Clarifies Directors' Duty Of Good Faith

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent landmark judgment in Saxon Woods sends a clear message to businesses that a director's conduct must withstand objective scrutiny, affirming that even if an individual believes they are acting in the company's best interests, they cannot deceive fellow board members, says Richard Clayman at Kingsley Napley.

  • Sanctions Spotlight: Rise Of Trade Measures In The UK

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    With HM Revenue & Customs' recent settlement with Petrofac marking the first public naming of a company for breaches of U.K. trade sanctions, and regulators demonstrating an increasing emphasis on systems and controls, there is clearly a more complex landscape evolving that businesses need to navigate, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.

  • Entain Ruling Offers Parties Key E-File Guidance

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    The U.K. Commercial Court’s recent decision in Various Claimants v. Entain PLC provides guidance for the first time for those navigating a court document filing pilot scheme, offering a practical template for parties to litigation involving sensitive issues by balancing transparency obligations with legitimate confidentiality concerns, say lawyers at HSFK.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Ronan Mellon

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    Ronan Mellon, Mayer Brown's finance office practice lead, discusses how working in the City is like a parallel universe to growing up in rural Ireland, the challenges of working on a bond refinancing with a highly complex escrow arrangement, and why he is a fan of client secondments for junior lawyers.

  • BlueCrest Decision Tightens Test For LLP Tax Treatment

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent judgment in HMRC v. BlueCrest Capital Management clarifies the tax framework for assessing whether limited liability partnership members are genuinely operating as partners or should be treated as employees, which is likely to be significant far beyond the hedge fund sector, say lawyers at Stewarts Law.

  • EU Ruling Creates Clear Separation Of Sanctions, AML Risks

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    A recent ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union bars banks from automatically denying basic payment accounts based on U.S. sanctions listings, emphasizing the distinction between sanctions and money laundering risks while preserving significant discretion following individualized assessments, says Vaïk Müller at CMS.

  • FCA Letter Highlights Football Clubs' Crypto Deal Risks

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent warning to Premier League football clubs about sponsorship arrangements with unauthorized crypto-asset businesses demonstrates its concerns over unlawful financial promotions and anti-money laundering compliance failures, both of which run the risk of significant reputational damage and criminal prosecution, says Sushil Kuner at Freeths.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Norton Rose's Jonathan Herbst

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    Jonathan Herbst, Norton Rose's global head of financial services, discusses the importance of encouraging a team as a whole, how increasingly complex regulation means that deals come down to managing risk across multiple regimes, and why incremental short-term goals are just as important as longer-term plans.

  • UK Bill Would Transform Commercial Payments Terms

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    A bill recently introduced to Parliament, if enacted, would replace significant areas of contractual freedom concerning payment terms with mandatory rules that would fundamentally alter the balance of power between smaller suppliers and larger counterparties, says Sam Cooper at Crowell & Moring.

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