Financial Services UK

  • May 08, 2026

    Commerzbank Lifts Outlook As It Fends Off UniCredit Bid

    Commerzbank AG published plans on Friday to boost future profitability as the German lender builds defenses against a takeover bid from Italy's UniCredit SpA, which it called "vague" and fraught with "execution risks."

  • May 07, 2026

    Open Banking Adds Ex-FCA General Counsel To Board

    Open Banking Ltd. said Thursday that it has appointed a former general counsel at the Financial Conduct Authority as an independent non-executive director to its board.

  • May 07, 2026

    Iran War Risks £8B Annual Tax Hit To UK, Report Warns

    The Iran war could cost the U.K. government up to £8 billion ($10.9 billion) a year through lost tax revenue and higher debt interest payments, a progressive think tank warned Thursday.

  • May 07, 2026

    Pensions Orgs. Want Citizens' Assembly To Fix Savings Crisis

    Policymakers should bring together a representative group of citizens to form a range of ideas and proposals to help Britain avoid its looming pensions crisis, a cross-industry group has said in a report.

  • May 07, 2026

    FCA Sets Guidance On New, Tougher Payment Sector Rules

    The Financial Conduct Authority set out new guidance on Thursday on tough rules that have come into force requiring payment and electronic money institutions to safeguard customer money better.

  • May 07, 2026

    Schroders To Reward Investors With Buyback Of Up To £20M

    Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust PLC said on Thursday that it has launched a share buyback worth up to £20 million ($27 million), minus costs, to reward shareholders as part of its ongoing managed wind-down.

  • May 07, 2026

    Bank Of Georgia Owner To Extend Buyback By $20.5M

    Lion Finance Group PLC said Thursday that it will soon launch a share buyback program worth up to 55 million Georgian lari ($20.5 million) to lower its share capital.

  • May 07, 2026

    Gowling-Led Aberdeen Deal Ends Herald, Saba 'Impasse'

    Aberdeen Investments said Thursday that it has agreed to a deal with activist investor Saba Capital Management to manage Herald Investment Trust PLC, as part of a compromise to secure the trust's long-term future.

  • May 07, 2026

    UniCredit To Take Loss Of Up To €3.3B On Russian Biz Sale

    UniCredit SpA said Thursday that it will take a hit of up to €3.3 billion ($3.9 billion) on its profits to sell part of its Russian subsidiary to an investor in the United Arab Emirates as the Italian lender moves to distance itself from sanctioned clients.

  • May 06, 2026

    Financier Charged With Fleecing Billionaire Out Of $450M

    A financier based in Greece defrauded Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego out of $450 million, misappropriating stock that the telecommunications baron used to secure a loan after lying about his bona fides, New York federal prosecutors have alleged.

  • May 06, 2026

    MoFo, KC Face Saad Negligence Case After $318M Court Loss

    Liquidators for Saad Investments have launched a professional negligence claim against Morrison Foerster LLP and a senior barrister, who represented the defunct lender in a failed fight for compensation for shares worth $318 million.

  • May 06, 2026

    Ex-Rosenblatt Firm Says VC Co. Should Pay Its £6M Legal Bill

    Winros Partnership, formerly known as Rosenblatt Solicitors, told an appeals court Wednesday that a venture capital firm should pay its £6 million ($8.2 million) bill, arguing it should be allowed to claim the reasonable value of its services.

  • May 06, 2026

    Pensions Adviser Isio To Buy Fintech Investment Biz

    Retirement savings adviser Isio said Wednesday it will acquire London-based financial technology business Collidr for an undisclosed sum, pending clearance from the Financial Conduct Authority.

  • May 06, 2026

    Pensions Ombudsman To Expand After Gov't Funding Boost

    Britain's pensions arbitration body has said it will expand its frontline casework teams by a fifth this financial year after improved performance results led to additional government funding.

  • May 06, 2026

    Finance Body Warns EU Shareholder Rules Inconsistent

    A trade body for financial institutions in Europe has warned lawmakers that European Union-wide rules on shareholders' rights fail to provide a single definition of shareholders, which could leave some deprived of their rights.

  • May 06, 2026

    PayPal, Mastercard, Visa Targeted By UK Competition Probe

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has launched an antitrust investigation into U.S. payment companies PayPal Holdings Inc., Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. linked to the funding and usage of PayPal's digital wallet.

  • May 06, 2026

    UK Pension Deals Boost Business Share Prices, Aon Says

    Businesses that offload pension liabilities to an insurance company often see a significant boost to their share prices, according to an analysis released by a broker on Wednesday.

  • May 06, 2026

    TPR Warns On Pensions 'Endgame' Amid Surge In Funding

    The U.K. retirement watchdog said Wednesday that pension bosses must now focus on their endgame plans, as it revealed that nine in 10 workplace benefit plans are now fully funded.

  • May 06, 2026

    FCA To Probe Misleading Claims Management Practices

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it is launching a review of the claims management market, following concerns that some companies and law firms are failing consumers.

  • May 05, 2026

    Deutsche, Pathward Want Fintech Blacklist Suit Tossed

    Deutsche Bank AG and Pathward NA urged a New York federal court to dismiss a suit accusing them of improperly blacklisting a barter-based payment platform that the banks found was "transaction laundering" for companies selling gray-market pharmaceuticals, arguing that the suit's jurisdiction assertions are fatal to the claims.

  • May 05, 2026

    HSBC Reports $400M Credit Loss Linked To Fraud

    HSBC Holdings PLC said Tuesday that its expected credit losses for the first quarter of 2026 were $400 million higher compared to a year ago, driven by a fraud-related exposure tied to a U.K. financial sponsor in its corporate and institutional banking division.

  • May 05, 2026

    AllSaints Owner Seeks To Bar Ex-Chair's Fresh Share Claims

    The owner of fashion brand AllSaints urged a London judge Tuesday to block the company's former chair from issuing new claims linked to his dispute about a 2011 agreement to sell his shares in the chain.

  • May 05, 2026

    Odey Created 'False Reality' That He Was Victim, FCA Says

    The Financial Conduct Authority told a tribunal on Tuesday that banned hedge fund manager Crispin Odey created a "false reality" that he was the victim amid disciplinary proceedings linked to allegations of sexual misconduct against staff.

  • May 05, 2026

    Anthropic Launches AI Biz With Goldman Sachs, Blackstone

    Anthropic has launched a global services company with Blackstone, Goldman Sachs and Hellman & Friedman to help banks and other businesses, including in the U.K., invest in an artificial intelligence technology that Anthropic says has identified widespread cyber vulnerabilities.

  • May 05, 2026

    Broker WTW Completes Purchase Of NatWest Fintech

    Insurance broker WTW said Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of Cushon, a workplace pension and savings provider, from NatWest Group after getting the thumbs-up from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Expert Analysis

  • Compliance Landscape Shifts As CMA Targets Fake Reviews

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    The Competition and Markets Authority’s investigations into five companies’ alleged misleading online reviews are the first use of its administrative powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, marking a turning point in U.K. consumer protection enforcement, say lawyers at Fieldfisher.

  • SFO Plan Focuses On Resilience But Funding Doubts Persist

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    The Serious Fraud Office’s emphasis on tighter case management and making greater use of technology in its latest business plan suggests a concern with strengthening complex financial crime enforcement, however the agency may not have the resources to deliver meaningful change, say lawyers at Signature Litigation.

  • EU Defense Road Map Opens Doors To New Market Entrants

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    The European Economic and Social Committee's and European Investment Bank Group’s recent endorsements of the European Commission’s EU defense industry transformation road map signal positivity for ongoing implementation, making public procurement more accessible to innovative newcomers and creating fresh opportunities to participate in security-relevant innovation projects, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Sanctions Spotlight: Key Priorities Of OFSI's 3-Year Strategy

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    The Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation's 2026-2029 strategy to assist businesses by providing practical compliance advice and more predictable support will be welcomed, although the process for obtaining guidance and whether the ensuing information will be made publicly available remains unclear, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.

  • EU Risks Falling Behind With Delay In Digitization Rule Fixes

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    With financial organizations calling for the European Union to fast-track modifications to the Distributed Ledger Technology Pilot Regime and the EU signaling that tokenization is a permanent feature of the financial landscape, the sector needs to prepare for the now inevitable shift, says Antonio Lanotte at Futura Law.

  • Darchem Ruling Clarifies Status Of JV Members' Solo Claims

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    The High Court’s recent decision in Darchem Engineering v. Bouygues on whether individual members of an unincorporated joint venture can pursue claims against an employer provides a helpful road map for considering a JV's standing, and a reminder of the importance of contract construction, say lawyers at Squire Patton.

  • Insights From FCA's Latest Customer Due Diligence Review

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent report on customer due diligence controls explains what distinguishes good policies and procedures from those that are lacking, and should encourage firms to check that their processes are detailed, practical and relevant to the business, say lawyers at Womble Bond.

  • Lessons From Spain's Decision Not To Enforce UK Judgment

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    In a recent ruling, a Barcelona court refused to recognize a €365 million U.K. judgment against Cerberus Capital, showing that a foreign decision may be sound, final and enforceable in its own jurisdiction, yet still be refused entry where it threatens to displace a dispute already before the Spanish courts, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.

  • How New EU Third-Country Branch Rules Will Affect UK Banks

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    The European Union's new directive on third-country branch rules for non-EU banks will have a significant impact on U.K. banks, which will no longer be permitted to provide core cross-border services into the EU without a local presence, unless an applicable exemption or carveout applies, say lawyers at Farrer & Co.

  • Lessons From ESMA's Record €1.4M Trade Repository Fine

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    The European Securities and Markets Authority's recent fine against REGIS-TR for data and procedure breaches under Market Infrastructure and Securities Financing Regulations demonstrates that a license confers no immunity from sanctions, and that dually registered trade repositories face a greater financial exposure in the event of noncompliance, say lawyers at White & Case.

  • CMA's 5-Point Plan Signals Shift In Enforcement Priorities

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    The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently published annual plan is notable for a strong shift toward prioritizing U.K. enforcement of consumer protection laws, encouraging innovation and policing public procurement markets for anticompetitive conduct, which contrasts with previous plans that focused on competition in digital markets, complex merger review and sustainability, say lawyers at Cooley.

  • Responding To UK's New Late-Payment Enforcement Regime

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    The U.K. government’s recently announced crackdown on late payment marks a decisive shift from voluntary standards toward an enforcement-led framework designed to alter behavior by changing incentives, increasing accountability and introducing real consequences for persistent poor practices, say lawyers at Shoosmiths.

  • Unpacking HMRC's Decision To Delay Tax Adviser Regime

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    Lawyers at McDermott discuss why HM Revenue & Customs recently chose to delay the application of its tax adviser registration requirement to financial services firms, such as asset managers, as well as the onerous duties and responsibilities that the current legislation imposes.

  • What CMA Blog Reveals About Pricing Collusion Scrutiny

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    The Competition and Markets Authority's recent blog post announcing capabilities to screen for algorithmic collusion demonstrates that the regulator's concerns are crystallizing into enhanced investigative and enforcement actions, broadening the range of commercial arrangements at risk of antitrust scrutiny, say lawyers at Freshfields.

  • Carillion Fines Show FCA's Broad View Of Directors' Duties

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent issuing of final notices to Carillion’s former group CEO demonstrates that executive directors cannot recklessly allow misleading public announcements that undermine market confidence, says Wendy Saunders at Lewis Silkin.

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