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Financial Services UK
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April 04, 2024
Law Firm Defeats Adviser's Unfair Redundancy Claim
A Scottish law firm didn't unfairly cull one of its financial advisers during a redundancy process because bosses scored candidates with a reasonable checklist, an employment tribunal has ruled.
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April 04, 2024
Insurer Wants Greater Flexibility On State Pension Age
The U.K. government should explore giving Britons more choice over when they can start claiming their state pension amid concerns over increases to the official retirement age, insurer Aegon said Thursday.
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April 04, 2024
Pillsbury's New UK White Collar Chief Eyes Success In London
Former Serious Fraud Office "powerhouse" Audrey Koh is in the building, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman says it now has the tools to launch its white-collar and corporate investigations practice in London. Here, Koh and managing partner Matthew Oresman survey the legal landscape.
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April 04, 2024
FCA To Claw Back £1.6M From Fund Manager For Investors
The Financial Conduct Authority said on Thursday that it has won court approval to take £1.6 million ($2 million) from fund manager Argento Wealth and its only director, who promoted two allegedly unlawful investment schemes.
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April 04, 2024
Fladgate Sued For $26.5M Over Botched Debt Claim Advice
Fladgate LLP lost an investment fund an estimated $26.5 million after negligently advising it on how to take action to recover money owed under bonds, according to a High Court claim.
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April 04, 2024
UK Joins Global Data Protection Enforcement Program
Britain's data watchdog said Thursday it has signed a new agreement with the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement to cooperate on cross-border data protection with the U.S. and eight other Pacific Rim countries.
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April 04, 2024
Financial Ombudsman Braces For Bigger Caseload
The U.K. Financial Ombudsman Service said Thursday that it had upped its estimate of how many complaints it expects to receive in the coming financial year to 210,000 from 181,000 due to increased everyday financial concerns.
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April 04, 2024
Standards Setter Warns Of Conflicts Of Interest In Exchanges
A global standards setter for regulators warned Thursday of the risk of conflict of interests in stock exchanges, including in situations where exchanges also run data or technology services.
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April 04, 2024
Standard Life Bags Insurer's Pension Plan In £95M Deal
Standard Life has completed a £95 million ($120 million) buy-in of a pension scheme sponsored by Brit Insurance in a deal guided by Burges Salmon LLP.
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April 04, 2024
Money Was Siphoned To Former Exec's Wife, Insurer Says
A Liechtenstein insurer suing two of its former directors for allegedly funneling millions of pounds to accounts they had ties to has now accused one of the men's wives of also benefiting from unauthorized payments.
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April 03, 2024
OneCoin Atty Gets 4 Years For Role In $4B Crypto Fraud
The former head of legal and compliance at OneCoin on Wednesday was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the $4 billion cryptocurrency scheme that defrauded millions of investors around the world.
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April 03, 2024
UK Billionaire Lewis Agrees To $1.64M Insider Trading Penalty
British billionaire Joseph Lewis has agreed to pay $1.64 million to settle the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's civil claims he fed confidential tips to his personal pilots and then-girlfriend after pleading guilty to related criminal charges earlier this year.
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April 03, 2024
Forex Broker Wins Deceit Claim Over TV Transactions
A forex broker has won in his 7.9 billion Nigerian naira ($5.9 million) deceit claim over an English brokerage's alleged failure to pay out dollars for naira after a London judge ruled that the firm would not be able to defend against it.
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April 03, 2024
More Pension Schemes Considering Running On, LCP Says
An increasing number of pensions schemes are considering running on their retirement savings plans as funding levels continue to strengthen in the U.K., a consultancy has said.
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April 03, 2024
UK Regulators Propose Special Regime For Digital Securities
Britain's finance regulators proposed on Wednesday a special regulatory regime to allow firms to use new technology to issue, trade and settle digital shares and bonds, a move they hope will boost the country's global competitiveness.
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April 03, 2024
Single Pensioner Income Inequality Found To Be Widening
Government data shows income disparity between rich and poor single pensioners is widening in the U.K. due to low earnings growth and rising housing costs, according to research by consultancy Broadstone published Wednesday.
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April 03, 2024
Watchdog Bans 'Misleading' Advertisements By UK Lender
The advertising watchdog said Wednesday that it has banned "misleading" promotions by Nationwide Building Society that boasted of its record of keeping branches open amid closures by competitors, pointing out that the lender has shut just over 150 branches in a decade.
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April 03, 2024
EU Watchdog To Set ESG Rules For Credit Rating Agencies
The European Union's markets regulator has proposed rule changes to clarify how credit rating agencies should use environmental, social and governance factors in their ratings amid continued concerns that their approaches lack clarity.
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April 03, 2024
Fintech Alpha Pushes Plan To List On London's Main Market
Alpha Group International PLC on Wednesday confirmed its plan to shift its shares to the London Stock Exchange's main market to boost its reputation and its business prospects.
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April 03, 2024
Kirkland-Led Goldman Sachs Unit Buys Stake In Credit Fund
Goldman Sach's private equity unit has acquired Italian asset manager Azimut's 20% stake in private credit fund Kennedy Lewis for $225 million, the companies said Wednesday.
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April 03, 2024
Insurer Lands Battery Brand Pension Scheme In £44M Deal
Insurer Just Group said Wednesday it has completed a £44 million ($55.3 million) buy-in of a pension scheme sponsored by battery and lighting brand Energizer Group Ltd.
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April 03, 2024
Alleged Water Investment Fraudsters Appear In Court
Three men who allegedly defrauded investors out of £3.9 million ($4.9 million) through an unregulated water investment scheme appeared at a London criminal court Wednesday.
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April 02, 2024
Ex-Autonomy Exec Denies He Blew Whistle To Deflect Scandal
Autonomy's former U.S. chief financial officer denied under cross-examination Tuesday in the California criminal fraud trial of ex-CEO Michael Lynch that he brought whistleblower concerns about alleged accounting irregularities to the software company's Deloitte auditors to "cover" himself after a payroll scandal emerged in his department.
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April 02, 2024
Feds Seek Leniency For UK Billionaire Lewis In Trading Case
Prosecutors have told a Manhattan federal judge that 87-year-old British billionaire Joe Lewis should serve less than 18 months in prison after he pled guilty to insider trading, citing his age and health and arguing he "has otherwise lived a law-abiding life."
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April 02, 2024
UK Reaches Landmark AI Risk Testing Agreement With US
The U.K. government said Tuesday it had reached a landmark agreement with the U.S. to share the testing of advanced models for artificial intelligence, after highlighting in a report its increasing use by cybercriminals to attack financial institutions and business.
Expert Analysis
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Questions Raised By UK Plan For ESG Ratings Providers
HM Treasury is taking steps toward regulating environmental, social and corporate governance ratings providers, aiming to ensure adequate protection for U.K. users and level the playing field, but the potential new regime risks imposing undue regulatory burden and overlapping requirements on U.K. and overseas firms, say Ferdisha Snagg and Andreas Wildner at Cleary.
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Why The Royal Mint Failed To Launch An NFT
Without a clear objective it is unsurprising that The Royal Mint’s attempt to launch a nonfungible token ended with a whimper rather than bang, says Dion Seymour at Andersen.
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Review Of Senior Managers Regime Provides Useful Insight
Although the recently launched review of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime suggests a remodel rather than wholesale change, the topics raised illustrate the mindset of the three key stakeholders in the U.K. financial services sector, say Richard Burger and Katy O’Connor at WilmerHale.
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Highlights Of The UK's New Economic Crime Plan
With the direction of the U.K. government’s newly launched second economic crime plan undeniably altered by the recent focus on kleptocrats and their money, the emphasis is now on how the U.K. can deliver a more effective approach to reducing the threat of economic crime, says Kathryn Westmore at the Royal United Services Institute.
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Fresh View Ruling Offers Clarity On Forfeiture Orders
The pragmatic focus on property rather than the defendants’ wrongdoing in Fresh View v. Westminster Magistrates' Court will be welcomed by enforcement authorities, although the low bar where mere knowledge or suspicion of unlawful conduct may be sufficient for forfeiture could be of concern to innocent recipients, says Joseph Sinclair at Mountford Chambers.
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Considering Sanctions Enforcement From An EU Perspective
The creation of the European G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism and a sanctions environment with increased enforcement on a multijurisdictional level aims to streamline enforcement at EU level, essential for an effective implementation of the sanctions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Analyzing The UK Proposal For A Digital Pound
While the HM Treasury and Bank of England’s consultation makes clear that a central bank digital currency will likely be needed in the future, and there is certainly momentum in the space, there are still a number of concerns to be addressed, say attorneys at Simmons & Simmons.
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How The LDI Crisis May Lead To Pensions' Negligence Claims
Following the liability-driven investment crisis and its impact on pension schemes, employers and trustees may now be considering if anyone is to blame for any losses arising, say Rachael Healey and Andrew Oberholzer at RPC.
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UK Financial Services Bill May Not Be Quick Fraud Fix
While the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Bill is expected to pass into law this year and will make it easier for fraud victims to achieve redress, the reforms could result in increased costs and greater friction in payment processing and may not directly make it more difficult for criminals to operate scams, say Daniel Murphy and Gary Orritt at Eversheds Sutherland.
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A Look At Key Trends In UK Enforcement Of G-7 Sanctions
In light of the recent creation of a G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism that is opening the door for greater collaboration between the U.K. and G-7 countries, together with a more aggressive approach to enforcement in the U.K., an uptick in investigations is likely, particularly regarding Russia, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Proposed EU Directive May Bring Harmony To Insolvency Law
The diverging insolvency regimes across European Union member states often lead to significant discrepancies in the recovery value for creditors, but a recent proposal for a directive that would affect areas like directors' duties and prepack processes represents a welcome move toward the harmonization of these laws across the EU, say attorneys at Taylor Wessing.
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UK Enviro Ruling Takes Narrow View Of Standard Of Review
In an important case that should provide comfort to investors involved in large public-finance backed infrastructure projects, the U.K. Court of Appeal's judgment against Friends of the Earth suggests that English courts will only intervene in limited circumstances where the U.K. government is challenged on the basis of an international treaty, say Holly Stebbing and Maddie Hallwright at Norton Rose.
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How Changes To 'Acting In Concert' Will Affect UK Takeovers
The recent changes made to the rules by the U.K. Takeover Panel on who is presumed to be acting in concert will be of most interest to parties proposing to make a bid for a U.K. listed company, and give welcome clarity as to how the U.K. takeover regime operates, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.
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Crypto And The Potential For Insider Dealing Offense
Recent cases have raised concerns about crypto providing new opportunities for insider dealing, and while it isn't more vulnerable to schemes than any other security, the lack of regulation and the newness of the technology exasperate its susceptibility to insider trading and potential criminal offense, say Adam Craggs and Alice Kemp at RPC.
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UK Ruling Guides On Appropriation Of Financial Collateral
While a London court’s recent ruling in ABT Auto Investments v. Aapico sets out practical guidelines for enforcement of security over financial collateral by appropriation — particularly amid a breakdown of relations with the collateral provider — a recently proposed bill could mean the future of this method is in question, say Bruce Johnston and Paul Denham at Morgan Lewis.