Financial Services UK

  • July 16, 2025

    Senior Managers Regime Revamp Risks Letting In Bad Apples

    The City watchdog's planned overhaul of its senior managers regime risks allowing people with records of misconduct to slip into financial firms because of the relaxation of rules on references and criminal checks, according to lawyers.

  • July 16, 2025

    Barclays Fined £42M For Failures In Financial Crime Controls

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has hit Barclays Bank PLC with fines totaling £42 million ($56 million) for two separate failings in its management of financial crime risk, which could have exposed the bank to criminals laundering money.

  • July 15, 2025

    UK's Large Employers Pledge To Prioritize Pension Outcomes

    More than 20 of Britain's largest employers, including Goldman Sachs and Tesco, have committed to prioritizing retirement outcomes for their workers when they choose pension providers rather than focusing on reducing costs, the City of London Corp. has said.

  • July 15, 2025

    PwC Settles Property Biz's £9M Tax Negligence Case

    PwC has settled claims that it should pay £8.9 million ($12 million) for causing a property group to be penalized by the U.K. tax authority after the Big Four accountancy firm allegedly miscalculated its tax liabilities and incorrectly priced its properties.

  • July 15, 2025

    Insurers Warned Over Credit Risk From Adopting AI

    Insurers that adopt artificial intelligence tools without properly managing their associated risks could face financial damage and harm to their reputations, a credit ratings agency warned on Tuesday.

  • July 15, 2025

    Lawyer And Accountant Face 2027 Money Laundering Trial

    A solicitor who is a former political candidate and an accountant charged by the National Crime Agency with money laundering are set to face trial in 2027.

  • July 15, 2025

    Court Refuses To Rule Bali Villa Sale Breached Asset Freeze

    A London court said Tuesday that it will not decide whether the wife of a former Russian bank executive had committed contempt of court by selling her villa in Bali 10 days before an asset freeze against her was lifted.

  • July 15, 2025

    Banks To Nudge Savers Toward Stocks Under Gov't Reforms

    Banks will be encouraged to push savers toward gambling their cash on the stock market, the government said on Tuesday, as it looks to revitalize the landscape for retail investors in the U.K.

  • July 15, 2025

    UK To Ease Senior Manager Rules Amid Regulatory Overhaul

    The government unveiled a raft of reforms to financial services regulation on Tuesday as it seeks to encourage investment in the economy, a package that includes streamlined rules for senior managers and easier capital requirements for lenders.

  • July 14, 2025

    FCA To Loosen Prospectus Rules For Firms Raising Cash

    The Financial Conduct Authority set out rules on Tuesday that it said will make it easier and cheaper for listed companies to raise cash as the regulator makes another attempt to rebalance risk and help resuscitate U.K. capital markets.

  • July 14, 2025

    Insurance Co. Accuses Ex-CEO Of Siphoning £19M At Trial

    An insurance company accused its former chief executive and a director at the start of a London trial on Monday of misappropriating millions of pounds by siphoning money from the business for his own financial benefit.

  • July 14, 2025

    Audit Watchdog Proposes Changes To Digital Reporting Guide

    The Financial Reporting Council on Monday revealed plans to update its taxonomy suite to reflect changed accounting rules and other regulatory requirements.

  • July 14, 2025

    SFO Still Yet To Use Power To Freeze Crypto Wallets

    The Serious Fraud Office has not pursued any crypto wallet freezing or forfeiture orders since their introduction over a year ago, according to an information request disclosed Monday, a month after the government pledged more in funds for the agency to invest in its investigatory capabilities.

  • July 14, 2025

    Financial Standard-Setter Says Work Needed On Climate Risks

    A global standards-setter said Monday there has been good progress on a number of areas it mapped out in 2021 to tackle climate-related financial risks, but that work still needs to be done.

  • July 14, 2025

    Clifford Chance Denies Blame For SocGen's $483M Gold Loss

    Clifford Chance LLP has denied breaching any duty to Société Générale SA with its advice on a $483 million gold bullion dispute, telling a London court that the blame for the French bank's failed claim lies elsewhere.

  • July 14, 2025

    Lender Denies Helping Pharma Boss Secure Secret £6M Loan

    A business lender has denied working with the now-former chief executive officer of an online pharmacy to take out about £6.1 million ($8.2 million) in unauthorized loans under the company's name without the knowledge of investors or board members.

  • July 14, 2025

    Wealth Manager Sues For £4.5M Over Failed Investment Deal

    A Swiss wealth manager has sued a U.K. company for 5 million Swiss francs ($6.3 million), saying that it failed to return its investment after a share purchase deal went sideways.

  • July 14, 2025

    HSBC Becomes Latest Bank To Quit Net Zero Finance Group

    HSBC has become the latest bank to quit a global banking coalition focused on mitigating climate change in alignment with the Paris Agreement, following multiple recent departures by lenders.

  • July 14, 2025

    Investment Association Urges Better Support For UK Retirees

    The Investment Association has said Britain can do more to help its savers use their money more wisely once they retire, mapping out a string of proposals it said would support better outcomes in later life.

  • July 14, 2025

    Gov't Reforms Needed To Unlock FCA's Targeted Support Plan

    The financial watchdog's planned "targeted support" program for consumers requires government legislation or guidance to remove legal obstacles to direct marketing — and regulatory experts expect the first step to come at the Mansion House address by Chancellor Rachel Reeves late on Tuesday.

  • July 14, 2025

    Crédit Agricole Seeks ECB Approval To Buy 20% BPM Stake

    French lender Crédit Agricole said Monday that it is seeking approval from the European Central Bank to increase its stake in Italian rival Banco BPM to more than 20%.

  • July 11, 2025

    Deceased Financiers' Assets Tapped To Cover Thai Bank Debt

    The liquidators of a collapsed Thai lender can be paid from the English assets of two deceased financiers convicted over an embezzlement scheme, after a judge held Friday the funds can go to partially cover a judgment debt totaling £60 million ($81 million).

  • July 11, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen HS2 hit with a defamation claim by two ex-employees who blew the whistle on alleged under-reporting of costs, Craig Wright and nChain face legal action brought by its former chief financial officer over a fraud scheme, and pro-footballer Axel Tuanzebe bring a clinical negligence claim against his former club Manchester United F.C. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • July 11, 2025

    City Group Asks Gov't For Light-Touch Carbon Market Regs

    A financial services trade body said Friday it has asked the government for light-touch regulation of voluntary carbon and nature markets in the U.K., using existing watchdogs.

  • July 11, 2025

    ESMA Warns Crypto Firms To Clarify Unregulated Products

    The European Union's financial markets watchdog said Friday that regulated crypto-asset service providers must make it clear to consumers which of the products and services they offer are unregulated. 

Expert Analysis

  • Reflecting On 12 Months Of The EU Foreign Subsidy Regime

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    New European Commission guidance, addressing procedural questions and finally providing clarity on “distortion” in merger control and public procurement, offers an opportunity to reflect on the year since foreign subsidy notification obligations were introduced, say lawyers at Fried Frank.

  • What Updated Guide Means For Jersey's Private Funds

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    The Jersey Financial Services Commission's recent updates to the Jersey Private Fund Guide clarify existing provisions and introduce new requirements for fund managers, service providers and investors, demonstrating a clear commitment to maintaining Jersey's reputation as an attractive jurisdiction for investment, say lawyers at Walkers Global.

  • The Road Ahead For Tokenized Investment Funds In The UK

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    With an HM Treasury working group expected to release the final phase of a road map for tokenized investment funds by the end of the year, Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP discuss the advantages for investors and fund administrators, the proposed model for implementation, and what the regulatory landscape may look like.

  • Review Of EU Cross-Border Merger Regs' Impact On Irish Cos.

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    Looking back on the year since the European Union Mobility Directive was transposed into Irish law, enabling Irish and European Economic Area limited liability companies to participate in cross-border deals, it is clear that restructuring options available to Irish companies with EU operations have significantly expanded, say lawyers at Matheson.

  • A Look At UK, EU And US Cartel Enforcement Trends

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    The European Union, U.K. and U.S. competition agencies' recently issued joint statement on competition risks in generative artificial intelligence demonstrates increased cross-border collaboration on cartel investigations, meaning companies facing investigations in one jurisdiction should anticipate related investigations in other jurisdictions, say lawyers at Latham & Watkins.

  • Testing The Limits Of English Courts' Pro-Arbitration Stance

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    Although the Court of Appeal recently upheld a $64 million arbitration award in Eternity Sky v. Zhang, the judgment offers rare insight into when the English courts’ general inclination to enforce arbitral awards may be outweighed by competing policy interests such as consumer rights, say Declan Gallivan and Peter Morton at K&L Gates.

  • What Green Claims Directive Proposal Means For Businesses

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    With the European Union’s recent adoption of a general approach to the proposed Green Claims Directive, which will regulate certain environmental claims and likely be finalized next year, companies keen to publicize their green credentials have even more reason to tread carefully, say Marcus Navin-Jones and Juge Gregg at Crowell & Moring.

  • £43M Legal Bill Case Shows Courts' View On Exchange Rates

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    A recent Court of Appeal decision declined to change the currency used for payment of the Nigerian government's legal bill, aligning with British courts' consensus that they should not be concerned with how fluctuating exchange rates might benefit one party over another, says Francis Kendall at Kain Knight.

  • Examining The EU's New Payments Services Package

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    Following recent European Parliament elections, the spotlight is turning to the highly anticipated payments services package expected in September, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative process that will reshape the payment services ecosystem in the European Union, says Kristýna Tupá and Karolína Hlavinková at Schoenherr.

  • Examining The State Of Paccar Fixes After General Election

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    Following the U.K. Supreme Court's Paccar decision last year, which made many litigation funding agreements for opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal unenforceable, the judiciary will likely take charge in implementing any fixes — but the general election has created uncertainty, says Ben Knowles at Clyde & Co.

  • EU Reports Signal Greenwashing Focus For Financial Sector

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    Reports from the European Supervisory Authorities on enforcement of sustainability information, plus related guidance issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority, represent a fundamental change in how businesses must operate to maintain integrity and public trust, say Amilcare Sada and Matteo Fanton at A&O Shearman.

  • Opinion

    Without Change, Fighting Fraud Is A Losing Battle For The UK

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    To successfully fight fraud cases in the U.K. — like the Russian Coms scam recently shut down by the National Crime Agency — it is clear there needs to be significant investment in recruiting and training expert investigators, and meaningful engagement between the country’s intelligence platforms, says Anthony Hanratty at Howard Kennedy.

  • Embedding Consumer Duty: 6 Areas Firms Should Prioritize

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    The Financial Conduct Authority has repeatedly emphasized that complying with the Consumer Duty is not a tick-box exercise but an ongoing responsibility, so firms need to show that the duty is at the heart of their practices by staying compliant in areas from cultural change to customer vulnerability, say Nicola Higgs and Becky Critchley at Latham.

  • 2 UK Rulings Highlight Persistent Push Payment Fraud Issues

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    Two recent High Court decisions, Larsson v. Revolut and Terna DOO v. Revolut, demonstrate that authorized push payment fraud continues to cause headaches for consumers and financial institutions alike, and with forthcoming mandatory reimbursement requirements, more APP fraud litigation can be expected, say lawyers at Charles Russell.

  • Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling

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    The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

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