Financial Services UK

Top Commercial Dispute Cases To Watch In The Rest Of 2025

Litigators will be eagerly awaiting the first "dieselgate" trial in what will be the largest ever group action in England and Wales when the courts return after the summer recess, as well as keeping an eye out for the outcome of a £36 billion ($49 billion) claim against BHP. Here, Law360 looks at those and other big cases to watch out for the rest of 2025.

Concept picture of pound notes with a calculator and pen.

FCA's New Redress Powers Spark Some Legal Concerns

Government plans to reform the Financial Ombudsman Service will give the Financial Conduct Authority new powers to introduce wide-ranging consumer redress programs at its discretion, leading lawyers to warn that the regulator could become too susceptible to public pressure.

Close-up of aeroplane jet-engine on a runway

Top Commercial Dispute Rulings Of 2025: Midyear Report

England's courts have dealt in the first half of 2025 with a multibillion-dollar legal dispute with insurers over planes stuck in Russia, slashed the exposure faced by banks over motor finance claims and set out how the proceeds from a landmark class action against Mastercard should be distributed.

The Top Corporate Crime Cases To Watch In The Rest Of 2025

The crackdown by the Serious Fraud Office on dirty money could dominate the attention of white collar lawyers in the second half of 2025 as the agency pursues two cases that could define the circumstances in which it can seize suspected criminal money.

September 09, 2025
Tether Accuses Crypto Trader Of Unlawful Suit Over Bitcoin JV

Tether accused a crypto trading company in a London court on Tuesday of knowingly bringing an unlawful claim over a soured bitcoin mining joint venture after the trader conceded that it did not own the intellectual assets of the joint venture vehicle.
September 09, 2025
FCA Puts Brakes On 400 Misleading Auto Finance Payout Ads

The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has curbed hundreds of promotions by claims management companies that have overstated the compensation available to consumers in the wake of rulings over motor finance fees.
September 09, 2025
Insurers Told To Invest In Data To Meet Cyber-Market Demand

The insurance sector must improve the quality of its data to better understand risks if it is to address the anticipated growth in the cyber-market, Lockton Re has said.
September 09, 2025
Dutch Pension Reform Could Mean Shakeup For Markets

The sweeping reform of the €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) Dutch pension sector from next year could have knock-on effects for bond markets and Eurozone banks, a credit rating agency warned Tuesday.
September 09, 2025
Accountant Spied On By Boss Wins £14K Over Unfair Firing

A former employee of an accounting company has been awarded £14,120 ($19,150) after an employment tribunal ruled that her employer unfairly fired her and then spied on her work computer to retrospectively justify its decision.
September 09, 2025
Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Pension Tax Relief

Possible changes to pension tax relief rules that could be announced in the forthcoming autumn budget to raise additional revenue are fraught with risks for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and could break government manifesto commitments, a consultancy has said.
September 09, 2025
BHP Settles Class Action Over Brazil Dam Collapse For $72M

BHP Group Ltd. revealed on Tuesday that it has agreed to pay 110 million Australian dollars ($73 million) to settle a class action brought in Australia on behalf of shareholders in the mining giant before a deadly dam collapse in Brazil in 2015.
September 08, 2025
Investors Say E-Commerce Co. Misrepresented $69M Bond Deal

A group of investment firms has alleged that an Indian e-commerce company breached a finance deal by failing to use the almost $69 million in bonds the firms issued to purchase 100% of a software business.
September 08, 2025
FCA Unit Tells Legal, Accountancy Bodies To Improve SARs

The anti-money laundering unit of the Financial Conduct Authority told legal and accountancy supervisory bodies on Monday that suspicious activity reports they submit could be improved by setting out an action plan.
September 08, 2025
Insurers Say EU Solvency Reforms Will Not Boost Competition

The European Commission's draft technical amendments to the prudential regime for insurance and reinsurance companies across the bloc will not make the region more competitive, a trade body has said.
September 08, 2025
Crédit Agricole Pays €88M Fine To Settle Cum-Cum Probe

Crédit Agricole SA's investment banking arm agreed on Monday to pay French prosecutors €88 million ($103 million) to settle a criminal probe over allegations that the lender conducted trades designed to flout tax laws.
September 08, 2025
Vanquis Bank Let Sanctioned Client Access Funds, OFSI Says

The U.K.'s sanctions enforcer said in a published notice Monday that a U.K. bank had breached sanctions regulations by allowing a sanctioned person to access their account funds.
September 08, 2025
Gov't Consults On Merging Payments Watchdog With FCA

The government released detailed plans on Monday for folding the Payment Systems Regulator into the Financial Conduct Authority, a move that would simplify the rules for payment systems and companies.
September 08, 2025
Lender Denies Blame For Investor's $18M Miner Shares Loss

A Bahamian lender has denied causing a British Virgin Islands investment company to lose approximately $18.6 million by refusing to allow it to repay a loan early, which would have allowed the investor to redeem shares in a gold miner.
September 08, 2025
SEC Sues Briton Over Funds From Microcap Stock Fraud

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a U.K. citizen for $148,038 to recover money in a case arising from his alleged role in a fraudulent microcap stock scheme, according to filings at a London court.
September 08, 2025
Swedbank Cleared As SEC Ends Disclosure Probe

Swedbank has said that the U.S. securities authority has closed a six-year investigation into the bank without taking any enforcement action.
September 05, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen professional boxing promoter Boxxer take action against the former head of boxing at Matchroom Sport, Aegis Motor Insurance and Chubb European Group clash over a reinsurance claim, and a transgender pool player sue the English Blackball Pool Federation over its decision to ban her competing in women's teams and tournaments.
September 05, 2025
Sabadell Can't Nix Swiss Investment Firm's TM

Spanish bank Sabadell failed to convince European officials to nix an investment firm's mark for the letter "B" because the fact that its own mark also contained a "B" wasn't enough to make the public think that their financial services were somehow linked.
September 05, 2025
Ex-NASA Scientist Gets 2 Years For £1M Investment Fraud

A London judge sentenced a former NASA scientist to two years in prison Friday for fleecing more than 100 investors out of nearly £1 million ($1.4 million) as part of an unauthorized trading scheme.
September 05, 2025
Ex-Insurance CEO To Pay £5M For Pocketing Business Loan

A London court on Friday found the former chief executive of a defunct Liechtenstein insurer liable to pay back £4.96 million ($6.7 million) after pocketing a loan from the company for no legitimate business purpose.
September 05, 2025
Retirement Confidence Rises, But Isn't Shared Equally

More workers in the U.K. are confident of retiring comfortably than before, with men and young employees showing strong optimism compared with women and other age groups, according to research by pensions provider Aegon.
September 05, 2025
Ex-AllSaints Chair Faces Sentence For Contempt

An arm of private equity firm Lion Capital urged a London judge Friday to sentence the former chairman of clothing brand AllSaints for contempt of court after he continued to claim an interest in shares after his allegations of fraud were rejected.
September 05, 2025
EU Watchdog Urged To Clarify Derivatives Clearing Rules

Representatives of the fund management and derivatives industries have urged European regulators and lawmakers to clarify technical planned rules for companies that clear derivatives under a regime known as European Market Infrastructure Regulation 3.
September 05, 2025
SPB Steering Multiemployer Collective Pension Plan Launch

Squire Patton Boggs has said it is advising TPT Retirement Solutions as the company plans to launch what is expected to be the U.K.'s first multiemployer collective defined contribution scheme.
September 05, 2025
Brits Prioritize Fitness Over Pension Savings, ABI Says

Every fifth Briton prioritizes physical health now over their future financial health, according to research by Pension Attention, a national awareness campaign for pensions.

Editor's Picks

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 Draft Pay Fraud Rules Open Tricky Legal Liabilities

The government's new draft legislation, which will give banks longer to investigate suspicions of fraud before they send payments instructed by customers, will create a wave of new legal liabilities and lead to regulatory hurdles, according to lawyers.
FCA Fires Warning Shot Over City's Consumer Duty Failings

The Financial Conduct Authority has sent out a fresh warning to financial services companies highlighting how some of them are failing to comply with its Consumer Duty regime. But experts have told Law360 that the expectations are unclear.

Expert Analysis

Charting A Course For The UK's Transition From Paper Shares

The recent report from the U.K.'s Digitisation Taskforce, recommending modernization of how shares in U.K.-listed companies are held, makes it clear that while moving from paper shares to an intermediated system is a positive step, the transition will not be without complications, say lawyers at HSF Kramer.
Return-To-Office Policy Considerations For UK Employers

As the Financial Conduct Authority reviews its hybrid working policy and other organizations increasingly require employees to return to the office, employers should weigh the costs and benefits of these decisions while considering the nuances of work-from-home rights in the U.K., say lawyers at Shoosmiths.
Catching Up On Simplified EU Sustainability Disclosure Rules

A recent proposal to streamline implementation of the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation contains measures that would reduce companies’ sustainable investment reporting and compliance requirements, and better support the EU’s climate and environmental goals, say lawyers at Proskauer.
Fraud Law Puts Fund Managers Under Compliance Spotlight

The new failure to prevent fraud offense, effective Sept. 1, may not represent a material departure from most managers’ duties to exercise due care in preventing loss to the assets they manage, but the prospect of criminal liability should sharpen their compliance focus, says Andrew Henderson at Goodwin Procter.
CMA Pricing Guide Signals Shift In UK Consumer Protection

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recent draft price transparency guide, as part of a wider reform introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, represents a significant change in U.K. consumer protection by targeting unfair trading practices and strengthening enforcement mechanisms, says Felicity Forward at Shoosmiths.
8 Compliance Team Strategies To Support Business Agility

Amid new regulatory requirements across the globe, compliance functions must design thoughtful guardrails that help business leaders achieve their commercial objectives lawfully — from repurposing existing tools to using technology thoughtfully — instead of defaulting to cumbersome protocols that hinder legitimate business, says Theodore Edelman at GCE Advisors.
What To Note From FCA, Gov't Financial Growth Proposals

Recent Financial Conduct Authority and government proposals for financial services reform are positive developments for firms, signaling a drive to push forward growth and a willingness to be flexible in areas of regulation that the industry has long raised as barriers, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.
What Gov't Report Tells Lawyers About Continuing AML Risks

The U.K. government’s recent national money laundering risk assessment maintains conveyancing, company service work and misuse of client accounts as key threats, underscoring that law firms should expect renewed scrutiny and higher expectations in these high-risk areas, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
Petrofac Ruling Shifts Focus To Fairness In Restructurings

The recent Court of Appeal overturning of Petrofac's restructuring plans demonstrates a change of direction that will allow previously ignored out-of-the-money creditors a share in the benefits, and means companies must review the fair treatment of different creditor classes, say lawyers at King & Spalding.
Europe's New Defense Push Creates Investment Prospects

Recent increases in European defense expenditure and governments' desire to innovate are creating a compelling environment for investment and merger and acquisition activity, especially for small and midsize enterprises at the forefront of emerging technologies, say lawyers at Skadden.
Key Considerations For Issuers In FCA Prospectus Reform

The Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming reform of the U.K. prospectus regime should be attractive to both debt and equity issuers because it limits the circumstances in which a costly prospectus is required, making it easier and cheaper for listed companies to raise capital, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.
How Top Court Ruling Limits Scope Of Motor Finance Claims

The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in a landmark case concerning car finance commissions clarifies when and how a dealership’s fiduciary duties arise, considerably narrowing that path for mass consumer litigation and highlighting how an upcoming Financial Conduct Authority redress scheme will seek to balance consumer, lender and market interests, say lawyers at Cadwalader.
FCA Misconduct Guide Will Expand Firms' Duty To Investigate

The Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals on workplace nonfinancial misconduct will place a greater onus on compliance and investigations teams, clarifying that the question to ascertain is whether the behavior is justifiable and proportionate, say lawyers at Ashurst.
Lessons From Landmark UK Supreme Court Libor Ruling

The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent quashing of former traders Hayes and Palombo’s interest rate rigging convictions on the ground of jury misdirection raises concerns about failings in the criminal appeal process, and whether encouraging institutions to accept regulatory settlements can create conditions for miscarriages of justice, says Ellen Gallagher at Vardags.
Mansion House Speech Heralds New Financial Regulatory Era

The chancellor of the exchequer's recent Mansion House speech introduced a sweeping commitment to modernize regulation, which will require U.K. retail banks and building societies to revisit core assumptions, and allow lawyers to play a key role in shaping the new rules, say lawyers at Addleshaw Goddard.