Financial Services UK

  • May 18, 2026

    Retirement Savings Cliff Edge Looms, Pensions Body Warns

    Four in ten adults in Britain are not saving enough for their retirement, according to a long-awaited report published on Tuesday.

  • May 18, 2026

    HMRC Says Scottish Power Owes Tax On £28M Redress

    HM Revenue and Customs told the U.K. Supreme Court Monday that ScottishPower can't dodge paying tax on just over £28 million ($38 million) in redress payments that the energy company made after being investigated for regulatory failures.

  • May 18, 2026

    Treasury To Boost Lending With Ring-Fence Reforms

    HM Treasury said on Monday that it will introduce ring-fencing reforms it designed in collaboration with the Bank of England through its Enhancing Financial Services Bill, aiming to boost bank lending by £80 billion ($107 billion).

  • May 18, 2026

    Labor Market Shaping Gender Pension Disparity, DWP Says

    Women, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds, are more likely to experience sustained periods out of work and ultimately accrue lower private pension savings and income in retirement, the Department for Work and Pensions said in a report on Monday.

  • May 18, 2026

    UK To Rewrite Consumer Credit Rules For Digital Age

    The government said Monday it will radically overhaul the consumer credit regime, arguing that the 50-year-old rules are outdated and too complex, amid lingering concerns the reforms could weaken protections for borrowers.

  • May 18, 2026

    UK Regulators Set Out Program To Boost Digital Assets

    U.K. financial regulators published proposals on Monday to support businesses in the sector to develop and accelerate the digitalization of shares or bonds and its infrastructure.

  • May 18, 2026

    Commerzbank Urges Shareholders To Reject UniCredit Bid

    Germany's Commerzbank AG advised its shareholders on Monday to reject what it considers a lowball approach from UniCredit SpA in its latest move to fend off the Italian rival and continue as a standalone bank.

  • May 18, 2026

    Gov't Urged To Provide Assets For Pensions Investment Push

    The government must provide a stream of investment opportunities for pension funds if it wants the £3 trillion ($4 trillion) sector to invest more in the U.K. economy, a trade body said Monday.

  • May 18, 2026

    Molten Ventures Sells Revolut Stake For £63M

    Molten Ventures PLC said on Monday that it has sold another portion of its stake in fintech company Revolut for approximately £63 million ($84 million), extending the European venture capital firm's series of disposals to boost cash returns and fund new investments.

  • May 18, 2026

    EY Pays £105M To Settle NMC Health Audit Negligence Claim

    EY has paid £105.5 million ($141 million) to the administrators of NMC Health PLC after settling a £2 billion claim over its allegedly negligent auditing of the collapsed hospital operator and failure to spot major fraud by the health giant's shareholders.

  • May 15, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 15, 2026

    AmTrust Gets OK To Fight Ruling Capping Sompo Claim

    AmTrust persuaded a court Friday to allow it to challenge a decision capping its bid to hold an insurer of two defunct law firms liable for £15 million ($20 million) paid out under a failed litigation funding system.

  • May 15, 2026

    Number Of People Cashing In UK Pensions Rises By 29%

    The number of people withdrawing their retirement savings in full has increased by almost a third over the past seven years, a pensions provider said Friday, raising concerns about the adequacy of long-term savings.

  • May 15, 2026

    Bank Exec's Whistleblowing Didn't Spark Hotel Spend Probe

    A U.K. bank has beaten a former executive's claim that it penalized her for blowing the whistle on alleged regulatory failures, persuading a tribunal that its disciplinary probe into her hotel spending was not a sham.

  • May 15, 2026

    Klarna Wins Battle For 'K.' TM For Non-Banking Services

    A European court has rejected Klarna's bid to obtain exclusive rights over a "K." trademark in the banking world, but allowed the fintech firm to keep its logo registered over a range of non-financial services despite a Spanish rival's attacks. 

  • May 15, 2026

    ICO Tells Cos. To Tighten Defenses Against AI Cyberattacks

    Britain's Information Commissioner's Office has said all businesses must take "proactive steps" to address the evolving and growing threat of artificial intelligence-powered cyberattacks.

  • May 15, 2026

    BlackRock Fund To Let Pension Plans Access Private Markets

    BlackRock has launched a new fund aimed at giving defined contribution pension savers broader access to private market investments, amid building momentum in the U.K. to channel more retirement savings into so-called productive finance assets.

  • May 14, 2026

    FDIC Signs Off On Stellantis Industrial Bank Bid

    Stellantis, the company behind Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge cars, has received Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. clearance to open a U.S. industrial bank, a move that will put all of Detroit's "Big Three" automakers on track to own federally insured lenders.

  • May 14, 2026

    Trader Accused Of Using $9M Investment Deal To Buy House

    A management consultancy has told a London court that a purported bond-market trader used a $9.4 million investment to buy a country home and other businesses instead of paying promised returns.

  • May 14, 2026

    PE Co. Settles €9.3M Fraud Claim Against Restauranteur

    A private equity shop's special purpose vehicle has settled its case against a French restaurant manager alleging that he lied about his previous work experience to secure a €9.3 million ($11 million) investment for a failed food business venture.

  • May 14, 2026

    Mehta Says He Signed Fake Board Minutes At Exec's Request

    A diamond and jewelry tycoon accused of swindling more than $1 billion from banks testified at trial in London on Thursday that he never attended board meetings and signed off on minutes years after the fact without ever seeing the contents.

  • May 14, 2026

    Jusan Refused Ex-Exec's Payment Over Embezzlement Claims

    A former executive at investment holding company Jusan Technologies Ltd. won his whistleblowing case on Thursday after a tribunal found that the British company withheld money he was due after he raised concerns about embezzlement.

  • May 14, 2026

    Aviva Pension Deals Halved Amid Tough Market

    Insurance giant Aviva PLC reported Thursday a steep decline in pension deals in the first quarter, owing to new competitive pressures in the market.

  • May 14, 2026

    Highest Earners Hardest Hit By Pension Tax Change, IFS Says

    The highest earners in the private sector will be hit the hardest by the U.K. government's decision to cap tax-free pension salary sacrifices at £2,000 ($2,700), the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said, with finance and insurance among the most affected industries.

  • May 14, 2026

    UK Gov't Starts Review To Protect Face-To-Face Banking

    The Treasury said Thursday that it has commissioned an independent review to protect access to face-to-face banking across the U.K., which will inform new powers for the government to act where access to banking services is at risk.

Expert Analysis

  • UK Stock Exchange Changes Ease Path For Foreign Issuers

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    Following the Financial Times Stock Exchange Russell's recent eligibility change aligning free float requirements for foreign and non-U.K. issuers, advisers to those considering a London listing should also assess index suitability, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • FCA's AI Approach Makes Finance Advisers' Calls Harder

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent reaffirmation that it won’t make special rules governing how financial service providers use artificial intelligence means advisers must pivot to interpreting already uncertain regulatory boundaries to help clients make defensible decisions about their AI use, says Sophie Sheldon at Simmons & Simmons.

  • 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.

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