New legislation laid out in the King's Speech on Wednesday included the government's plans for a bill to strengthen trading ties with the European Union alongside an Enhancing Financial Services Bill in the next 12 months, but lawyers warn that the scope remains limited with potential unexpected consequences.
New powers that put companies on the chopping block for crimes committed by their executives dramatically expand corporate liability to include a wider array of offenses, which businesses already struggling with "compliance fatigue" have barely begun to grapple with, lawyers say.
Legal challenges to the Financial Conduct Authority's motor finance redress scheme fired off this week to the Upper Tribunal will lead to long delays, with some legal experts already doubting whether the cases can be argued successfully.
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A recent court ruling that expands legal advice privilege to cover some internal corporate communications gives companies greater scope for withholding sensitive material but is likely to prompt challenges over whether those documents meet the test for protection, lawyers say.
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New legislation laid out in the King's Speech on Wednesday included the government's plans for a bill to strengthen trading ties with the European Union alongside an Enhancing Financial Services Bill in the next 12 months, but lawyers warn that the scope remains limited with potential unexpected consequences.
New powers that put companies on the chopping block for crimes committed by their executives dramatically expand corporate liability to include a wider array of offenses, which businesses already struggling with "compliance fatigue" have barely begun to grapple with, lawyers say.
Legal challenges to the Financial Conduct Authority's motor finance redress scheme fired off this week to the Upper Tribunal will lead to long delays, with some legal experts already doubting whether the cases can be argued successfully.
A recent court ruling that expands legal advice privilege to cover some internal corporate communications gives companies greater scope for withholding sensitive material but is likely to prompt challenges over whether those documents meet the test for protection, lawyers say.
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May 20, 2026
Three companies have denied allegations that they conspired to defraud a management consultancy by helping a purported bond-market trader dissipate a $9.4 million investment, claiming the funds they received from the trader's business were legitimate payments relating to loans.
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May 20, 2026
A European court has ruled that employees claiming to have suffered discrimination at work before Brexit can still expect EU law to apply to their case if it began before the U.K. left the European Union.
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May 20, 2026
The class representative of a U.K. mass claim against Mastercard said Wednesday that a London court should rebuff litigation funder Innsworth's challenge to the distribution of the claim's £200 million ($269 million) settlement, arguing that it received enough profit in light of how the claim had gone.
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May 20, 2026
Britain's triple lock state pension is ripe for reform, a U.K. think tank has said, arguing the policy is becoming unaffordable and unfair to younger taxpayers and instead proposes a more targeted support for poorer retirees.
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May 20, 2026
The retirement savings watchdog pushed out rules for pension bosses on the use of artificial intelligence on Wednesday after it emerged that almost all retirement schemes in the U.K. are using the new technology.
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May 20, 2026
Most venture capital firms say they have faced difficulties getting backing from pension investors, despite assurances that the £250 billion ($335 billion) defined contribution sector will invest more in U.K. equities, a trade body has said.
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May 20, 2026
The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has expanded a support scheme for fast-growing companies as the U.K. looks to strengthen its position as a global hub for businesses and services in the sector.
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May 20, 2026
London-based GHO Capital and CBC Group in Singapore said Wednesday that they will merge to create what they claim will be the world's largest healthcare investment company, managing more than $21 billion in assets.
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May 19, 2026
Litigation funder Innsworth told the High Court on Tuesday that the distribution of a £200 million ($268 million) settlement from a U.K. mass claim against Mastercard is "illogical" and "flawed" in the first case to test a Competition Appeal Tribunal settlement decision.
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May 19, 2026
Cyberattacks on businesses in Britain are estimated to have cost £3.7 billion ($5 billion) in litigation in 2025, an insurance broker has said, warning that many do not have sufficient cover to protect against legal and reputational damage caused by a major breach.
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May 19, 2026
The European Parliament approved tightened new rules governing foreign investments in sensitive sectors across the bloc on Tuesday, a significant step in its drive to protect economic security and reduce dependence on external powers.
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May 19, 2026
A business lobby called on the government on Tuesday to reform partnerships with the private sector that finance the building of schools, hospitals and roads, in a move to make them more consistent and reliable.
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May 19, 2026
Higher retirement savings contributions and tougher rules on pension freedoms are probably on the cards, a former government minister said Tuesday, after a report found that 15 million people are not saving enough for later life.
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May 19, 2026
The London branch of Deutsche Bank AG has been fined £165,000 ($221,000) for processing two payment requests from an Apple subsidiary to a Russian app developer, the U.K.'s sanctions enforcer said Tuesday.
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May 18, 2026
The former CEO of Austrian lender Meinl Bank AG who was extradited from the U.K. has reached a tentative deal to resolve criminal charges that he helped Odebrecht SA hide $170 million in funds used to bribe officials around the world and defraud the Brazilian government, a Brooklyn federal court heard Monday.
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May 18, 2026
Four in 10 adults in Britain are not saving enough for their retirement, according to a long-awaited report published on Tuesday.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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).
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.
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May 18, 2026
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.