Financial Services UK

  • August 27, 2025

    UK Gov't Warned Against Insurance Tax Hikes In Fall Budget

    The government could inadvertently pile additional pressure on public healthcare if it decided to raise the insurance premium tax rate in the coming budget, a consultancy warned Wednesday.

  • August 27, 2025

    Call For More Clarity In Pensions To Aid Neurodiverse Adults

    Improving the clarity of communication and language used for savers in the pensions sector would improve accessibility for neurodiverse adults, a U.K. trade body has said.

  • August 27, 2025

    Finance Biz Gets More Time For £490M Bid For UK Lender

    The U.K. merger authority has given U.S. specialist finance group BasePoint extra time to make a £490 million ($658 million) bid for International Personal Finance, the British credit provider said Wednesday.

  • August 26, 2025

    FCA Warns Of Scammers Posing As Watchdog Staff

    The Financial Conduct Authority urged consumers on Wednesday to be on the lookout for scammers, revealing that it had received almost 4,500 reports of people posing as employees of the watchdog in the first half of 2025.

  • August 26, 2025

    Exchanges Body Warns EU Of Risk Of US Share Digitalization

    A London-based global exchange group said Tuesday that it has warned the European Union's financial markets watchdog of growing risks to investors posed by U.S. shares that have been digitalized by unregulated brokers and crypto-asset trading platforms.

  • August 26, 2025

    UK Regulator Saves Pension Scheme From Insolvency

    The U.K.'s retirement savings watchdog said Tuesday it was able to secure £7 million ($9.4 million) in backing for a beleaguered staff pension scheme, after the plan's original sponsor went bust.

  • August 26, 2025

    Google Beats Gazprom's 'GPAY' TM In EU

    Google has persuaded European officials to block Russian energy firm Gazprom from registering "GPAY" as a trademark, as consumers might confuse it with the technology giant's payment services application known as GPay.

  • August 26, 2025

    Pension Funds Join £3B Funding For Infrastructure Project

    A coalition of U.K. pension funds has backed a £3 billion ($4 billion) funding package for a major utilities project in northwest England following a government-led initiative to get the sector to invest more in the economy.

  • August 26, 2025

    UK Savers Mull Crypto-Investment For Retirement, Aviva Says

    More than a quarter of British savers would consider investing in cryptocurrency as part of their retirement planning, insurance giant Aviva said Tuesday.

  • August 26, 2025

    LSE Wins Green Light To Be Private Stock Market Operator

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has approved the London Stock Exchange Group PLC as a regulated operator of a market to trade shares in private companies, as the U.K. seeks to provide investors with an alternative to an initial public offering.

  • August 26, 2025

    Squire Patton Guides Textiles Co. On £11M Pension Deal

    The pension plan of bedding manufacturer John Cotton Group Ltd. has agreed an £11 million ($15 million) full-scheme buy-in with Just Group, the financial services company said on Tuesday.

  • August 22, 2025

    HMRC Tightens Pension Tax Relief Claims By Higher Earners

    The U.K. is restricting pension tax relief claims for higher earners in a change coming into effect next month, Britain's tax authority said.

  • August 22, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen football manager Bruno Lage sue the owner of Olympique Lyonnais and Botafogo football clubs, luxury fashion brand Christian Dior Couture target a jewelry business trading under the same name, and a Russian motorsports promoter take action against Formula One after it canceled its Russian Grand Prix in 2022.

  • August 22, 2025

    Pension Body Opposes UK Gov't Plan For Mandated Investing

    The government must drop its plan to introduce a "reserve power" that will allow it to force pension funds into making U.K. investments, a trade body said Friday.

  • August 22, 2025

    UK State Pension Could Rise 4.6% Under Triple Lock Pledge

    The state pension could rise by £551 ($746) a year for Britons in 2026 under the so-called triple lock, piling additional costs on taxpayers, a consultancy warned on Friday. 

  • August 22, 2025

    FCA Revises Controls After Poor Oversight Of Payments Firm

    The Financial Conduct Authority said it has changed its internal systems and controls and is introducing new rules for the payments sector, after the Complaints Commissioner found it failed to properly regulate a collapsing payments firm.

  • August 22, 2025

    Insurers Face Rising Tide Of Claims From AI-Driven Fraud

    Insurers in Britain could be on the hook for far higher losses because of the rising use by criminals of artificial intelligence tools to invent or inflate claims, lawyers have warned.

  • August 21, 2025

    UK Hits Crypto Exchanges That Help Russia Evade Sanctions

    The U.K. is cracking down on financial networks used by Russia to soften the blow of sanctions, including cryptocurrency exchanges, just a week after the U.S. took the same action.

  • August 21, 2025

    BoE Says No Urgent Need To Raise £85K APP Fraud Limit

    The Bank of England called Thursday to keep the £85,000 ($114,000) limit for compulsory reimbursement of victims of authorized push payment fraud in payments made through the CHAPS settlements system at a time it is under review.

  • August 21, 2025

    Mediobanca Shareholders Reject €6.3B Banca Generali Deal

    Italian investment bank Mediobanca SpA said Thursday that its shareholders rejected its planned €6.3 billion ($7.3 billion) bid for wealth manager Banca Generali SpA, a move that now opens it up to a hostile takeover from rival Monte dei Paschi.

  • August 21, 2025

    FCA Warns Firms Of Failings In Algorithmic Trading Controls

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that trading companies need to address deficiencies in algorithmic trading controls, noting poor record keeping with compliance staff lacking oversight of controls.

  • August 21, 2025

    Aegon Boosts Buyback To €400M, Weighs Moving Base To US

    Aegon NV said Thursday it is doubling its current €200 million ($233 million) share repurchase program to €400 million as the pensions and insurance specialist begins a review of plans to shift its head office to the U.S.

  • August 21, 2025

    Casino Biz Handed £1M Fine For Money Laundering Failures

    The Gambling Commission said on Thursday that it has fined an online casino £1 million ($1.35 million) for failing to carry out appropriate assessments of money laundering and terrorist financing risk

  • August 21, 2025

    Appointed Reps Reform Gives FCA Bigger Enforcement Hook

    The U.K. government's plans to tighten the rules for appointed representatives will give the Financial Conduct Authority a far greater enforcement hook, making the regime costlier and harder to access by the companies it is designed to support, lawyers have warned.

  • August 20, 2025

    Ex-Chelsea Soccer Player Ordered To Pay £466K To HMRC

    A former soccer player turned ESPN pundit must pay back nearly £466,000 ($628,300) in taxes on film company investments to HM Revenue & Customs, a London tribunal ruled.

Expert Analysis

  • Market Infrastructure Regs Aim To Reinvigorate EU Trading

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    The recently amended European Market Infrastructure Regulation, imposing a requirement on certain financial and nonfinancial institutions to maintain an active EU counterparty account, hopes to incentivize the central clearing of trades, although there are concerns that higher compliance costs will lead to a decrease in competitiveness, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Equal Rights Limit State Immunity

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    The Court of Appeal of England and Wales' recent determination that Spain’s London embassy could not dodge a former U.K.-based employee’s discrimination claims by invoking sovereign immunity reaffirms its position that employment and human rights should come before the privileges of foreign powers, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

  • How Proposed Private Share Trading System May Benefit Cos.

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    The government's proposal for a private securities and capital exchange system intends to enhance market practices and risk tolerances, offering a significant way for firms to free up liquidity by allowing investors to trade existing private company shares, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

  • Nonfinancial Misconduct Lessons From Rail Worker's Win

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    While financial services firms wait for the Financial Conduct Authority’s final policy statement on nonfinancial misconduct, an Employment Tribunal’s recent award to a railroad worker targeted by a hostile human resources team provides guidance on developing even-handed and inclusive company policies, say attorneys at Shoosmiths.

  • Important Changes To Note In Accountant Ethics Code Update

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    The Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales' forthcoming code of ethics will bring a number of significant updates to raise standards within the profession, but also risks of professional indemnity claims that could lead to challenges for firms, say lawyers at RPC.

  • A Look At Collateralized Loan Obligations Post-Reform

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    The Financial Stability Board's recent report on global securitization reforms, analyzing resilience trends in the collateralized loan obligation market post-2008, suggests that, while risk retention rules have a limited impact on observable characteristics, other structural features play a significant role in ensuring risk alignment, says Kos Vavelidis at DLA Piper.

  • What EU Sustainable Category Proposals Will Mean For Funds

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    The European Union Platform on Sustainable Finance’s recent proposals to apply stricter product categorization standards for funds subject to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation will assist retail investors in selecting sustainable products, and allow advisers to easily match their clients’ preferences, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • What To Expect As CAT Considers Mastercard Settlement

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    It is expected that the Competition Appeal Tribunal will closely scrutinize the proposed collective settlement in Merricks v. Mastercard, including the role of the case’s litigation funder, as the CAT's past approach to such cases shows it does not treat the process as a rubber stamp exercise, say lawyers at BCLP.

  • Managing Transatlantic Antitrust Investigations And Litigation

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    As transatlantic competition regulators cooperate more closely and European antitrust investigations increasingly spark follow-up civil suits in the U.S., companies must understand how to simultaneously juggle high-stakes multigovernment investigations and manage the risks of expensive new claims across jurisdictions, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

  • What 2025 Holds For UK, EU Restructuring And Insolvency

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    European Union and U.K. restructuring developments in 2024, with a new era of director accountability, the use of cramdown tools and the emergence of aggressive liability management exercises, mean greater consideration of creditors' interests and earlier engagement in restructuring discussions can be expected this year, says Inga West at Ashurst.

  • What To Know As EU Urges Outbound Investment Reviews

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    A recent European Commission recommendation urges European Union member states to review outbound investments in certain critical technologies sectors, but does not clarify the next steps for states once information on relevant transactions in third countries is received, say lawyers at Cleary.

  • Despite Divisive Political Rhetoric, DEI Is Alive And Well

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    ​The World Economic Forum's recent finding that DEI initiatives have continued to rise amid political headwinds raises the question of whether reports of the death of DEI are exaggerated, especially as employers must focus on new pay gap reporting obligations in the U.K. and Europe, say lawyers at Herbert Smith Freehills.

  • How GCs Can Protect Cos. From Geopolitical Headwinds

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    Geopolitical uncertainty is perceived by corporate leaders as the biggest short-term threat to global business, but many of the potential crises are navigable if general counsel focus on what is being said about a company and what the company is doing, says Juliet Young at Schillings.

  • Navigating PRA's Data Request For Crypto-Asset Exposure

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    The Prudential Regulation Authority’s recent data request for details on financial institutions' crypto-asset exposures should be used as an opportunity for firms to update their compliance procedures, and consider the future use of crypto-assets and related services, says James Wickes at RPC.

  • Key Points From FCA Financial Crime Guide Updates

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent updates to its financial crime guide reflect the regulator’s learnings on sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting and clarifying consumer duty, anti-money laundering and other compliance expectations, say lawyers at Womble Bond.

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