Financial Services UK

  • August 19, 2025

    Bridgehaven Pens Deal To Support Solicitor Indemnity Market

    British specialty insurer Bridgehaven has said it will support managing general agent Pen Underwriting and its solicitors' professional indemnity portfolio under a new partnership.

  • August 19, 2025

    Pensions Watchdog Says £80M Returned To Scam Victims

    More than £80 million ($108 million) has been paid out to pension savers who fell victim to scams, after a landmark court victory paved the way for compensation, the U.K. retirement savings watchdog said Tuesday.

  • August 19, 2025

    Georgian Biz Kicks Off $50M Buyback To Reward Investors

    Investment business Georgia Capital PLC launched a $50 million buyback on Tuesday to reduce its share capital and return 700 million Georgian lari ($260 million) to investors.

  • August 18, 2025

    Deutsche Bank, NCUA Net Partial Wins In Crisis-Era RMBS Suit

    A New York federal judge has granted partial early wins to both the National Credit Union Administration board and Deutsche Bank in a long-running suit stemming from the 2008 financial crisis and concerning allegations that Deutsche Bank failed to fulfill its duties to certificate holders in several residential mortgage-backed securities trusts.

  • August 18, 2025

    Gov't Group Drafts Rules For Funding Transition To Net-Zero

    A government-backed body proposed a series of guidelines on Monday for lenders to provide credible transition finance to companies that plan to reduce a heavy reliance on fossil fuels to meet net-zero emissions goals.

  • August 18, 2025

    3 Debt Collectors Shut Down For Keeping Client Funds

    Three connected debt collection agencies that "systematically deceived" their clients and wrongly kept back more than £54,000 ($73,000) of client funds have been shut down, the Insolvency Service said Monday.

  • August 18, 2025

    Companies Told To Prepare For New Fraud Prevention Law

    Large organizations must gear up for the new "failure to prevent fraud" offense that will come into force in a fortnight or prepare for an investigation, the Serious Fraud Office warned Monday.

  • August 18, 2025

    Investor Sells 7 Assets To Dutch Pension Biz APG For £225M

    Infrastructure Investment company HICL said Monday that it has offloaded a portfolio of mostly healthcare properties in the U.K. for approximately £225 million ($305 million) to Dutch pension services giant APG.

  • August 18, 2025

    JB Drax Sues Exec Over Resignation In £400K Loan Dispute

    A derivatives broker has accused a sales executive of resigning in breach of a £400,000 ($542,000) loan agreement and exposing it to unfair competition because he had access to sensitive information.

  • August 18, 2025

    UK Launches State Pension Review Amid Aging Population

    The government launched its third review into the state pension age on Monday to determine how lawmakers should go about setting the age at which Britons receive retirement payments in the future.

  • August 18, 2025

    L&G, Federated Hermes Create £4.7B Property Fund

    Legal & General said on Monday that it has merged its property fund with that of U.S. investment manager Federated Hermes Ltd. to create an enlarged U.K. unit valued at £4.7 billion ($6.4 billion).

  • August 18, 2025

    FCA Warns Of Consumer Risk In Pension Transfer Incentives

    The City watchdog is concerned about the use of financial incentives used to encourage Britons to transfer their pensions, as it published a sweeping review of the impact of anti-fraud rules on the retirement sector.

  • August 18, 2025

    Plus500 Begins Program To Return $165 Million To Investors

    Plus500 began a share repurchase program worth up to $90 million on Monday, part of the financial technology company's recently announced plan to return $165 million to shareholders. 

  • August 15, 2025

    Insolvency Service Official Explains Economic Crime Shift

    The Insolvency Service's evolution into a frontline economic crime enforcer provides the government with an agency with new powers to crack down on fraud, which gives Whitehall a powerful tool to use against unscrupulous directors.

  • August 15, 2025

    FCA Warns Banks Of Sustainability-Linked Loan Risks

    The Financial Conduct Authority has warned banks that they are failing to account clearly for sustainability-linked loans in their sustainable financing targets, risking trust in the products and the firm's reputation.

  • August 15, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen Transport for London hit with a procurement claim by the operator of Oyster card, while Mastercard and Visa face claims from the Rocco Forte Hotel Group, and Liverpool Football Club lobbed a claim against a security company.

  • August 15, 2025

    Slowest First Half Of Year Since 2021 For Insurance M&A

    Mergers and acquisitions between insurance companies in Britain slowed significantly across the first six months of 2025 after a busy 2024, the slowest first half of a year since 2021, according to a company that keeps track of insurance deals.

  • August 15, 2025

    Ombudsman Proposes Lower Fees For Faster Resolutions

    The Financial Ombudsman Service has proposed a change to its fee structure to enable businesses to pay less if complaints are resolved early, part of its wider transformation.

  • August 22, 2025

    Proskauer Hires Leveraged Finance Pro From White & Case

    Proskauer Rose LLP has boosted its ability to represent clients in leveraged finance transactions by hiring an expert from White & Case in London.

  • August 15, 2025

    L&G Sees Near £1T Pension Deals Globally Over Next Decade

    Legal & General has said global insurers could secure up to £1 trillion ($1.4 trillion) in pension liabilities over the next decade.

  • August 15, 2025

    PIB Group Adds Benefits Consultancy Atwood To Acquisitions

    Insurance consolidator PIB Group has acquired Atwood Benefits, adding to a string of acquisitions by the private equity-backed business in recent months.

  • August 14, 2025

    Scale Of Fraud A 'National Security Threat,' Think Tank Warns

    Real-time data-sharing between law enforcement and the private sector is crucial for tracing the proceeds of financial crime at a time when the scale of fraud in the U.K. might constitute "a national security threat," a think tank said Thursday.

  • August 14, 2025

    HMRC Tests Tax Evasion Law With 1st Corporate Charge

    HMRC's long-awaited decision to charge a company for failing to prevent tax evasion under powers introduced eight years ago will test largely unanswered legal principles and could be a sign of the tax ministry's tougher stance on financial crime, lawyers say.

  • August 14, 2025

    Trustees Warned To Follow Rules Or Face Jail, Fines

    The Pensions Regulator on Thursday warned pension scheme trustees that they face large fines or even jail if they flout investment rules designed to protect savers.

  • August 14, 2025

    UK Faces Pensions Crisis As Savings Fall Short, Says Official

    A director at the pensions watchdog has said that ensuring workers in Britain have sufficient financial resources in later life is the "challenge of our time."

Expert Analysis

  • What To Expect For Private Capital Investment Funds In 2024

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    As 2024 gets underway, market sentiment in the private fundraising sphere seems more optimistic, with a greater focus on deal sourcing and operational optimizations, and an increased emphasis on impact and sustainability strategies, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.

  • Cayman Islands Off AML Risk Lists, Signaling Robust Controls

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    As a world-leading jurisdiction for securitization special purpose entities, the removal of the Cayman Islands from increased anti-money laundering monitoring lists is a significant milestone that will benefit new and existing financial services customers conducting business in the territory, say lawyers at Walkers Global.

  • Cos. Should Plan Now For Extensive EU Data Act Obligations

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    The recently enacted EU Data Act imposes wide-ranging requirements across industries and enterprises of all sizes, and with less than 20 months until the provisions begin to apply, businesses planning compliance will need to incorporate significant product changes and revision of contract terms, say Nick Banasevic, Robert Spano and Ciara O'Gara at Gibson Dunn. 

  • How Decision On A Key Definition Affects SMEs

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    The Financial Conduct Authority's decision not to extend the definition of small and midsized enterprises may benefit banks and finance providers in the current high interest rate environment and where SMEs in certain sectors may be under financial pressure in light of the cost-of-living crisis in order to streamline it, says Rachael Healey at RPC.

  • What New Digital Sandbox Regs Hold In Store For UK Markets

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    The recently enacted Digital Sandbox Regulations will be key to incorporating distributed ledger technology into the activities of a central securities depository, but despite being a potentially transformative innovation, a number of considerations may need to be addressed to accommodate the trading, settlement and maintenance of shares, say Tom Bacon and Andrew Tsang at BCLP.

  • Why Investment In Battery Supply Chain Is Important For UK

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    The recently published U.K. battery strategy sets out the government’s vision for a globally competitive battery supply chain, and it is critical that the U.K. secures investment to maximize opportunities for economic prosperity and net-zero transition, say lawyers at Watson Farley & Williams.

  • What Extending Corporate Liability Will Mean For Foreign Cos.

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    Certain sections of the Economic Crime Act enacted in December 2023 make it easier to prosecute companies for economic crimes committed abroad, and organizations need to consider their exposure and the new ways they can be held liable for the actions of their personnel, say Dan Hudson at Seladore Legal and Christopher Coltart at 2 Hare Court.

  • A Consequential Moment For Sanctions Activity

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    It is clear from the U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation's review of the 2022-2023 financial year that the unprecedented scale of designated persons and the value of assets frozen as a result has placed enormous pressure on OFSI and its partners, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

  • ECJ Ruling Triggers Reconsiderations Of Using AI In Hiring

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    A recent European Court of Justice ruling, clarifying that the General Data Protection Regulation could apply to decisions made by artificial intelligence, serves as a warning to employers, as the use of AI in recruitment may lead to more discrimination claims, say Dino Wilkinson and James Major at Clyde & Co.

  • Economic Crime Act Offers Welcome Reform To AML Regime

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    The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act exemption for mixed-property transactions that came into force on Jan. 15 as part of the U.K.'s anti-money laundering regime is long overdue, and should end economic harm to businesses, giving banks confidence to adopt a more pragmatic approach, say Matthew Getz and Joseph Fox-Davies at Pallas Partners.

  • 3 Financial Services Hot Topics To Watch In 2024

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    Technology, ESG and private markets are set to have the greatest impact on financial markets in 2024, as firms grapple with increasing regulatory change and a shifting political backdrop on both sides of the Atlantic, says Matthew Allen at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • What Venice Swaps Ruling Says About Foreign Law Disputes

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    The English appeals court's decision in Banca Intesa v. Venice that the English law swaps are valid and enforceable will be welcomed by banks, and it provides valuable commentary on the English courts' approach toward the interpretation of foreign law, say Harriet Campbell and Richard Marshall at Penningtons Manches.

  • Key Litigation Funding Rulings Will Drive Reform In 2024

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    Ground-breaking judgments on disputes funding and fee arrangements from 2023 — including that litigation funding agreements could be damages-based agreements, rendering them unenforceable — will bring legislative changes in 2024, which could have a substantial impact on litigation risk for several sectors, say Verity Jackson-Grant and David Bridge at Simmons & Simmons.

  • How Draft Trading Regs Provide Framework For UK Regime

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    Representing an important part of the U.K. government's post-Brexit regulatory reform agenda, the most recent draft of the proposed Trading Regulations seeks to provide a framework for a new rules-based regime for regulating public offers of securities and admissions to trading on a U.K.-regulated market, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • Breaking Down The New Rules For High Net Worth Individuals

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    Andrew Northage at Walker Morris outlines what businesses need to be aware of to ensure ongoing compliance with revised conditions in the U.K. government's updated financial promotion exemptions for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors, and suggests a few practical tips for businesses to follow.

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