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A number of changes in the financial regulatory sphere are due this year, from targeted support to payment safeguarding and a new consumer composite investments regime, and firms should plan to address the policies and regulatory strategies relevant to them, say lawyers at Womble Bond.
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In confirming that the Financial Conduct Authority will become the single supervisor for professional services, HM Treasury’s planned reform of the U.K.’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervision regime marks a significant change for the legal profession, signaling a greater emphasis on evidence and accountability, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
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An ever-increasing number of initiatives on the European Union regulatory agenda, with simplification and consistent implementation being priorities, means financial services businesses with a footprint in the EU or seeking to establish one will face significant challenges and strategic opportunities, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.
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With 2025 marking the first operational year of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and the U.K.’s rules reaching their final legislative form, the two jurisdictions are converging in focus, but structural design differences mean firms active in both markets will require dedicated documentation to ensure compliance, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently launched consumer protection drive targeting banned online sales practices focuses on supporting compliance rather than on enforcement, although firms should expect this to change once businesses have had time to adapt to the regulator's new regime, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
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With the U.K. government introducing a U.S.-style whistleblower incentive scheme to tackle high-value tax avoidance and evasion, companies should take proactive steps and establish clear protocols to mitigate the potential increase in tax investigations, say lawyers at Skadden.
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2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.
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With EU and U.K. digital regulation becoming an operational reality in 2025 and no sign of slowing in 2026, organizations need to embed content moderation, cybersecurity and data access obligations into their compliance structures, although legislative divergences mean that multinational businesses must also consider parallel and sometimes conflicting expectations, say lawyers at Morrison & Foerster.
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The Financial Conduct Authority’s clear intention in 2025 to conduct fewer, faster investigations and reinforce transparency is likely to continue in 2026, with a dual-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and assertive supervision to fight crime, support growth and help consumers as its priorities, say lawyers at WilmerHale.
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The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
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Freezing orders, created in Mareva v. International Bulk Carriers 50 years ago, are now a fundamental part of English and Welsh law and a significant weapon in the litigator's armory, considered indispensable by practitioners seeking to obtain enforceable judgments and interlocutory relief on behalf of their clients, say lawyers at Trowers and Hamlins.
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The European Commission’s sustainability omnibus, due to be approved this month, has brought a year of regulatory upheaval for European businesses, and although the long-awaited scaled-back obligations will provide clarity, a balance between not overburdening reporting companies and the need for data to make sustainable investments must be found, say lawyers at Peters & Peters.
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The proliferation of U.K. and European Union sanctions targeting Russia has led to a vast increase in legislative provisions, and lawyers advising affected businesses should expect a complex and evolving legal landscape for the foreseeable future, says Rob Dalling at Jenner & Block.
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The past year has seen an increasing amount of regulation in the crypto-asset space, with a range of novel and complex taxation challenges for regulators, and taxpayers can expect a marked increase in HM Revenue & Customs' compliance activity in the year ahead, says Liam McKay at RPC.
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The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.