Financial Services UK

  • March 07, 2024

    Visa, Mastercard Fail To Ax Retailers' Swipe Fees Class Action

    An English appeals court Thursday said the U.K.'s antitrust tribunal was entitled to have approved a proposed class action against Visa and Mastercard over allegedly unfairly imposing interchange rules on retailers, finding it had a "broad margin of discretion" over case management decisions.

  • March 07, 2024

    Irish Central Bank Plans Modernized Consumer Protection

    The Central Bank of Ireland opened a consultation on Thursday on plans to modernize the Consumer Protection Code and clarify the obligations financial companies face for managing such risks as climate change.

  • March 07, 2024

    Libor Convictions Like Post Office Scandal, Lawmakers Say

    The prosecution of traders over rigging of benchmark interest rates was a "miscarriage of justice" similar to the Post Office scandal, two politicians said on Thursday, a week before two former bankers challenge their convictions in a landmark appeal.

  • March 07, 2024

    Slaughter & May Advises Nationwide's £2.9B Virgin Money Bid

    Nationwide Building Society said Thursday that it plans to buy Virgin Money UK in a £2.9 billion ($3.7 billion) cash deal that would create the second-largest mortgage and savings provider in Britain.

  • March 06, 2024

    FCA Did Not Unfairly Fire Staffer Amid Harassment Probe

    The U.K.'s financial watchdog did not unfairly sack a supervisor based on his race after an internal investigation held that he had harassed another employee, a London appeals tribunal has ruled.

  • March 06, 2024

    PE Firm Continues Shedding Stake In Ads Biz For £47M

    An investment company backed by private equity firm Apax Partners said Wednesday that it has diluted its stake in online classifieds group Baltic Classifieds Group PLC and raised £47.3 million ($60.2 million) in the process.

  • March 06, 2024

    Dentons Says Client Checks Adhered To Relevant AML Rules

    Dentons told a tribunal on Wednesday that the Solicitors Regulation Authority's case accusing the firm of breaching money laundering regulations by failing to adequately investigate a former client's wealth is based on current regulations rather than those in force at the time.

  • March 06, 2024

    Businessman Can't Escape €50M Investment Fraud Case

    A judge has declined to throw out a chunk of a €50 million ($54.4 million) investment fraud case brought by an Italian investment vehicle, finding allegations against company secretary Federico Faleschini cannot be divorced from the wider claim.

  • March 06, 2024

    UK Cuts Tax, Reforms Non-Dom Rules In Pre-Election Budget

    The U.K. government unveiled another cut in payroll taxes and changes to rules on non-domicile status on Wednesday as it presented its election-year spring Budget.

  • March 06, 2024

    Gov't Cools Its Tone On Pension 'Pot For Life' Plans

    A U.K. government update on Wednesday on policy plans for pension pots for life for retirement savers appeared to signal a more cautious tone after pushback from the sector, financial experts have said.

  • March 06, 2024

    Lloyd's Says Women Hold 35% Of Top Insurance Market Jobs

    Lloyd's of London has said the proportion of women in leadership roles at the specialist insurance marketplace has now increased by three percentage points to 35%, fulfilling the short-term target it set in 2020.

  • March 06, 2024

    Pensions Watchdog Outlines New Funding Strategy Reporting

    The pensions watchdog has laid out new requirements for trustees when they report on their funding plans, as analysts warned of the growing regulatory burden on the sector.

  • March 06, 2024

    Blackstone, Thomson Reuters Sell £1.4B Shares In LSE Owner

    A consortium including Blackstone Inc. and Thomson Reuters Corp. has sold off £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) worth of shares in the London Stock Exchange Group, Citigroup, which is acting as a bookrunner, said Wednesday.

  • March 05, 2024

    DLA Piper Brings On HMRC Vet For Corp. Crime Team

    DLA Piper added a member to its corporate crime and investigations team in London, an HM Revenue & Customs veteran most recently at Pinsent Masons, the firm announced.

  • March 05, 2024

    Repsol Beats Lufthansa Unit In R+, AirPlus EU TM Clash

    Repsol has fought off a Lufthansa unit's bid to block its "R+" trademark after convincing a European appeals board that consumers would not confuse the sign with the German carrier's "AirPlus" set of logos.

  • March 05, 2024

    PwC Did Not Push Trainee Of 11 Years To Quit Over Absence

    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP did not force a staffer who had been a trainee for 11 years to resign when it invited him to a disciplinary hearing over his unauthorized absence and rejected his bid to write it off as retrospective holiday leave, a tribunal has ruled.

  • March 05, 2024

    SRA Investigator Calls Dentons' AML Checks 'Concerning'

    Dentons faced allegations from a Solicitors Regulation Authority investigator at a tribunal Tuesday that the way the firm handled a politically exposed client were "concerning" amid claims it breached money laundering regulations by failing to make adequate checks.

  • March 05, 2024

    Ex-Russian Minister Renews Bid To Jail Deripaska In UK

    Former Russian minister Vladimir Chernukhin urged an appeals court Tuesday to revive his bid to jail his ex-business associate Oleg Deripaska for contempt of court, arguing an earlier judge was wrong to find than an agreement to preserve assets had not been breached.

  • March 05, 2024

    Taylor Wessing Hires Fintech Reg Pro From Freshfields

    Taylor Wessing LLP has hired a financial services regulatory expert Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP as a partner, as it eyes a boost to advising on U.K. and European laws, with a particular focus on financial technology.

  • March 05, 2024

    Spending Watchdog Warns BoE As Compliance Breaches Rise

    The U.K. public spending watchdog has urged the Bank of England to examine its controls after it found a significant increase in breaches of staff policies at the central bank.

  • March 05, 2024

    Disruptor Bank Monzo Valued At $5B After $430M Fund Raise

    Monzo Bank Ltd. said Tuesday that it has raised $430 million in its latest funding round, boosting the valuation of the British challenger bank to $5 billion as it eyes accelerating expansion.

  • March 05, 2024

    FCA Warns Firms To Remedy Failings In AML Controls

    The Financial Conduct Authority has fired off a warning to the chief executives of 1,000 firms it regulates for money laundering purposes, telling them on Tuesday to tackle failings in their controls.

  • March 04, 2024

    FERC Slams Brakes On $1.1B Bridgepoint-ECP Deal

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has blocked U.K. asset manager Bridgepoint Group PLC's proposed £835 million ($1.1 billion) purchase of Energy Capital Partners LP, saying the companies haven't shown the merger wouldn't affect competition in U.S. electricity markets.

  • March 04, 2024

    Ex-Integer Strategic Exec Wins £100K Sex Harassment Payout

    A tribunal has ordered the chairman of Integer Wealth to pay a female director almost £100,000 ($127,000) in compensation for sex-based discrimination and harassment after it ruled that he demoted her after she rejected his romantic advances.

  • March 04, 2024

    Dentons Failed To Make AML Checks On PEP Client, SRA Says

    Dentons faced a battle at a London tribunal on Monday over its anti-money laundering procedures after the U.K. legal regulator said it had failed to conduct adequate checks on a politically exposed client for years.

Expert Analysis

  • Considerations For Fund Managers Seeking Retail Investment

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    With recent legal developments, including a revised Long Term Investment Funds Regulation effective in 2024, supporting the market trend of retailization, there are several practical considerations for alternative fund managers embarking on a European fundraise for retail capital, say Zac Mellor-Clark and Kate Downey at Fried Frank.

  • FDI Considerations For UK Venture Capital Transactions

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    With the U.K. National Security and Investment Act highlighting foreign direct investment matters for venture capital transactions, investors dealing with companies connected to the U.K. should be alive to how the act's requirements can affect deal timelines, structures and terms, say lawyers at Covington.

  • How Employers Can Support Neurodiversity In The Workplace

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    A recent run of cases emphasize employers' duties to make reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse employees under the Equalities Act, illustrating the importance of investing in staff education and listening to neurodivergent workers to improve recruitment, retention and productivity in the workplace, say Anna Henderson and Tim Leaver at Herbert Smith.

  • What The Anti-Coercion Instrument Will Bring To The EU

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    Vassilis Akritidis and Jean-Baptiste Blancardi at Crowell & Moring discuss why the European Union recently adopted a report on the anti-coercion instrument to reform its trade legislation, how the instrument will be used to respond to unfair economic pressure from third countries, and how businesses can impact the EU's decision making.

  • Why FCA Crypto Rules Need To Align With UK Gov't Aims

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    There is a critical need for cryptocurrency regulations that protect consumers while supporting the government's aim to make the U.K. a crypto hub, but the Financial Conduct Authority’s recently effective rules on financial promotion of crypto-assets bring an unintended risk that legitimate firms will be driven out of the market, says Laura Navarathnam at the Crypto Council for Innovation.

  • CMA Report On AI May Lead to Greater Competition Control

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    The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority’s recent report on artificial intelligence foundation models is a sign that developers could face increased merger control and antitrust enforcement, and businesses should be mindful of these views to ensure that their models do not come under investigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • UK Mozambique Ruling Will Have Int'l Ramifications

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    The recent U.K. Supreme Court judgment in Mozambique v. Privinvest considered for the first time stay proceedings under the Arbitration Act, offering guidance on whether claims are a "matter" within the scope of an arbitration clause, which could become a point of reference for foreign courts in the future, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.

  • Recent Trends In European ESG-Related Shareholder Activism

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    New ESG reporting standards in the European Union, as well as recent climate change, board diversity and human rights cases, illustrate how shareholder activism may become more prominent in years to come as regulation and investor engagement continues to strengthen, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • Audit Regulator Review Has Tips On Climate Metric Reporting

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    The U.K. Financial Reporting Council’s recent review of climate-related metrics and targets in listed companies’ annual reports is an extremely useful guide for issuers considering the quality of their disclosure reporting, with a number of key areas identified as central to further improvement, say lawyers at Bryan Cave.

  • What Russia Case Reveals About UK Sanctions Enforcement

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    The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation recently issued its first enforcement action under the U.K.'s expanded Russia sanctions against a relatively small company for a moderately severe breach — a decision that highlights several questions about the watchdog’s purpose and methods, say Maia Cohen-Lask and Tasha Benkhadra at Corker Binning.

  • Breaking Down The UK's Draft Updates To Prospectus Regime

    While there still may be changes, the U.K.'s near-final draft statutory instrument to update and in some parts replace the current on-shored EU prospectus regime is likely to represent a significant overhaul of the existing regime and may make U.K. capital markets a more attractive venue for listings for issuers, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Italy's Bank-Profits Tax Plan May Become Model For Eurozone

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    If Italy's recently proposed 40% bank-profits tax helps keep its populist coalition government in power, notwithstanding the European Central Bank's legal challenges, the passage could spark a windfall tax trend across the eurozone and even in the U.K., says Cris Cicala at Stinson.

  • Bitcoin Case Highlights Advanced Age Of UK's IP Law

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    An appellate court's recent decision in a case involving the copyright of bitcoin's file format emphasizes the role of copyright protection in software, and also the challenges of applying decades-old laws to new technologies, say Marianna Foerg and Ben Bell at Potter Clarkson.

  • Accountability Is Key To Preventing Miscarriages Of Justice

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    The wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson and other recent cases show that in order to avoid future miscarriages of justice, there needs to be a fundamental reevaluation of how investigators, prosecutors and the Criminal Cases Review Commission operate, prioritizing stronger penalties and increased funding, say Thomas Walford at Expert Evidence International and policy analyst Gerald Frost.

  • 4 Compliance Considerations Under FCA Consumer Duty

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    Following the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent introduction of the new consumer duty regime, firms will need to be mindful of data protection implications when managing their compliance with the duty and data protection legislation, say lawyers at Bird & Bird.

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