Financial Services UK

Private Stock Market Plan Could Disrupt London IPO Goals

A world-first regulated market for private company shares might harm the U.K.'s objective of stimulating the market for initial public offerings in London if it offers corporate founders a new alternative to the scrutiny of flotations.

FCA's New Enforcement Regime Threatens Firms, Individuals

The Financial Conduct Authority could damage the reputations of businesses and individuals under investigation in cases that it publicizes anonymously as an unintended consequence of a new enforcement policy, lawyers have warned.

Jes Staley at the Rolls Building in London

How Staley's Legal Bid To Save His Reputation Backfired

Former Barclays boss James "Jes" Staley's bid to salvage his reputation has backfired in the face of a London tribunal's findings he "lacked credibility" due to the "overwhelming" evidence of his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Cryptocurrency coming out of a man's hand

FCA's Crypto Ban Reversal Unleashes Consumer Harm Risk

The Financial Conduct Authority's proposed reversal of its ban on crypto exchange-traded notes for retail investors has paved the way for immeasurable consumer harm, U.K. and U.S. lawyers have warned.

July 03, 2025
UK Insurance Agency M&A Down 35% In 1st Half

The pace of domestic mergers and acquisitions in the U.K. insurance market slowed down considerably in the first half of 2025, making it the slowest six-month period for M&A activity in the sector since the first half of 2019, a financial services consultancy said Thursday.
July 03, 2025
EU Regulators Close Ranks To Fight Money Laundering

Europe's financial regulators said on Thursday they would work with the bloc's new central anti-money laundering watchdog to ensure the effective exchange of information to combat white-collar crime.
July 03, 2025
Man Denies FCA £3.9M Water Investment Fraud Charges

A man denied that he took part in a £3.9 million ($5.3 million) water investment scam when he appeared at a criminal court in London on Thursday.
July 03, 2025
Ex-Perfume Boss Can't Ax Claim Over Russia Sales

A London judge refused Thursday to throw out a claim that accused the former boss of a luxury perfume group of damaging the reputation of his business after he admitted to exporting high-value products to Russia.
July 03, 2025
Nigerian Bank Owner Plots $100M Share Offer, London Listing

Guaranty Trust Holding Co., the parent of Nigerian lender GTBank, said Thursday that it aims to raise $100 million in a sale of new shares to recapitalize the bank to a level required by regulation, and to list the shares on the London Stock Exchange.
July 03, 2025
Pinsent Masons-Led Chesnara To Buy HSBC Life For £260M

British pensions company Chesnara PLC said Thursday it has agreed to acquire the specialist life protection and investment bond provider of banking giant HSBC, for £260 million ($355 million) to give the group a "material step up in scale."
July 03, 2025
Italy Clears Monte Dei Paschi's €13.3B Mediobanca Deal

Italian lender Monte dei Paschi has said that the country's competition authority has given the green light to its €13.3 billion ($15.7 billion) proposed takeover of rival Mediobanca SpA.
July 02, 2025
UK Investor Sues Accounting Firm Over £633K Tax Bill

A U.K. investor accused an accounting firm of giving negligent tax planning advice and keeping him in the dark about correspondence with HM Revenue & Customs, which ultimately assessed nearly £633,000 ($863,000) in liabilities, according to a claim filed with the High Court.
July 02, 2025
Oil Biz Seeks To Toss Ex-Directors' Sanctions Breach Defense

A Singaporean oil company urged a judge Wednesday to throw out allegations that it breached U.S. sanctions on Iran made by its alleged former chief executive, whom it has accused of embezzling €143.8 million ($169.2 million).
July 02, 2025
EU Finance Watchdog Sets Guidelines To Avoid Greenwashing

European financial services businesses must ensure any claims they make about the sustainability of their financial products or services are accurate, accessible, substantiated and up to date, according to guidance from the bloc's financial watchdog.
July 02, 2025
Ex-UBS CFO Wins £112M Divorce Fight At UK Supreme Court

Britain's highest court rejected an attempt on Wednesday by the former wife of a UBS banker to get an equal split of their £112 million ($152 million) family wealth, in a ruling that clarified how assets should be considered matrimonial.
July 02, 2025
'Decisive' Reform Needed To Fix Pension Issues, IFS Says

The government should widen the age range for employees being automatically included in a work-based pension, one of a raft of proposals that would address a series of risks to the future of Britain's pensioners, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said Wednesday.
July 02, 2025
FCA Extends Bullying, Harassment Misconduct Across Sector

The Financial Conduct Authority released new rules on Wednesday that extend its regulatory powers to cover "toxic" workplace behavior such as bullying and harassment to non-banking firms.
July 02, 2025
Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust Considers Wind-Down

Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust PLC said Wednesday that it may wind down its business soon as the ethical investment arm of Schroders PLC battles with attracting new investors and growing its assets, citing "challenging market conditions over recent years."
July 02, 2025
Regulator Calls For Open Banking-Style Reforms In Pensions

The U.K. retirement watchdog has called for a shakeup in data-sharing by pension providers similar to that practiced in the banking sector.
July 02, 2025
Euronext Considers €399M Athens Stock Exchange Deal

Euronext is in negotiations to acquire the Athens Stock Exchange SA in an all-share transaction worth €399 million ($470 million) as it aims to add another European bourse to its portfolio
July 01, 2025
Deutsche Faces Investor Bid To Renew UK Bond-Rigging Case

An Oklahoma pension fund moved Monday to revive its New York federal court case over alleged price-fixing of U.K. government bonds, citing newly obtained chat transcripts and other material that it says bolster its claims against Deutsche Bank.
July 01, 2025
Spain's Santander To Buy TSB From Sabadell For $3.6B

Spain's Banco Santander said Tuesday it has agreed to buy British bank TSB from Banco de Sabadell in a £2.65 billion ($3.64 billion) all-cash deal, a move that would expand Santander's footprint in the U.K. retail banking market as Sabadell faces a hostile takeover attempt.
July 01, 2025
Creditors Accuse Shipping Biz Of Trying To Evade $309M Debt

The Norwegian government and three finance companies have sued two Guernsey-based companies and a shipping businessman in a London court, accusing them of fraudulently transferring real estate assets to evade liability for loan defaults.
July 01, 2025
Bank Of Ireland Denies £60M Property Loan Fraud Claim

Bank of Ireland has denied a £60 million ($83 million) claim that it deceived a real estate investment business into borrowing millions of pounds by giving inflated property evaluations and said the borrower would have taken out the loan anyway because it was such a generous financial package.
July 01, 2025
HMRC Can Collect Tax In Disputed Avoidance Schemes

A London court ruled that HM Revenue & Customs can collect disputed income tax owed by a group of companies that took part in tax avoidance schemes, even though the authority previously promised to postpone the requests until the disputes were settled.
July 01, 2025
FCA Can Drop £6M Fine In Cum-Ex Case After Danish Pleas

The Financial Conduct Authority can reverse its decision to fine a cum-ex trader £5.9 million ($8.1 million) to avoid prejudicing Denmark's attempts to claw back the proceeds from an alleged sham trading scheme, a London tribunal has ruled.
July 01, 2025
Traders Banned And Fined For 'Spoofing' Market Manipulation

A London tribunal has approved fines and bans for three traders totaling £381,000 ($523,000) for market abuse after upholding claims from the Financial Conduct Authority that they dishonestly placed bogus bond orders to manipulate the market.
July 01, 2025
Swedbank To Buy Digital Mortgage Biz Stabelo For $37M

Swedish multinational banking group Swedbank AB said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire mortgage lender Stabelo to reach more prospective homeowners for an initial price of 350 million Swedish krona ($37 million) from Avanza Bank AB and other owners.
July 01, 2025
Gov't Structural Reform Urged To Boost Participation In LSE

The government must unify the fragmented departments involved in oversight of retail participation in public markets in order to encourage Britons to invest in companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, City experts said Tuesday.

Editor's Picks

5 Questions For Spencer West Partner Karl Foster

The Financial Conduct Authority's approach to enforcement and consumer protection has come up against government economic growth priorities and resistance from the sector to its proposals to "name and shame" companies early on during regulatory probes.
UK Draft Pay Fraud Rules Open Tricky Legal Liabilities

The government's new draft legislation, which will give banks longer to investigate suspicions of fraud before they send payments instructed by customers, will create a wave of new legal liabilities and lead to regulatory hurdles, according to lawyers.
FCA Fires Warning Shot Over City's Consumer Duty Failings

The Financial Conduct Authority has sent out a fresh warning to financial services companies highlighting how some of them are failing to comply with its Consumer Duty regime. But experts have told Law360 that the expectations are unclear.

Expert Analysis

Court Backing Of FCA Pensions Ruling Sends Key Message

The Upper Tribunal’s recent upholding of the Financial Conduct Authority's decisions against CFP Management directors serves as a judicial endorsement of the regulator’s approach to defined benefit transfers, underscoring that where the advisory model is fundamentally flawed, the consequences for those in control can be severe, say lawyers at RPC.
Saxon Woods Ruling Tightens Rules On Director Good Faith

The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Saxon Woods v. Costa departs from the High Court's ruling, clarifying that a director's sincere belief they have acted in the company’s best interests is not sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirement to act in good faith, say lawyers at Covington.
Key Points From HMRC's Tax Reform Proposals

Although HM Revenue & Customs’ recent proposals for reform of U.K. transfer pricing and permanent establishment rules align with the latest international consensus, certain amendments may lead to future controversy, say lawyers at Skadden.
What To Note As UK Adopts OECD Crypto Disclosure Rules

With the U.K.’s recent announcement that it will adopt the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's crypto-asset reporting framework, users and providers will benefit from understanding the context surrounding the decision and the framework's intended goal of clamping down on tax evasion, say lawyers at Brown Rudnick.
Comparing Stablecoin Bills From UK, EU, US And Hong Kong

For multinational stablecoin issuers, navigating the differences and similarities among regimes in the U.K., EU, Hong Kong and U.S., which are currently unfolding in several key ways, is critical to achieving scalable, compliant operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
How UK Law Firms Can Counter Money Laundering Threat

With figures released in May showing that money laundering was the biggest source of fraud in the U.K. last year, law firms should focus on internal identification and prevention strategies, considering the scale and nature of potential risk exposure depends on several business factors, says Niall Hearty at Rahman Ravelli.
Key Takeaways As EU And UK Impose New Russia Sanctions

The European Union and U.K.’s new sanctions on Russia, designating increasing numbers of non-Russian companies in the defense and shipping sectors, mean that organizations must examine from the outset whether a transaction has any nexus with the EU or the U.K., say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.
Pension Schemes Bill's Most Notable, Controversial Measures

The long-awaited Pension Schemes Bill recently introduced to Parliament creates a framework for harnessing money saved in U.K. workplace pension funds to grow the country’s economy, but provisions relating to local government pension scheme investment, and scale and asset allocation, are controversial, says Claire Dimmock at Squire Patton.
What New FCA Private Stock Market System Could Offer Cos.

While the Financial Conduct Authority’s new secondary private stock market system will bring more control and less ongoing regulatory compliance than a public market, but because the regime grants a significant degree of flexibility to operators it may be some time before a full operational picture emerges, says Iain Wright at Morgan Lewis.
Fraud Office Guidance Highlights Value Of Self-Reporting

New guidance from the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office on corporate self-reporting, cooperation and deferred prosecution agreements provides a useful framework for companies navigating criminal investigations and their potential resolutions — and underscores that corporations that self-report are in a better position to obtain DPAs than those that do not, say lawyers at Skadden.
Open Questions As FCA Prepares Buy Now, Pay Later Rules

HM Treasury’s recent response to its consultation on buy now, pay later lending regulation is clear on policy, but with rules still to be set by the Financial Conduct Authority it is difficult for firms to plan for change, and they should take advantage now of the opportunity to liaise with the regulator, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
What End of Payment Systems Regulator Means For Biz

The U.K. government’s plan to abolish the Payment Systems Regulator and absorb its functions into the Financial Conduct Authority should eventually lighten the compliance burden for businesses under the PSR’s remit, which may in turn encourage growth, but the proposed changes will roll out slowly, say lawyers at Farrer & Co.
Compliance Lessons From Art Dealer's Terror Financing Plea

Regulated businesses can learn from the missteps of a recently convicted London art dealer, who failed to disclose sales to a suspected Hezbollah financier, by implementing compliance measures like anti-terrorism financing screenings as robust as their anti-money laundering policies and training staff to spot red flags, say lawyers at White & Case.
UK Securities Tax Reform Will Be Welcomed By Investors

The proposed reforms resulting from HM Revenue & Customs' recent consultation on modernizing stamp taxes on shares, suggesting a single digital tax on securities to replace stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax, are expected to reduce complexity for investors transacting in U.K. securities, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.
UK Capital Reforms May Help Startup Founders, VC Investors

Hidden in the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals on the definition of capital for investment firms are changes to the eligibility requirements for instruments to be included in a firm's regulatory capital — changes that may reduce the risk of investing, especially in early-stage fintech firms, says Andrew Henderson at Goodwin.