The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent report on customer due diligence controls explains what distinguishes good policies and procedures from those that are lacking, and should encourage firms to check that their processes are detailed, practical and relevant to the business, say lawyers at Womble Bond.

In a recent ruling, a Barcelona court refused to recognize a €365 million U.K. judgment against Cerberus Capital, showing that a foreign decision may be sound, final and enforceable in its own jurisdiction, yet still be refused entry where it threatens to displace a dispute already before the Spanish courts, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.

The European Union's new directive on third-country branch rules for non-EU banks will have a significant impact on U.K. banks, which will no longer be permitted to provide core cross-border services into the EU without a local presence, unless an applicable exemption or carveout applies, say lawyers at Farrer & Co.

The European Securities and Markets Authority's recent fine against REGIS-TR for data and procedure breaches under Market Infrastructure and Securities Financing Regulations demonstrates that a license confers no immunity from sanctions, and that dually registered trade repositories face a greater financial exposure in the event of noncompliance, say lawyers at White & Case.

Andrew Barton, head of the insurance team at Macfarlanes, discusses the challenges of conducting a transaction under Indian foreign direct investment rules, why the Draft Insurable Interest Bill should be followed through, and how the defined benefit pensions risk transfer space has become the fastest growing insurance market in the world.

While courts around the world have struggled to articulate a technology-neutral test for patentability of computer-implemented inventions, a recent decision by Australia's top court offers a decisive answer, creating strategic opportunities for overseas applicants, say attorneys at Mallesons.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently published annual plan is notable for a strong shift toward prioritizing U.K. enforcement of consumer protection laws, encouraging innovation and policing public procurement markets for anticompetitive conduct, which contrasts with previous plans that focused on competition in digital markets, complex merger review and sustainability, say lawyers at Cooley.

A major overhauling of the U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation brings it into closer alignment with its U.S. counterpart, though it also deliberately diverges in ways that carry real consequences for exposure modeling and enforcement strategy, says Irene Polieri at Gibson Dunn.

Recent subpoenas to Adidas and Hilton deployed in Blasket Renewables v. Spain, pending in D.C. federal court, show arbitration award recovery to be a disciplined exercise in constructing visibility, applying pressure and sequencing procedural advantage, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

The recently concluded Australia-European Union free trade agreement could be a springboard for a more ambitious initiative bringing together the EU and the economies of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a critical mass capable of shaping norms across subsidies, sustainability disciplines and competition policy, says Alan Yanovich at Akin Gump.

The U.K. government’s recently announced crackdown on late payment marks a decisive shift from voluntary standards toward an enforcement-led framework designed to alter behavior by changing incentives, increasing accountability and introducing real consequences for persistent poor practices, say lawyers at Shoosmiths.

Sarah Wigington, head of CRS' U.K. corporate team, discusses the challenges of conducting a joint venture with numerous moving parts that had to land at precisely the same moment, how simplification of corporate reporting and disclosure obligations would help midmarket businesses, and why ESG factors are now a threshold issue.

Lawyers at McDermott discuss why HM Revenue & Customs recently chose to delay the application of its tax adviser registration requirement to financial services firms, such as asset managers, as well as the onerous duties and responsibilities that the current legislation imposes.

The U.K. offers 14 years' worth of data on private equity's involvement in the legal market, demonstrating for U.S. firms what worked, what didn’t and why, and illustrating several lessons about operational readiness, cultural fit and timing, says Tom Lenfestey at The Law Practice Exchange.

The European Court of Justice’s recent decision in Brillen Rottler v. TC clarifies that although data controllers must be cautious in declining data subject access requests under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, a company may refuse to respond where the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, even at first contact, says Rob Dalling at Jenner & Block.

Willkie’s recent salary increases for newly qualified lawyers in London made headline news, but the more important issue is how firms pay midlevel associates, since allowing pay progression to lag materially risks undermining the cohort firms rely on to sustain client relationships and train the next generation, says Adam Stocker at Major Lindsey.

Adam Grant, head of employment at Wedlake Bell, discusses the challenges of persuading a business to offer employees greater support when it makes large-scale redundancies, the need for new guidance on returning data subject access requests to their intended purpose, and how economic uncertainty with less job security may lead to more office presence.

By delineating the limits of its jurisdiction with clarity, in the recent Orabelle v. Orzenia decision, the Court of First Instance of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts enhances predictability and reinforces the court's standing as a forum combining international openness with strict adherence to statutory constraints, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

The Competition and Markets Authority's recent blog post announcing capabilities to screen for algorithmic collusion demonstrates that the regulator's concerns are crystallizing into enhanced investigative and enforcement actions, broadening the range of commercial arrangements at risk of antitrust scrutiny, say lawyers at Freshfields.