Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Financial Services UK
-
April 17, 2024
Swedish Tax Investigations Add $90M To Crypto Miners' Bills
Investigations revealed that a number of cryptocurrency mining centers in Sweden misrepresented their business dealings, which led to the Swedish Tax Agency doling out a total of 990 million Swedish krona ($90 million) in increased tax liabilities, the agency said Wednesday.
-
April 17, 2024
Raid On Broker In Cum-Ex Fraud Case Was Lawful, Court Says
A raid on the London office of commodity brokerage MCML Ltd. following a request from Danish prosecutors investigating an alleged £56 million ($70 million) tax fraud was lawful, a London court ruled Wednesday.
-
April 17, 2024
Merchants Bring Modified Bid For Swipe Fee Class Actions
A group of merchants urged Britain's competition tribunal on Wednesday to approve proposed class actions accusing Visa and Mastercard of unfairly imposing interchange fees on retailers for several years, arguing they had sufficiently addressed concerns that led to their initial proposals being rejected.
-
April 17, 2024
Gazprom Unit Fights Ruling Blocking Russian UniCredit Claim
A Gazprom joint venture told the U.K. Supreme Court on Wednesday that appeal judges in England did not have jurisdiction to grant an anti-suit injunction blocking its €450 million ($480 million) claim in Russia against UniCredit Bank.
-
April 17, 2024
Coinbase Loses EU Appeal To Bloc Rival TM
Coinbase lost part of its bid Wednesday to stop an Estonian company bearing the same name from registering a trademark, with a European court saying the cryptocurrency platform cannot block the trademark of the Baltic state business for news services, publishing or education.
-
April 17, 2024
UK Savers Report £2B Lost From Pensions Since 2019
The compensation program for financial services said Wednesday that thousands of U.K. savers have reported losing almost £2 billion from pension schemes that went bankrupt since 2019.
-
April 17, 2024
Standards Setter Proposes Steps To Boost Non-Bank Liquidity
A global standards setter proposed on Wednesday new measures to enable non-bank financial firms such as hedge funds or insurers to better support their derivatives or securities positions in stressed markets.
-
April 16, 2024
Autonomy CEO Pressured JPMorgan Over Analyst, Jury Told
An ex-JPMorgan stock analyst testifying Tuesday in the criminal fraud trial of former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch told jurors that the software company founder responded with hostility when his research reports questioned its growth, and that Lynch offered JPMorgan millions in business if he were taken off the Autonomy beat.
-
April 16, 2024
Cigna Denies Insurer's Claim For PPI Complaints Indemnity
Cigna hit back at insurer PA (GI) Ltd.'s claim to recover its costs of dealing with missold payment protection insurance for healthcare cover, saying that it is not entitled to any compensation.
-
April 16, 2024
Hill Dickinson Bolsters Disputes Team With New Partner
Hill Dickinson LLP has snapped up a partner from Teacher Stern LLP to join its commercial litigation team, bringing a wealth of dispute resolution and crisis management experience to the table.
-
April 16, 2024
Pensions Industry Backlash Grows Over New Reporting Rules
The U.K.'s pension watchdog is facing mounting pressure from retirement industry trade bodies to back down from its new reporting obligations for schemes.
-
April 16, 2024
UK Pension Transfer Numbers Continue To Decline
The number of savers transferring from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes dropped by 32% in the financial year that ended in March 2023, according to figures published Tuesday by the Financial Conduct Authority.
-
April 16, 2024
Treasury Gains £12B Fiscal Headroom In New Tax Year
HM Treasury may have an extra £12 billion ($14.9 billion) to spend this financial year started April 6 thanks to the government's fiscal rule to cut national debt by 2029, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said in a report Tuesday.
-
April 16, 2024
EU Watchdogs Ally With ECB To Help Firms' Data Reporting
European Union finance watchdogs said Tuesday they have set up an alliance with Europe's central bank to collaborate more efficiently on regulatory data transfers, reducing reporting costs for financial firms.
-
April 16, 2024
UK Pension Withdrawals Hit Record High
The number of people making lump sum withdrawals from their U.K. pension savings reached a record high during the financial year that ended in March 2023, according to a new report by the country's financial watchdog published Tuesday.
-
April 16, 2024
Global Body Mulls Better Bank Modeling For Climate Change
Banks may need to develop new models that integrate artificial intelligence to better assess the risks posed by climate change, a global standard setter said Tuesday.
-
April 15, 2024
Ex-Autonomy Exec Testifies To Handshake Deals, Backdating
Autonomy's former U.S. head of sales testified for the prosecution Monday in the criminal fraud trial of founder Michael Lynch, saying he boosted sales figures via "quid pro quo" handshake deals with customers, created pretextual emails to cover his tracks and even backdated a deal to meet revenue targets.
-
April 15, 2024
UK Trading Platform Marex Eyes US Markets For $300M IPO
Private equity-backed U.K. trading platform Marex Group PLC launched plans Monday for an estimated $300 million initial public offering, represented by Latham & Watkins LLP and underwriters' counsel Kirkland & Ellis LLP, becoming the latest U.K.-area firm to seek capital from U.S. markets.
-
April 15, 2024
Real Estate Plans Were £50M Ponzi Scheme, Investors Say
Over 400 real estate investors said two British men ran a U.K.-wide fraud akin to a Ponzi scheme at a London trial of their £50 million ($62.3 million) claim Monday, arguing the men had made false promises about the returns the investments would generate.
-
April 15, 2024
AML Exec Loses Bid For Interim Pay In Whistleblowing Case
The co-founder of a London-based payments platform provider has lost his bid to be paid his £190,000 ($237,000) salary while he pursues a whistleblowing and unfair dismissal claim against the company.
-
April 15, 2024
Freshfields-Led CVC Plans €1.25B IPO In Amsterdam
Private equity giant CVC said Monday that it is planning to list its shares in Amsterdam and raise at least €1.25 billion ($1.3 billion) in a widely anticipated initial public offering guided by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
-
April 15, 2024
Skat Kicks Off £1.4B London Trial Against British Trader
A British trader was accused Monday of being the "mastermind" behind a fraudulent trading scheme that cost the Danish tax authority £1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) at the start of a year-long High Court trial.
-
April 15, 2024
European Banks Tell FCA To Prioritize Bond Data Rule Reform
A body representing large European banks has "strongly recommended" that the Financial Conduct Authority make any reforms to underlying rules causing high costs of data in bond markets without delay.
-
April 15, 2024
Home Insurers Paid Record £573M In Weather-Linked Claims
Devastating storms that swept through the U.K. in 2023 drove up weather-related insurance claims by more than a third, hitting a record of almost £573 million ($715 million), the trade body for the sector said on Monday.
-
April 15, 2024
BNP Paribas Buys 9% Stake In Insurer Ageas For €730M
French banking giant BNP Paribas said Monday that its insurance subsidiary has agreed to acquire a 9% stake in Belgian multinational insurer Ageas for approximately €730 million ($777 million) from Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group.
Expert Analysis
-
UK Top Court Ruling Spells Uncertainty For Litigation Funders
The U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision in Paccar Inc. v. Competition Appeal Tribunal has called litigation funding agreements impermissible, causing astonishment in the legal industry and raising questions over how funders should now approach litigation, say Mohsin Patel at Factor Risk Management and Imran Benson at Hailsham Chambers.
-
Gender Diverse Boards May Reduce Corporate Fraud Risk
Following the recently proposed "failure to prevent fraud" offense, companies should focus on diversity in leadership as research shows that an increase in women's representation on boards is associated with a decreased probability of fraud, say Anoushka Warlow and Suzanne Gallagher at BCL Solicitors.
-
Trustees Should Take Caution After UK Pension Tap Plan
The U.K. government's recent plan to boost technology startups by tapping into pension sector funds may risk the hard-earned savings of members, so trustees need to be mindful of the proposals in light of their fiduciary duties, say Beth Brown and Riccardo Bruno at Arc Pensions.
-
Factors Driving Increased Litigation Against European Cos.
European government regulation and enforcement, economic inflation and litigation funding are driving an increase in litigation, especially class actions, against corporations in Europe, a trend that seems to be here to stay, says Henning Schaloske at Clyde & Co.
-
New UK Offense Will Help Law Firms Tighten AML Compliance
By allowing for larger fines and introducing a failure to prevent fraud offense, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will further motivate law firms to improve their anti-money laundering compliance process, says Richard Simms at AMLCC.
-
What Venezuelan Gold Fight Means For UK One Voice Doctrine
The Court of Appeal's judgment in Deutsche Bank v. Central Bank of Venezuela clarifies the application of the "one voice" doctrine to foreign court judgments, highlighting that the reasoning depends on the recognition or nonrecognition of a head of state or government that is contrary to the U.K. government's position, say lawyers at Latham.
-
Report On UK Investment Act Offers Welcome Insights
The U.K. government's recent report on the National Security and Investment Act's first full year of operation is to be applauded for disclosing more information on the act's notification system than was required, enabling a better understanding of what has taken place and what the next year may hold, say Andrea Hamilton and Ajal Notowicz at Milbank.
-
Preparing For M&A Under The Foreign Subsidies Regulation
The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation introduces requirements that companies operating in the region must consider in M&A transactions, and any foreign financial contributions received by a target should be checked during the due diligence stage, with specific provisions for commission approval if a notification requirement is triggered, say Hendrik Viaene and Stéphane Dionnet at McDermott.
-
Important Generative AI Considerations In M&A
The recent surge of interest in generative artificial intelligence and its use of machine learning algorithms means there are novel concerns as well as inherent risks for those engaging in M&A activity, and acquirers should pay careful attention to a target’s scope of ownership and licensing rights, say attorneys at Davis Polk.
-
Pension Trustee Case Could Lead To Fossil Fuels Divestment
While the recent Court of Appeal case McGaughey v. Universities Superannuation Scheme attempts to link fossil fuel investment by trustees to significant risk of financial detriment, it is concerning that two out of 470,000 scheme members could be permitted to bring a claim without ensuring that other members are represented, says Anna Metadjer at Kingsley Napley.
-
Outbound Screening May Be Next EU Investment Control Step
Following the European Commission’s recent commitment to reduce dependence on third countries by developing an outbound investment review mechanism, it will be interesting to see whether member states will take a united stand or whether national security interests will trump such an approach, say Christoph Barth and Neil Hoolihan at Linklaters.
-
Barclays Ruling Narrows Banks' Fraud Recovery Duty
The U.K. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Philipp v. Barclays decided against the so-called Quincecare duty's application in authorized push payment fraud, shining light on how banks should balance their responsibility to follow customers' instructions against making reasonable inquiries, say lawyers at Ontier.
-
Green Loans May Be Hungary's Path To Sustainable Financing
Fueled by a rising trend in the use of green loans, Hungary is making impressive progress in its journey toward achieving a net-zero future, although the development of social and sustainability-linked loans is still a work in progress, say Gergely Szalóki and Bálint Bodó at Schönherr.
-
How The Law Must Change To Accommodate Digital Assets
The Law Commission's recent report shows that the common law of England and Wales is well suited to adapt to digital assets, and with targeted statutory reform to unlock the possibility of recognizing property in intangible things, the U.K. can become an ideal hub for parties to transact with emerging technology, says Sarah Green at the commission.
-
Tackling Global Inflation Is A Challenge For Antitrust Agencies
Recent events have put pressure on antitrust agencies to address the global cost-of-living crisis, but the relationship between competition and inflation is complex, and with competition agencies’ reluctance to act as price regulators, enforcement is unlikely to have a meaningful impact, say lawyers at Linklaters.