Financial Services UK

  • May 20, 2024

    Lessors File Russia-Stranded Planes Cases After Major Ruling

    Two aircraft lessors have filed details of claims against insurers in London for a combined total of $62.1 million over planes stranded in Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine after a landmark ruling tossed attempts to move the cases and others to Russia.

  • May 20, 2024

    UK Leads Europe In Financial Services Investment, EY Says

    The U.K. has solidified its position as Europe's top destination for foreign direct investment in financial services as it attracted 108 investment projects in 2023 compared to 76 a year earlier, the Big Four accounting firm EY said Monday.

  • May 20, 2024

    Step Up Action On Financial Abuse, FCA Tells Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority has called on regulated firms to take further steps to stop financial abuse of individuals through manipulation of banking or insurance products as it looks through the lens of the Consumer Duty.

  • May 20, 2024

    Crypto 'Inventor' Used Court As Vehicle For Fraud, Judge Says

    A London court ruled Monday that the man who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto in a weekslong trial lied extensively and committed forgery "on a grand scale," finding that the computer scientist had used the courts as a "vehicle for fraud."

  • May 20, 2024

    Addleshaw Helps British Land Sell Stake In Mall To Norway

    British Land said Monday that it has sold its remaining 50% stake in a mall in northern England to Norway's sovereign wealth fund for £360 million ($457 million), as the property investor looks to reduce its exposure to indoor shopping centers.

  • May 17, 2024

    Imprisoned Oligarch Partly Wins Bid To Expand $14B Claim

    An imprisoned Russian billionaire partly succeeded in a London court Friday in adding new allegations to his $13.8 billion claim alleging his business empire was fraudulently taken in a wide-ranging Russian state conspiracy.

  • May 17, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a wave of claims filed against Verity Trustees Ltd., Harley-Davidson hit retailer Next with an intellectual property claim, Turkish e-commerce entrepreneur Demet Mutlu sue her ex-husband and Trendyol co-founder Evren Üçok and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the former boss of collapsed law firm Axiom. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 17, 2024

    SEC Can Try To Show Jurisdiction Over German In $3M Claim

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be allowed to pursue evidence to support its case for disgorgement of $3.3 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains from a German man whose son was implicated in a $150 million pump-and-dump scheme, a federal judge in Boston ruled on Thursday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Pensioners Lose £80M In Credit Over Submission Errors

    The Department for Work and Pensions has said that retirees lost out on £80 million ($102 million) in payments to help top up their weekly income to a minimum level because they submitted inaccurate information about themselves in the last financial year.

  • May 17, 2024

    FCA Sets Out Consumer Duty Priorities For Closed Products

    The Financial Conduct Authority has sent "Dear CEO" letters to multiple financial service firms, setting out its priorities for the July deadline to apply the Consumer Duty guidelines to closed-off products such as old savings accounts or insurance policies.

  • May 17, 2024

    ABN Amro To Sell Stake In Life Insurance JV Neuflize Vie

    BN Amro Bank NV said Friday that its Neuflize OBC French private bank branch has entered "exclusive negotiations" to sell the unit to the insurance subsidiary of BNP Paribas SA to form a strategic partnership in life insurance in France.

  • May 17, 2024

    Asset Manager Alpha Growth To Buy Insurance Manager

    British wealth manager Alpha Growth PLC said Friday that it will buy Guernsey-based insurance management company Jeometri for £450,000 ($569,000) to help it grow its insurance offering across the U.K.

  • May 17, 2024

    FCA To Weigh 'Sensitive, Emotive Issue' Of Probes Policy

    The Financial Conduct Authority has said it "will take time" to consider widespread concerns over its proposals to identify companies or individuals under investigation after lawyers said the move could damage careers.

  • May 17, 2024

    Ex-Investment Manager Gets 6 Years For £19M Ponzi Scheme

    A former investment manager was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for defrauding hundreds of investors out of £19 million ($24 million) in a Ponzi scheme that prosecutors said helped fuel a lavish lifestyle.

  • May 16, 2024

    FCA Charges Reality TV Stars Over Risky Investment Ads

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday it has charged nine social media influencers and reality TV stars for promoting an unauthorized trading scheme online that dealt with high-risk financial products tied to foreign exchange rates. 

  • May 16, 2024

    Russian Wealth Fund Fails To Curb EU Sanctions

    The European Union's General Court has upheld sanctions against a Russian sovereign wealth fund, ruling it is the "archetypal" company for attracting international investors who sustain the country's war in Ukraine.

  • May 16, 2024

    M&G Accounts Manager Wins £13K Over Resignation Dispute

    An accounts manager at M&G PLC has won more than £13,000 ($16,500) after an employment tribunal found that the company wrongly refused to let him see out his 12-week notice period while on garden leave.

  • May 16, 2024

    Slovenian Bank NLB Bids €400M For Austrian Lender Addiko

    A Slovenian bank has tabled a €400 million ($435 million) bid to buy Austria's Addiko, a business lender operating in central and southeastern Europe, as it seeks to expand into new territories.

  • May 16, 2024

    Nationwide Cited For Compliance Breaches In PPI Market

    The competition watchdog said on Thursday it has written to Nationwide Building Society, telling the lender that it had breached the rules by giving clients incorrect information about insurance covering mortgage repayments.

  • May 16, 2024

    Lithuania PM Wants Frozen Russian Assets To Help Ukraine

    Lithuania's prime minister said Thursday that Russia's frozen assets should be used to help Ukraine fight off aggression from its larger neighbor, saying that a recent European decision to use profits from frozen assets should be only a first step.

  • May 15, 2024

    Taxpayers Let Down By HMRC Digital Service, Says Watchdog

    HM Revenue and Customs has let down taxpayers by failing to deliver better online services, according to a report published on Wednesday by the public spending watchdog.

  • May 15, 2024

    Swiss Seek Feedback On Crypto Information Exchange

    Switzerland's executive body, the Federal Council, is seeking feedback from the public on its plan to adopt two Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development standards that will update the country's automatic exchanges of information to account for crypto-assets, it said Wednesday.

  • May 15, 2024

    Crypto 'Academy' Closed After Probe Into False Assurances

    A cryptocurrency firm that "recklessly" persuaded customers to put money into investment plans has been wound up after the government's insolvency agency found that the company had given false assurances and traded without regulatory approval.

  • May 15, 2024

    Watchdog Warns Bank CEOs Of Inadequate Recovery Plans

    The Prudential Regulation Authority told the chief executives of smaller U.K. banks and building societies in a letter on Wednesday that their companies should improve recovery plans, saying that they use insufficiently severe scenarios in testing.

  • May 15, 2024

    FCA Charges 3 For Alleged £8M Pension Fraud

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday it has charged three consultants over an alleged fraudulent investment scheme in which victims lost £8 million ($10.1 million) of their pension savings.

Expert Analysis

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • How Proposed Platforms For Unlisted Co. Trading May Work

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    The U.K. government is continuing development of its proposed private intermittent securities and capital exchange system to facilitate secondary share trading in private companies through a regulatory sandbox while ironing out details, representing an innovative step for unlisted company liquidity, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Experian Ruling Helps Cos. Navigate GDPR Transparency

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    In Information Commissioner v. Experian, the Upper Tribunal recently reaffirmed the lawfulness of the company's marketing practices, providing guidance that will assist organizations in complying with the GDPR’s transparency obligations, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

  • Clarity Is Central Theme In FCA's Greenwashing Guidance

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    Recent Financial Conduct Authority guidance for complying with the U.K. regulator's anti-greenwashing rule sends an overarching message that sustainability claims must be clear, accurate and capable of being substantiated, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • How New FCA Rules Strengthen Borrower Protections

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules, aimed at strengthening protections for borrowers in financial difficulty by regularizing good practices across the industry, put its previous guidance on a permanent footing and send a clear message to firms that this issue remains a regulatory priority, say James Black, Julie Patient and Mark Aengenheister at Hogan Lovells.

  • Opinion

    New Property Category Not Needed To Regulate Digital Assets

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    The U.K. Law Commission's exploration of whether to create a third category of property for digital assets is derived from a misreading of historical case law, and would not be helpful in resolving any questions surrounding digital assets, says Duncan Sheehan at the University of Leeds.

  • FTSE Draft Rules Show Impact Of FCA Listing Reforms

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    FTSE Russell’s recently published provisional rule changes represent a much-awaited indication of its response to the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed listing reforms, providing a level of certainty that will assist issuers and advisers in preparing for the implementation of the regime, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • FCA Strikes A Balance With 'Finfluencer' Guidance

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    With financial firms leveraging social media to engage with a broader audience, the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent "finfluencer" guidance signals a recognition of the imperative to adapt regulatory frameworks while maintaining a firm commitment to consumer protection, say David Allinson and Damien O'Malley at RPC.

  • Dissecting Recent Developments Against The Misuse Of NDAs

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    The U.K. government's recent plans to nullify nondisclosure agreements that prevent victims from reporting crimes should remind lawyers to proactively consider the necessity of such agreements, especially in light of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's warning notice on drafting improper NDAs, say Clare Davis and Macaela Joyes at RPC.

  • What To Know About The Russia-Stranded Plane Ruling

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    The High Court's recent decision in Zephyrus Capital Aviation v. Fidelis Underwriting, rejecting reinsurers' U.K. jurisdiction challenges in claims over stranded planes in Russia, has broad implications for cross-border litigation involving exclusive jurisdiction clauses, says Samantha Zaozirny at Browne Jacobson.

  • 3 Notable Pensions Reforms In Spring Budget

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    The U.K. government’s spring budget introduced reforms to improve pension outcomes through the value for money framework and the lifetime provider model, as well as to encourage investments in Britain — three interlinked areas that could pressure trustees and providers to rethink how they approach investments, say Liz Ramsaran and Marcus Fink at DWF.

  • Assessing The FCA Data Study's Response To User Concerns

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published report on the supply of wholesale financial data differs from others in its exceptional breadth and analysis of an enormous volume of information, but in its reluctance to address market power or pricing directly, the regulator’s approach is still cautious, say Emma Radcliffe and Greg Dowell at Macfarlanes.

  • Focus On Private Funds Will Boost Ireland's Global Standing

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    As the market increasingly pivots to private funds, Ireland's recent introduction of particular products — such as an updated, flexible European long-term investment fund — provides more structuring opportunities and paves the way for a brighter outlook in the country, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Cum-Ex Prosecutions Storm Shows No Sign Of Abating

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    The ongoing trial of Sanjay Shah in Denmark is a clear indicator that efforts remain focused on holding to account the alleged architects and beneficiaries of cum-ex trading, and with these prosecutions making their way across Europe, it is a more turbulent time now than ever, says Niall Hearty at Rahman Ravelli.

  • Traversing The Web Of Nonjudicial Grievance Mechanisms

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    Attorneys at Covington provide an overview of how companies can best align their environmental and human rights compliance with "hard-law" requirements like the EU's recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while also navigating the complex global network of existing nonjudicial grievance mechanisms.

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