The Serious Fraud Office's bribery settlement with a British defense contractor underscores the agency's policy shift toward cutting deals in less than ideal circumstances, offering a blueprint on how to realign derailed negotiations, lawyers say.
New legislation laid out in the King's Speech on Wednesday included the government's plans for a bill to strengthen trading ties with the European Union alongside an Enhancing Financial Services Bill in the next 12 months, but lawyers warn that the scope remains limited with potential unexpected consequences.
New powers that put companies on the chopping block for crimes committed by their executives dramatically expand corporate liability to include a wider array of offenses, which businesses already struggling with "compliance fatigue" have barely begun to grapple with, lawyers say.
When the Serious Fraud Office abruptly walked away from negotiations over a deferred prosecution agreement with Ultra Electronics in 2022 and widened its bribery investigation, it signaled a setback in the agency's use of corporate settlements.
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The Serious Fraud Office's bribery settlement with a British defense contractor underscores the agency's policy shift toward cutting deals in less than ideal circumstances, offering a blueprint on how to realign derailed negotiations, lawyers say.
New legislation laid out in the King's Speech on Wednesday included the government's plans for a bill to strengthen trading ties with the European Union alongside an Enhancing Financial Services Bill in the next 12 months, but lawyers warn that the scope remains limited with potential unexpected consequences.
New powers that put companies on the chopping block for crimes committed by their executives dramatically expand corporate liability to include a wider array of offenses, which businesses already struggling with "compliance fatigue" have barely begun to grapple with, lawyers say.
When the Serious Fraud Office abruptly walked away from negotiations over a deferred prosecution agreement with Ultra Electronics in 2022 and widened its bribery investigation, it signaled a setback in the agency's use of corporate settlements.
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May 20, 2026
A London court rejected a former director's bid to claim a $1.3 million bonus from her old company, agreeing with an arbitrator that the director and the former CEO had fraudulently backdated an agreement by five years.
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May 20, 2026
Three companies have denied allegations that they conspired to defraud a management consultancy by helping a purported bond-market trader dissipate a $9.4 million investment, claiming the funds they received from the trader's business were legitimate payments relating to loans.
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May 20, 2026
The City of London Police announced Wednesday that an international crackdown on fraud has led to the arrests of 31 people through a joint effort with the private sector and authorities in Nigeria.
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May 20, 2026
A senior tax barrister cheated the public purse out of almost £2 million ($2.7 million) through a series of "elaborate arrangements," a prosecutor said on the first day of the lawyer's criminal trial on Wednesday.
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May 20, 2026
The U.K. government on Wednesday permitted imports of diesel and jet fuel refined abroad using Russian crude oil, watering down sanctions on Russian oil products following the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
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May 20, 2026
Nottingham Forest Football Club owner Evangelos Marinakis persuaded a London court on Wednesday that articles, videos and social media posts at the center of his £5 million ($6.7 million) libel claim against the chair of Greek club Aris are capable of being defamatory.
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May 19, 2026
A former criminal law specialist at a firm in northeast England has been barred from practicing after he deliberately directed a client to pay into his personal bank account more than £5,000 ($6,698) intended for his firm in legal fees.
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May 19, 2026
The U.K.'s charity watchdog said Tuesday that a football charity had "let down the players" as it published a highly critical report on mismanagement by trustees and announced the recovery of £2.5 million ($3.35 million) of funds by the nonprofit.
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May 19, 2026
The Bar Standards Board said Tuesday that it has appointed four new members to join its board during 2026, including Sara Lawson KC, the former general counsel of the Serious Fraud Office.
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May 19, 2026
Spain's former prime minister is under criminal investigation over corruption allegations linked to the government bailout of an airline during the COVID-19 pandemic, a judge revealed on Tuesday.
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May 19, 2026
The Metropolitan Police said Tuesday that 57 people and 20 organizations are suspects for criminal charges that might be brought over the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people — including 18 children — were killed.
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May 19, 2026
The Financial Conduct Authority told young drivers on Tuesday to be wary of ghost-broking scams online as it revealed that nearly half of young people on the road have bought car insurance through social media or messaging apps.
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May 19, 2026
Cyberattacks on businesses in Britain are estimated to have cost £3.7 billion ($5 billion) in litigation in 2025, an insurance broker has said, warning that many do not have sufficient cover to protect against legal and reputational damage caused by a major breach.
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May 19, 2026
The European Parliament approved tightened new rules governing foreign investments in sensitive sectors across the bloc on Tuesday, a significant step in its drive to protect economic security and reduce dependence on external powers.
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May 19, 2026
The London branch of Deutsche Bank AG has been fined £165,000 ($221,000) for processing two payment requests from an Apple subsidiary to a Russian app developer, the U.K.'s sanctions enforcer said Tuesday.
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May 18, 2026
The former CEO of Austrian lender Meinl Bank AG who was extradited from the U.K. has reached a tentative deal to resolve criminal charges that he helped Odebrecht SA hide $170 million in funds used to bribe officials around the world and defraud the Brazilian government, a Brooklyn federal court heard Monday.
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May 18, 2026
A former director of Everton Football Club failed to lift U.K. government sanctions imposed on him following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as a London court on Monday rejected his claims that the measures were irrational and disproportionately interfered with his human rights.
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May 18, 2026
The Spanish government must pay Shakira over €60 million ($70 million), including interest, after a Madrid court acquitted the Colombian singer of allegations of tax fraud in a long-running dispute over her residency status, the court announced Monday.
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May 18, 2026
The Law Society on Monday called for greater clarity on legal protections for lawyers sharing client information in connection with economic crime investigations, saying that solicitors have been cautious divulging details despite landmark reforms designed to combat dirty money.
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May 18, 2026
A tribunal has ruled that the National Crime Agency did not discriminate against a team of female advisers by forcing them to work unpaid overtime, concluding that the male colleague who avoided the extra work was in a different situation.
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May 18, 2026
HM Revenue and Customs told the U.K. Supreme Court Monday that ScottishPower can't dodge paying tax on just over £28 million ($38 million) in redress payments that the energy company made after being investigated for regulatory failures.
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May 18, 2026
Kazakh miner ENRC urged a London judge on Monday to "adopt a tender approach" to decide how much compensation it should receive from the Serious Fraud Office and Dechert LLP after the agency's botched bribery and corruption probe.
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May 18, 2026
HM Treasury said on Monday that it will introduce ring-fencing reforms it designed in collaboration with the Bank of England through its Enhancing Financial Services Bill, aiming to boost bank lending by £80 billion ($107 billion).
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May 18, 2026
A police financial investigator has been handed a prison sentence for abusing his access to police systems to find financial information and criminal records of people he knew and disclosing confidential information.
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May 18, 2026
The government said Monday it will radically overhaul the consumer credit regime, arguing that the 50-year-old rules are outdated and too complex, amid lingering concerns the reforms could weaken protections for borrowers.