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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

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Sprenger Follows The Puck To New Boutique Dream Team

White collar veteran Polly Sprenger explained her decision to join the new London office of U.S. firm Michelman & Robinson with Wayne Gretzky's famed follow-the-puck mantra. Here she talks to Law360 about seeking out a different way of working, what clients actually need and why she thinks good lawyers should reveal rather than conceal the truth.

The Top Non-SFO Financial Crime Trials To Watch In 2026

A major corruption trial against Nigeria's former oil minister, a tax fraud case against a prominent barrister and the prosecution of two men over a cyberattack on London's transport network are among the biggest white-collar cases in 2026 not brought by the Serious Fraud Office.

FCA Expected To Boost Fines, Name More Companies In 2026

The Financial Conduct Authority is likely to step up its enforcement action in 2026 with higher fines and more readiness to name companies under investigation, bolstered by a landmark High Court rejection of a challenge to such a naming decision.

What To Expect From The Competition Appeal Tribunal In 2026

With a new president at the helm, potential government reform and a crowded trial calendar, lawyers say the next 12 months will see a Competition Appeal Tribunal with a more disciplined judicial culture.

January 08, 2026
Weyerhaeuser Says $1.5B Pension Move Didn't Harm Retirees

Lawyers for timber producer Weyerhaeuser and State Street Global Advisors urged a Washington federal judge at a hearing Thursday to throw out a proposed class action from retired workers over Weyerhaeuser's transfer of $1.5 billion in pension obligations to a private equity-backed insurance company, arguing that the retirees have failed to establish the deal actually harmed them.
January 08, 2026
HSBC To Pay €300M To Settle French Tax Fraud Probe

HSBC has agreed to pay French authorities more than €300 million ($350 million) in fines and unpaid taxes to settle a criminal probe into how the bank's Paris branch handled dividend arbitrage transactions between 2014 and 2019, public prosecutors revealed Thursday.
January 08, 2026
SRA Investigates Lawyer Over Threats To Leaseholders

The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Thursday it is investigating a London lawyer accused of bullying and threatening leaseholders into buying freeholds from him at inflated prices.
January 08, 2026
McDonald's Work Harassment Claims Under UK Gov't Review

The government has said it will further examine allegations by a group of trade unions and a campaigning organization that McDonald's has failed to appropriately address gender-based violence and harassment in its restaurants and franchises.
January 08, 2026
Ex-Seafood Bosses Deny Stealing £1.2M For Luxury Lifestyle

Former bosses of a seafood business have denied misappropriating £1.2 million ($1.6 million) to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars and extravagant holidays, claiming the expenses were approved business spending to make the company look successful.
January 08, 2026
Solicitor Accused Of Misleading Court In Personal Injury Case

A solicitor faces being prosecuted before a tribunal over allegations that she made a series of misleading statements to the court and defense counsel when she represented a client in a personal injury matter, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
January 08, 2026
SFO Uses Novel Approach To Return £400K To Fraud Victims

The Serious Fraud Office said Thursday it will return £400,000 ($537,000) to people who were defrauded by a Lebanese financier more than two decades ago after using a novel legal strategy to claw back the money.
January 07, 2026
Aircraft Co. Settles $44M Claim Over Plane Stranded In Russia

An aircraft leasing company and two others have reached a settlement with a dozen reinsurers that they claimed should cover for the $44 million loss of a plane leased to a Russian airline and stranded after the country's invasion of Ukraine.
January 07, 2026
Solicitor Fined £40K For Misleading About Client's Cash

A tribunal has fined a solicitor £40,000 ($54,000) after concluding that he made misleading comments about a client's money but cleared the lawyer of advising the client to fabricate a defense to bribery charges.
January 07, 2026
Ex-Jefferies Banker To Face 2028 Trial For Insider Dealing

A former Jefferies International adviser and his alleged associate denied committing insider dealing to make £70,000 ($94,000) from the £969 million takeover of a real estate investment trust when they appeared at a London court on Wednesday.
January 07, 2026
2 Former Carillion Execs Fined Over Misleading Statements

The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has fined two former finance directors of international construction company Carillion PLC, which is in liquidation, for their part in its misleading statements to the markets.
January 06, 2026
Saudi Businessman Sues Ex-Partner In Property Deal Dispute

A Saudi businessman has sued his former business partner in a London court over multiple alleged failures to return funds provided for real estate investments, alleging that he owes him more than 89 million riyals ($24 million).
January 06, 2026
Barclays Settles $643K Fraud Detection Failure Claims

Barclays Bank PLC has settled a $643,000 claim from a Singaporean fire safety company that alleged the bank negligently failed to prevent an elaborate fraud that duped the fire safety business into transferring funds to criminals.
January 06, 2026
EU Watchdog Flags Widespread Fund Rule Violations

The European Union's markets watchdog warned Tuesday that fund managers are frequently breaching rules governing the marketing of funds three years after requirements were put in place for a more harmonized approach and four years after guidelines were issued.
January 06, 2026
Lawyers Warn Of 'Missing Victims' Of Post Office Scandal

Lawyers for people prosecuted by the Post Office based on faulty IT data told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that there are still "missing victims" of the miscarriage of justice, almost two years after lawmakers voted to have all wrongful convictions quashed.
January 05, 2026
Oxford-Based Law Firm Fined Almost £22K For AML Breaches

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined an Oxford-based law firm almost £22,000 ($29,750) over its anti-money laundering failings, according to a notice published on Monday.
January 05, 2026
Grosvenor Law Unveils White-Collar Practice With New Lead

Grosvenor Law revealed on Monday that it has appointed Chris Roberts as partner to spearhead its new white-collar crime and investigations team.
January 05, 2026
Lupton Fawcett Beats Investment Groups' £68M Ponzi Claim

Lupton Fawcett has beaten an attempt by the administrators of property investment companies to revive a £68 million ($92 million) negligence case over a Ponzi scheme, as an appeals court ruled on Monday that they would have suffered loss regardless of the firm's advice.
January 05, 2026
Ex-Fund Director Faces 2028 Trial Over £20M Fraud

A former investment fund director accused of perpetrating a long-running fraud worth up to £20 million ($27 million) will stand trial in 2028, a judge said Monday.
January 02, 2026
Courts Seek Thousands Of New Magistrates As Backlog Rises

The Ministry of Justice called Saturday for thousands of people to volunteer as magistrates amid a rising backlog of cases waiting to be heard in the criminal courts.
January 02, 2026
BoE Tells Insurers To Notify Of Capital Changes In Advance

The Bank of England told insurers Friday to inform it of any intention to issue or amend capital instruments such as shares or bonds for inclusion in regulatory capital.
January 02, 2026
FCA Ends 150 Investigations And Sharpens Enforcement

The Financial Conduct Authority revealed Friday that it has closed more than 150 of its investigations in the past three years as it moves toward fewer and more focused probes.
January 02, 2026
FCA Launches Probe Into Claims Manager Over Sales Tactics

The City watchdog opened an investigation on Friday into a claims manager over concerns about the company's sales and marketing tactics as part of the wave of litigation over motor finance commission payments.
January 02, 2026
SFO Faces Critical Year With Several Major Trials In 2026

Though the Serious Fraud Office spent a year largely outside the courtroom, 2026 is shaping up to be a blockbuster period for the white-collar enforcer, with four cases going to trial involving 11 defendants charged with fraud and bribery.
January 02, 2026
What To Expect From Financial Crime Regulation In 2026

Plans by the government to reform the criminal justice system by scrapping jury trials in cases of complex fraud headline a series of regulatory and legislative changes on the cards for 2026 in cases of economic crime.

Editor's Picks

6 Bombshell Moments From Staley's Bid To Clear His Name

Jes Staley has suffered a bruising week as he testified about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, culminating in an admission by the former banker that he had sex with a member of the disgraced financier's staff.
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 Russia Sanctions Face Landmark Test At Supreme Court

The U.K.'s sanctions regime faces a major test on Wednesday as billionaire Eugene Shvidler seeks to have his financial restrictions cast off — the first case to challenge Russian sanctions that has reached the country's highest court.

Expert Analysis

What Cos. Can Expect From CMA Consumer Protection Drive

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently launched consumer protection drive targeting banned online sales practices focuses on supporting compliance rather than on enforcement, although firms should expect this to change once businesses have had time to adapt to the regulator's new regime, say lawyers at Baker Botts.
Preparing For UK's New Tax Fraud Whistleblower Program

With the U.K. government introducing a U.S.-style whistleblower incentive scheme to tackle high-value tax avoidance and evasion, companies should take proactive steps and establish clear protocols to mitigate the potential increase in tax investigations, say lawyers at Skadden.
Key Trends Shaping ESG And Sustainability Law In 2026

2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.
Digital Regulation In EU And UK: The Enduring 2025 Themes

With EU and U.K. digital regulation becoming an operational reality in 2025 and no sign of slowing in 2026, organizations need to embed content moderation, cybersecurity and data access obligations into their compliance structures, although legislative divergences mean that multinational businesses must also consider parallel and sometimes conflicting expectations, say lawyers at Morrison & Foerster.
FCA Enforcement Trends In 2025 And Expectations For 2026

The Financial Conduct Authority’s clear intention in 2025 to conduct fewer, faster investigations and reinforce transparency is likely to continue in 2026, with a dual-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and assertive supervision to fight crime, support growth and help consumers as its priorities, say lawyers at WilmerHale.
Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails

The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
Brazil Dam Ruling Highlights Role Of Corporate Accountability

The recent High Court judgment in Municipio de Mariana v. BHP concerning the collapse of the Fundao dam establishes a precedent for holding parent companies that exercise significant control and assume responsibility liable for the actions of group entities, notwithstanding their multinational corporate structure, say lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.
Freezing Orders Maintain Their Impact 50 Years On

Freezing orders, created in Mareva v. International Bulk Carriers 50 years ago, are now a fundamental part of English and Welsh law and a significant weapon in the litigator's armory, considered indispensable by practitioners seeking to obtain enforceable judgments and interlocutory relief on behalf of their clients, say lawyers at Trowers and Hamlins.
Decoding Arbitral Disputes: A Paris Ruling Defines Key Limits

Though French arbitration law is highly supportive of arbitral autonomy, last week's Paris Court of Appeal judgment annulling a $14.9 billion arbitral award against Malaysia reaffirms that such support is neither unqualified nor blind to defects striking at the very legitimacy of the arbitral process, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.
EU Businesses Face Uncertainty Amid Sustainability Reforms

The European Commission’s sustainability omnibus, due to be approved this month, has brought a year of regulatory upheaval for European businesses, and although the long-awaited scaled-back obligations will provide clarity, a balance between not overburdening reporting companies and the need for data to make sustainable investments must be found, say lawyers at Peters & Peters.
SFO Compliance Guide Highlights Early Remediation Is Key

The Serious Fraud Office’s first external guidance on evaluating corporate compliance programs serves as an important reminder to organizations to keep their compliance measures under close review from the earliest stages of an internal investigation to mitigate the risk of ongoing and future misconduct, says Tom Grodecki at Cadwalader.
How Russia Sanctions Trajectory Is Affecting UK Legal Sector

The proliferation of U.K. and European Union sanctions targeting Russia has led to a vast increase in legislative provisions, and lawyers advising affected businesses should expect a complex and evolving legal landscape for the foreseeable future, says Rob Dalling at Jenner & Block.
EU's AI Omnibus Proposal Offers 10 Key Changes For Cos.

The European Commission’s recent proposal for an artificial intelligence digital omnibus aims to ease compliance burdens by extending timelines and increasing flexibility, bringing relief for midcaps and small and midsize enterprises, while enhanced cooperation requirements for regulators should reduce administrative duties for businesses, say lawyers at Cooley.
Tracking Crypto-Asset Tax Rules In 2025 And Beyond

The past year has seen an increasing amount of regulation in the crypto-asset space, with a range of novel and complex taxation challenges for regulators, and taxpayers can expect a marked increase in HM Revenue & Customs' compliance activity in the year ahead, says Liam McKay at RPC.
2025 UK Merger Reforms Simplify Path For Deals

Dealmakers should laud the 2025 reforms in the U.K. merger control and investment screening landscape, as the Competition and Markets Authority’s renewed focus on economic growth — and on implementing more flexible, streamlined and hands-off procedures — makes planning transactions a more predictable process, say lawyers at Akin Gump.