Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • June 02, 2025

    BBC Wins Bid To Amend Libel Defense In Tory Donor Case

    Conservative Party donor Mohamed Amersi has largely failed to prevent the BBC from updating its defense to his libel claim, as a London court ruled that its allegations of his involvement in providing "lavish entertainment" for politically exposed people support its truth defense.

  • June 02, 2025

    Aircraft Parts Co. Director In Court On Fraud Charges

    A director of an aircraft parts supply company appeared at a London criminal court on Monday accused of falsifying documents used in sales of engine parts to airlines around the globe.

  • June 06, 2025

    Reed Smith Hires Cohen & Gresser London White-Collar Pro

    Reed Smith LLP has recruited a senior expert in financial crime from Cohen & Gresser LLP in London to boost its capabilities representing clients in complex disputes and investigations.

  • May 30, 2025

    UK Military Has Paid £20M To Sexual Misconduct Victims

    The British military has spent nearly £20 million ($27 million) on payouts to victims of sexual misconduct in its ranks over the past decade, the Ministry of Defence confirmed Friday.

  • May 30, 2025

    Isle Of Man Agrees To Work With UK Against Tax Avoidance

    Isle of Man authorities reached an agreement with the U.K. government to work together in a crackdown on promoters of tax avoidance schemes, according to a joint statement.

  • May 30, 2025

    UK Midsize Biz Owners Wary Of Risk Exposure, Report Says

    Owners and operators of midsize U.K. businesses are just as wary of risk exposure in personal taxes as they are in business taxes except under certain circumstances, according to a report commissioned by HM Revenue & Customs.

  • May 30, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen Entain face yet more investor claims in the fallout from its bribery probe, UEFA face class action from Liverpool fans over chaos at the 2022 World Cup, and a venture capitalist sue journalists for misuse of his private information over a forged police report. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 30, 2025

    Thames Water Fine Signals Growing Enviro Risk For Business

    The historical fine imposed on Thames Water for environmental failings and improper payments to shareholders is a novel use of new legal powers given to the waste and water regulator — and a warning about growing regulatory risks, lawyers say.

  • May 30, 2025

    British Businessman Appears In Court In Malawi Bribery Case

    A British businessman appeared at a London criminal court Friday on charges that he sent corrupt payments to the former vice-president of Malawi, as well as its ex-solicitor general and other high-ranking officials.

  • May 30, 2025

    FCA Wins OK For £1M Fine On Pensions Transfer Pros

    The finance watchdog said Friday that a tribunal has approved its decision to ban two financial advisers from working in financial services and impose approximately £1 million ($1.3 million) in fines over their pension transfers that put clients' retirement money at risk.

  • May 30, 2025

    Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty To Rape, Sexual Assault

    Actor and comedian Russell Brand has denied charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault at a London court Friday.

  • May 29, 2025

    Accountants Deny Negligence In Kebab Biz Share Deal Fraud

    An accounting firm has denied negligently accepting a fraudulently signed share transfer form that a business director claims cost him his stake in a meat supplier of almost £2.5 million ($3.4 million), arguing that there was "nothing obviously suspicious" about the document.

  • May 29, 2025

    HSBC Denies Blame For £12M Transfers Tied To Alleged Fraud

    HSBC has accused a corporate client of attempting to hold the bank liable for an alleged fraud committed by the company, denying that it failed to question and block more than £12 million ($16.1 million) in allegedly fraudulent account transfers.

  • May 29, 2025

    NCA Charges UK Businessman In Malawi Bribery Case

    A British businessman was expected to appear at a London criminal court on charges that he sent corrupt payments to Malawi's former vice-president and figures including the country's ex-solicitor general, according to court lists that have now been made public.

  • May 29, 2025

    FCA To Update Regulatory Directions For UK Finance Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that it will amend and update approximately 11,000 legal requirements, obligations and restrictions for more than 9,000 financial firms in the U.K.

  • May 29, 2025

    SRA Ordered To Fix Failures After Axiom Ince Collapse

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority must improve how it identifies risks to consumers and strengthen regulation of client money to avoid a repeat of failings in its handling of the collapse of Axiom Ince Ltd., the legal industry's oversight watchdog said Thursday.

  • May 29, 2025

    Ex-NCA Employee To Face Trial On Job Fraud Charges In 2027

    A former official at the National Crime Agency denied fraud charges at a criminal court Thursday, which included allegations that he lied about being an analyst for a U.K. intelligence agency when he applied for a job at Britain's maritime security service.

  • May 28, 2025

    One Convicted For Role In €195M VAT Fraud Scheme

    A Munich court convicted a man for his role in a value-added tax fraud scheme that spanned 17 countries and caused an estimated €195 million ($220 million) in damages, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

  • May 28, 2025

    Online Scams Surge With £1B Stolen Through Fraud In 2024

    Criminals stole £1.17 billion ($1.6 billion) through fraud in 2024, largely through a 22 percent rise in customers being duped into disclosing online login passcodes, banking body UK Finance revealed Wednesday.

  • May 28, 2025

    SFO Charges Airline Parts Boss With Fraud Over Fake Parts

    The Serious Fraud Office charged the director of a company based in Britain with fraud on Wednesday, alleging that he had falsified documents for the sale of engine parts to major airlines around the world.

  • May 28, 2025

    Ex-Russian Politician Appeals UK's First Sanctions Conviction

    A former Russian politician who became the first person to be found guilty of breaching the U.K.'s sanctions regime is challenging his conviction and sentence, his lawyer confirmed Wednesday.

  • May 28, 2025

    Social Media Giants Urged To Curb Unauthorized Finance Ads

    The European Union's financial markets watchdog urged the world's major social media and online companies on Wednesday to stop promoting unauthorized financial services on their platforms.

  • May 28, 2025

    New FCA Crypto Rules Focus On Stablecoin Value, Security

    The Financial Conduct Authority on Wednesday proposed rules aimed at ensuring stablecoins hold their value and firms keep cryptocurrencies safe, as the U.K. progresses on its plans to oversee regulation of the risky assets.

  • May 28, 2025

    Ex-Judge Launches £25B Ad-Price Action Against Google

    Google is facing a new £25 billion ($33.7 billion) class action in the U.K. brought by a former deputy High Court judge on behalf of advertisers, alleging that the technology giant abused its dominant position in online search advertising.

  • May 28, 2025

    Thames Water Fined Record £123M Over Sewage, Dividends

    Thames Water was fined £122.7 million ($165.8 million) on Wednesday by the water regulator for breaching rules governing its failed wastewater management and unjustified payment of dividends — the latest upset for the beleaguered utility company.

Expert Analysis

  • £43M Legal Bill Case Shows Courts' View On Exchange Rates

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    A recent Court of Appeal decision declined to change the currency used for payment of the Nigerian government's legal bill, aligning with British courts' consensus that they should not be concerned with how fluctuating exchange rates might benefit one party over another, says Francis Kendall at Kain Knight.

  • Examining The EU's New Payments Services Package

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    Following recent European Parliament elections, the spotlight is turning to the highly anticipated payments services package expected in September, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative process that will reshape the payment services ecosystem in the European Union, says Kristýna Tupá and Karolína Hlavinková at Schoenherr.

  • Examining The State Of Paccar Fixes After General Election

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    Following the U.K. Supreme Court's Paccar decision last year, which made many litigation funding agreements for opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal unenforceable, the judiciary will likely take charge in implementing any fixes — but the general election has created uncertainty, says Ben Knowles at Clyde & Co.

  • EU Reports Signal Greenwashing Focus For Financial Sector

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    Reports from the European Supervisory Authorities on enforcement of sustainability information, plus related guidance issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority, represent a fundamental change in how businesses must operate to maintain integrity and public trust, say Amilcare Sada and Matteo Fanton at A&O Shearman.

  • GDPR 6 Years On: Key Points From EU Report

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    The European Commission’s recent report on the General Data Protection Regulation is clearly positive, concluding that it has brought benefits to both individuals and businesses, but stakeholders are still awaiting essential guidelines on scientific research and important business concerns remain, say Thibaut D'hulst and Malik Aouadi at Van Bael & Bellis.

  • Opinion

    Without Change, Fighting Fraud Is A Losing Battle For The UK

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    To successfully fight fraud cases in the U.K. — like the Russian Coms scam recently shut down by the National Crime Agency — it is clear there needs to be significant investment in recruiting and training expert investigators, and meaningful engagement between the country’s intelligence platforms, says Anthony Hanratty at Howard Kennedy.

  • Embedding Consumer Duty: 6 Areas Firms Should Prioritize

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    The Financial Conduct Authority has repeatedly emphasized that complying with the Consumer Duty is not a tick-box exercise but an ongoing responsibility, so firms need to show that the duty is at the heart of their practices by staying compliant in areas from cultural change to customer vulnerability, say Nicola Higgs and Becky Critchley at Latham.

  • 2 UK Rulings Highlight Persistent Push Payment Fraud Issues

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    Two recent High Court decisions, Larsson v. Revolut and Terna DOO v. Revolut, demonstrate that authorized push payment fraud continues to cause headaches for consumers and financial institutions alike, and with forthcoming mandatory reimbursement requirements, more APP fraud litigation can be expected, say lawyers at Charles Russell.

  • Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling

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    The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

  • What Labour Has In Mind For UK Data Protection Law Reform

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    The U.K.'s new Labour government is indicating that it will strengthen the country's cybersecurity regime, and introduce artificial intelligence legislation similar to that of the European Union, in an attempt to further reform data protection law and harness the power of data for economic growth, says Victoria Hordern at Taylor Wessing.

  • ECJ Cartel Damages Rulings Are Wins For Multinational Cos.

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    Two decisions from the European Court of Justice last month clarifying the limits of the single economic unit doctrine in cartel damages proceedings will help multinational companies anticipate and prepare for litigation within a narrower band of possible jurisdictions, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Takeaways From EU's 'Pay Or Consent' Advertising Probe

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    Anne-Gabrielle Haie and Charles Whiddington at Steptoe examine key points from the European Commission's recent investigation into Big Tech's use of "pay or consent" advertising models, as well as the European Data Protection Board’s opinion on how such models can comply with EU competition and data protection laws.

  • Why NCA's 1st Seizure Of Sanctioned Funds Is Significant

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    The National Crime Agency’s recently secured forfeiture of a Russian oligarch's sanctioned funds was a landmark achievement, and is particularly notable because it was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act, illustrating how U.K. authorities can coordinate their respective powers to confiscate assets, says Lindsey Cullen at WilmerHale.

  • UK Judgment Could Change Anti-Money Laundering Regimes

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    After the Court of Appeal of England and Wales' determination that criminal property remains criminal property in the hands of its purchaser even if purchased at market value, many businesses could face a new or heightened risk of prosecution for criminality in their supply chains and related money laundering offenses, say lawyers at Macfarlanes.

  • Takeaways From First EU Foreign Subsidy M&A Investigation

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    The European Commission's recent investigation into Emirates Telecommunications' proposed acquisition of PPF Telecom is the first in-depth investigation of an M&A deal under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, demonstrating that the regulation can have real consequences in practice that companies must consider at the outset of large transactions, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

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