Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

The Biggest FCA Enforcement Cases And Fines In 2025

A year after the FCA was criticized for delays, dropped cases and its use of publicity powers, it entered 2025 under pressure to show its enforcement regime had teeth.

UK Supreme Court Recalibrates Class Action Opt-Out Test

A decision by the U.K. Supreme Court to block a £2.7 billion ($3.6 billion) claim against major banks over foreign exchange-rigging has recalibrated the test for when a collective action should be brought through opt-out proceedings, lawyers say.

The Biggest UK Commercial Fraud Cases In 2025

Denmark's stinging defeat in a £1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) tax fraud claim and a U.K. Supreme Court ruling that widens the net for individuals who facilitate fraud are among the defining moments in the biggest commercial fraud cases of 2025.

The Biggest Financial Crime Cases Of 2025

The U.K. Supreme Court's overturning of the convictions of two traders imprisoned for rate rigging, the first use by the anti-fraud agency of a rare legal power to recover criminal cash and the first ever conviction for sanctions breaches are among the big corporate crime cases of 2025.

December 23, 2025
Crypto Thefts Rise Amid Threats Of Kidnapping, Theft

Criminals are increasingly using kidnapping, robbery and theft to obtain access to digital assets from crypto exchanges, brokers and individuals, making secure passwords irrelevant, a trade body warned Tuesday.
December 23, 2025
Ryanair Fined €256M For Blocking Travel Agency Sales

Italy's competition watchdog hit Ryanair DAC with a €256 million ($302 million) fine on Tuesday for abusing its dominant position in the market by allegedly hindering travel agencies from purchasing tickets online.
December 23, 2025
Call For Ban On Cryptocurrency Donations To Political Parties

The government should ban cryptocurrency donations to political parties, an anti-corruption campaign group has warned, as it added that digital assets threaten the transparency and integrity of the funding of a democracy.
December 23, 2025
Insurers Warned Over False Holiday Decorations Injury Claims

Insurance companies face a spike in "slip and trip" injury claims from scammers over the festive period, a counter-fraud lawyer has warned.
December 23, 2025
Sauce Was Vital Ingredient In €9M Deal, Restaurateur Says

A French restaurant manager has denied lying about his work history in order to secure a €9.3 million ($11 million) investment from a private equity firm for a food chain venture, saying that the company had backed the deal for his "secret sauce" recipe.
December 22, 2025
Loopholes Hinder FCA Firm Checker's Ability To Fight Fraud

The Financial Conduct Authority is failing to stop financial fraud because criminals are finding ways round its limited actions and technologies, said lawyers, who are calling for government legislation to boost the watchdog's powers.
December 22, 2025
Taskforce Identifies Red Flags In Foreign Bribery Cases

Suspicious sources of wealth, unusual financial secrecy and opaque corporate ownership structures are just some of warning signs of foreign bribery that professional service providers and global companies should watch for, an international task force said Monday.
December 22, 2025
Liverpool FC Sues Security Co. Over £1M Warehouse Theft

Liverpool Football Club is suing a company responsible for maintaining security systems at a warehouse for more than £1 million ($1.3 million), blaming the business for lapses that allowed burglars to break in and steal merchandise.
December 22, 2025
Insurer Travelers Denies Liability For £6M Axiom Client Funds

Insurer Travelers has argued at a London court that it is not liable under its policy with Axiom Ince for £5.8 million ($7.8 million) that a home buyer lost when the now-collapsed law firm misappropriated his cash during a property deal.
December 22, 2025
FCA Strips Regulatory Permissions From Pensions Adviser

The Financial Conduct Authority has slapped a pension adviser with a ban on carrying out regulated activity after a series of breaches, including a failure to pay off an arbitration award.
December 22, 2025
BHP Switches To HSF Kramer Guidance In Mariana Dam Case

BHP has replaced Slaughter and May with HSF Kramer to represent it in the £36 billion ($48 billion) Mariana dam litigation after a London court found the miner liable for the collapse that triggered Brazil's worst environmental disaster.
December 22, 2025
UK Recovers Just 28% Of Frozen Criminal Assets

Two flagship legal tools introduced to help Britain tackle kleptocracy are failing, Spotlight on Corruption has said, as the charity published a report on the flow of illicit money into the domestic economy.
December 19, 2025
Man Jailed For 28 Months Over Fake Stolen Lego Claims

A man based in South Yorkshire has been jailed for 28 months for making a string of fraudulent insurance claims, the financial crime police unit said this week, including over allegedly stolen high-value Lego sets that were later found by police on display in his house.
December 19, 2025
FCA's AML Role May Overburden Barristers, Bar Council Says

The Bar Council has warned that making the Financial Conduct Authority the sole anti-money laundering watchdog for professional services firms could disproportionally hit barristers with more regulation and costs, calling on the government to tread carefully with any proposed increase in the financial regulator's powers.
December 19, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen the designer of an 88-facet diamond bring a copyright claim against a luxury watch retailer, collapsed firm Axiom Ince bring legal action against the solicitors' watchdog, and the Post Office hit with compensation claims from two former branch managers over their wrongful convictions during the Horizon information technology scandal.
December 19, 2025
FCA Probes WH Smith Over North America Profits Error

The Financial Conduct Authority revealed Friday that it has started an investigation into WH Smith PLC over potential breaches of transparency rules following an independent review that found the retailer's North American division had overstated profit by as much as £50 million ($67 million).
December 19, 2025
Men Banned For 23 Years Over £14M Overdraft Scheme

Two former business associates who channeled £13.9 million ($18.6 million) through company accounts using unauthorized overdrafts have been disqualified from serving as company directors for a combined total of 23 years, the Insolvency Service has said.
December 19, 2025
VTB Loses Bid To Recover £205M Amid UK Unit's Insolvency

A London court ruled Friday that there is nothing unlawful about the U.K. amending a sanctions license that would block VTB Bank of Russia from recovering approximately £205 million ($274 million) in debts through the administration of its British subsidiary.
December 19, 2025
JD Sports Settles Sexual Harassment Claim For £65K

High Street giant JD Sports has agreed to pay £65,000 ($87,000) to a former sales assistant who was slapped on the bottom by her male supervisor.
December 19, 2025
Banks To Set Own Limit For Contactless Payments In March

U.K. banks and payment firms will have greater freedom to set their own contactless payment limits from March, reflecting evolving consumer habits, technology and inflation, the Financial Conduct Authority said Friday.
December 18, 2025
Michelle Mone-Linked Biz Wound Up After £122M Judgment

A London court on Thursday wound up a medical equipment company linked to Conservative peer Michelle Mone, just over two months after it was ordered to repay the government £122 million ($163 million) for supplying unsafe surgical gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 18, 2025
Denmark Files To Appeal £1.4B Cum-Ex Fraud Case Defeat

Denmark has launched its effort to revive its £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) case over a tax fraud allegedly orchestrated by convicted hedge fund trader Sanjay Shah, according to court filings seen by Law360 Thursday.
December 18, 2025
HMRC Wins Burden Of Proof Query In £54M Tax Fraud Case

A London appeals court ruled Thursday that HM Revenue & Customs doesn't bear the burden of proof in its tax liability claim against a British businessman it alleges used a company to commit alcohol smuggling and tax evasion of over £54 million ($72.2 million), plus penalties.
December 18, 2025
EuroChem Can't Ax Order To End Tecnimont Russian Litigation

EuroChem failed on Thursday to overturn an order for it to end legal proceedings in Russia brought against Italian industrial group Tecnimont SpA — including a judgment award worth more than $2 billion — in breach of an English arbitration agreement.
December 18, 2025
Meet The Lawyers Tapped To Defend In Entain Bribery Case

Eleven gambling managers and employees, including former top executives at Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain PLC, have enlisted veteran defense counsel and some of the country's most experienced trial solicitors and barristers to defend themselves against the Crown Prosecution Service's bribery and fraud charges.

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

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.
Train Ticket Class Action Shows Limits Of Competition Law

The Competition Appeal Tribunal's recent judgment in Gutmann v. London & Southeastern Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway and First MTR South Western Trains Ltd. restates the important principle that a high bar is required to demonstrate an abuse of dominance, providing welcome clarification for consumer-facing businesses that competition law is not intended to serve as a general vehicle for consumer protection, say lawyers at Freshfields.
Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI

The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.
A Look At Factors Affecting Ombudsman Complaint Trends

Lawyers at Womble Bond provide an analysis of the Financial Ombudsman Service's complaint trends in 2025, highlighting the impact of changes within the FOS and external factors on the financial sector's redress system.
What To Know About FCA's Short Selling Regime Proposals

Although the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals for changes to the U.K. short selling regime do not materially alter the rules, targeted reforms designed to reduce the administrative burden placed on position holders will be welcomed by market participants, say lawyers at McDermott.
CMA's Leniency Guide May Change Self-Report Calculus

The Competition and Markets Authority's updated leniency guide introduces significant changes to bolster cartel enforcement, with incentives to early self-report that will be welcomed by businesses, but the weighty specter of potential class actions could greatly outweigh the discount on administrative fines, say lawyers at Cooley.