Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

The crest on the building of a crown court in Southwark.

SFO Gears Up For Fight Over Ex-Petrobras Exec Cash Seizure

The Serious Fraud Office will fight on Monday to hold on to its largest-ever seizure of cash as part of the first-ever legal challenge contesting the agency's powers to confiscate allegedly tainted money.

Image of the High Court in London, taken from below.

Litigation Conduct Ruling Sparks 'Major Fear' For Lawyers

A recent High Court decision that unqualified employees of law firms are prohibited from conducting litigation has caused "major fear" among lawyers and created uncertainty about firms' profitability, the training of new talent, access to justice and even the use of artificial intelligence in legal practice.

Carter-Ruck Pro Tried To Stifle OneCoin Critics, SRA Says

A Carter-Ruck partner threatened to sue whistleblowers exposing the multibillion-dollar OneCoin crypto-scam to send "a strong PR message" and stifle criticism, according to recently disclosed court documents detailing a decision by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to prosecute her.

HSBC Using AI To Fight Fraud Under 'Failure To Prevent' Law

HSBC has emerged as one of the first banks to confirm it is harnessing artificial intelligence under the new "failure to prevent fraud" offense that targets companies benefiting from fraud committed by employees.

September 26, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty OneSteel sue its collapsed former lender Greensill Capital, television personality Janice Dickinson hit ITV with a personal injury claim after falling over while appearing on “I’m a Celeb …”, and energy investor Blasket bring fresh litigation against Spain amid a row over a $416 million arbitration award. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
September 26, 2025
UK-Bermuda Target Sanctions Evasion With £300K New Funds

The U.K.'s minister of state for the overseas territories has pledged up to £300,000 ($402,000) this financial year to bolster the sanctions capacity of Bermuda, a self-governing territory that has so far frozen over $200 million in assets.
September 26, 2025
SFO Fights To Secure £1M From Solicitor Convicted Of Fraud

A former solicitor serving a 14-year prison sentence for siphoning off investors' money through a fraudulent offshore "get-rich-quick" legal aid scheme is potentially facing a further five-year sentence for failing to pay back over £1 million ($1.3 million) to victims, court heard Friday.
September 26, 2025
Digital ID Plan Welcome But 'Unlikely' To Curb Illegal Work

Lawyers questioned on Friday whether the U.K. government's plan to introduce a digital identification scheme to combat illegal working will make much of a difference — but a leading business group has said the proposal could simplify hiring and prevent fraud.
September 26, 2025
Ex-Reform UK Wales Head Cops To Russia Bribery Charges

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales pleaded guilty to bribery charges at a London court on Friday over allegations that he received corrupt payments in exchange for supporting Russian causes in speeches when he was a member of the European Parliament.
September 25, 2025
Big Banks Beat Yearslong Libor-Rigging Claims In NY

A New York federal judge Thursday disposed of the remaining claims in long-running multidistrict litigation accusing Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and more than a dozen other large banks of Libor manipulation.
September 25, 2025
European Commission Probing SAP Over Software Support

European enforcers have opened an investigation into concerns that German software giant SAP restricts the market for maintenance and support services for the company's business management software.
September 25, 2025
Ruhan Fights Allegations Of Fraud In Hotel Liquidation Case

Property mogul Andrew Ruhan has hit back against a claim made by the liquidators of a hotel company, arguing that he never conspired with a long-time friend to keep his assets out of the hands of creditors.
September 25, 2025
Nicolas Sarkozy Sentenced to 5 Yrs In Gaddafi Funding Case

Former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years imprisonment in a tribunal in Paris on Thursday, after it found him guilty of conspiracy in a trial over the alleged criminal financing of his 2007 election campaign by Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan government.
September 25, 2025
Court Delays Soar As Backlogs Break Records

The backlog of criminal court cases in England and Wales reached a record of nearly 440,000 between April and June, as new cases continued to outpace final decisions and the justice system remained strained by chronic underfunding.
September 25, 2025
EU Leans On 11 Countries To Implement New AML Rules

The European Commission said Thursday that it is taking the first step toward legal action against 11 European Union countries over their failure to meet a deadline to start implementing new anti-money laundering rules.
September 25, 2025
Nuvei Cites FTC Probe Cost In Defense To Withheld Payments

Two financial technology companies have denied that they wrongly withheld €1.3 million ($1.5 million) and 20.9 million Japanese Yen ($140,000) from an e-commerce platform, alleging that they are entitled to do so pending an ongoing U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation.
September 25, 2025
Co-Op Reveals Cyberattack Wiped Out £206M In Revenue

The Co-operative Group reported Thursday that it took a £206 million ($276 million) hit to its revenue in 2025 after a cyberattack forced it to restrict access to major internal systems within its legal services arm to minimize the threat.
September 25, 2025
Fladgate Says Founders Of Claims Biz Pocketed Tax Refunds

Fladgate LLP has told a London court that the founders of a claims management company swindled tax credits linked to the firm's work on group litigation involving property search companies.
September 24, 2025
SEC Gets $7M Default Insider Trading Win Against UK Trader

A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday ordered a British-Lebanese trader to pay over $7.7 million, stemming from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's insider trading allegations, months after the defendant avoided extradition from the U.K. on parallel criminal charges.
September 24, 2025
Decaying Buildings Contribute To UK Court Case Logjam

Rundown court buildings riddled with asbestos, mold and maggots are among the factors causing a mounting backlog of cases in England and Wales and reflects chronic underfunding, the Law Society warned in a report published Thursday.
September 24, 2025
Execs Breached Danish Deal In $2B Tax Case, Court Says

Three men claiming to be pension plan executives who struck a civil settlement with the Danish taxing authority over their role in a $2 billion tax fraud scheme breached their settlement agreement, a New York federal court found, saying the men had not paid back the amount they promised.
September 24, 2025
Dentons Hires Dublin Disputes Partner From Maples Group

Dentons has added an experienced commercial litigator from offshore law firm Maples Group to its Dublin office, saying his arrival will strengthen its ability to advise both domestic and multinational clients on arbitrations, complex disputes and regulatory investigations.
September 24, 2025
Ransomware Gangs Shift Focus To Small Biz, Insurer Warns

Insurers have seen a sharp decline in payouts from cyberattacks in the first half of the year, as hackers turn their attentions on smaller, more vulnerable businesses, Allianz said Wednesday.
September 24, 2025
Ex-SFO Investigator Says He Was Civil At Disclosure Meeting

A former Serious Fraud Office senior investigator who claims he lost a promotion for blowing the whistle denied angrily confronting his manager about the agency's disclosure policy, as he gave evidence to a tribunal Wednesday.
September 24, 2025
London Firm Partner 'Turned Blind Eye' To Client's Red Flags

A partner at a central London law firm repeatedly turned a blind eye to the obvious red flags of a client who was involved in a £7 million ($9.5 million) fraud, a court ruled Wednesday.
September 24, 2025
Ex-Polish Official Could Be Denied Fair Trial, Analyst Testifies

A Polish legal analyst told a London court Wednesday that a former Polish government official wanted in Warsaw for an alleged £63 million ($85 million) fraud could have his right to a fair trial violated if he is extradited to face charges.
September 24, 2025
Hotel Boss Banned From Directorship Over £1.6M Tax Debt

The former boss of a hotel on the Isle of Skye has been banned as a company director over tax debts totaling around £1.6 million ($2.2 million) to Britain's revenue authority, the U.K.'s insolvency agency said Wednesday.
September 24, 2025
UK Arrests Suspect Over Cyberattack On Airports

The National Crime Agency said Wednesday that it has arrested a man in connection with a cyberattack on an airport outsourcing supplier that caused days of flight cancellations and delays across Europe.
September 24, 2025
Alicia Alinia Takes Helm At Pogust After Tom Goodhead Exits

Pogust Goodhead chief executive Thomas Goodhead has left the law firm after leading a £36 billion ($46 billion) class-action claim against mining giant BHP, making way for Alicia Alinia, former chief operating officer, to take over.

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

FCA's Woodford Fine Sends Warning To Fund Managers

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent decisions concerning Neil Woodford and the collapse of Woodford Investment Management mark an important moment for the U.K. investment industry, underscoring the regulator's focus on senior managers' personal accountability and the importance of putting investors’ interests at the heart of decision-making, say lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.
How Data Use Act Tightens Complaint Handling Procedures

Recently effective Data Use Act procedural requirements are coinciding with an artificial intelligence-driven increase in complaints from users about data subject access request responses, so organizations need to formalize their grievance process to prevent intervention by the Information Commissioner's Office and potential penalties, say lawyers at Womble Bond.
UK Supreme Court Dissent May Spark Sanctions Debate

While the recent U.K. Supreme Court's rejection of Eugene Shvidler’s appeal determined that sanctions decisions are primarily the government’s preserve, Justice Leggatt’s dissenting view that judges are better placed to assess proportionality will cause ripples and may mark a material shift in how future appeals are approached, say lawyers at Seladore.
What EBA Report Means For Non-EU Financial Firms

In a recent report concerning unregulated third country banks, the European Banking Authority decided not to extend a bank-to-bank exemption under the Capital Requirements Directive, raising a number of compliance issues for cross-border services, say lawyers at A&O Shearman.
HMRC's Automation Shift Likely To Alter Tax Adviser Role

HM Revenue & Customs’ recently released digital transformation road map promises greater efficiency and a modernized compliance regime, but the increased automation could also mean that the tax adviser role will become more proactive and more defensive, say lawyers at RPC.
What UK's New Prosecution Guidance Means For Compliance

Recent guidance from the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office and Crown Prosecution Service, aligning their approach with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, offers a timely prompt for corporate boards and legal teams to update their risk management frameworks, say lawyers at Signature Litigation.
Viral Comms Crises Create Dual Corp. Governance Threats

As legislative hearings increase in frequency and social media fuels their reputational impact, corporate legal teams face a new dual challenge that reflects a fundamental shift in accountability and demands new strategies, governance frameworks and organizational capabilities, says Joanna Ludlam at Jenner & Block.
How AI May Have Made A Difference In Monzo Bank Breaches

Artificial intelligence tools have the capabilities needed to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated threats, and such tools might have helped prevent the anti-money laundering failures that led to the recent £21.1 million fine against Monzo Bank, says Alexander Vilardo at Howard Kennedy.
A Softer Tack For Online Ads Marks Next Step In Data Reform

While the initiative of the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office to relax enforcement of advertising cookie consent represents a welcome attempt to balance privacy protection and commercial realities, several questions remain that will limit companies' ability to benefit from the U.K. proposals, say lawyers at Skadden.
CMA App Store Mandates Fall Short Of Regulatory Ambitions

The Competition and Markets Authority's recent proposals to loosen Google and Apple’s mobile platform duopoly are a far cry from the assertive and wide-reaching interventions that advocates of the Digital Markets Unit had hoped to see from the new competition regulator, says Ronan Scanlan at Steptoe.
Catching Up On Simplified EU Sustainability Disclosure Rules

A recent proposal to streamline implementation of the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation contains measures that would reduce companies’ sustainable investment reporting and compliance requirements, and better support the EU’s climate and environmental goals, say lawyers at Proskauer.
Cos. Must Take Action As Corporate Enforcement Evolves

The Serious Fraud Office's renewed vigor toward proactive corporate enforcement, as evidenced by its recently affirmed commitment to collaboration with the U.S. on cross-border investigations, means that organizations must solidify their antibribery and corruption frameworks to remain ahead of fast-moving regulatory and legislative initiatives, say lawyers at Weil.
UK Reforms Investment Rules, But Clarity Concerns Remain

The U.K. government’s recent reforms to the National Security and Investment Act 2021 demonstrate a continuing pragmatic approach by requiring fewer deal filings, but the regime would benefit from more clarity in key areas, say lawyers at McDermott.
Fraud Law Puts Fund Managers Under Compliance Spotlight

The new failure to prevent fraud offense, effective Sept. 1, may not represent a material departure from most managers’ duties to exercise due care in preventing loss to the assets they manage, but the prospect of criminal liability should sharpen their compliance focus, says Andrew Henderson at Goodwin Procter.
CMA Pricing Guide Signals Shift In UK Consumer Protection

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recent draft price transparency guide, as part of a wider reform introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, represents a significant change in U.K. consumer protection by targeting unfair trading practices and strengthening enforcement mechanisms, says Felicity Forward at Shoosmiths.