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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

SFO Looks Toward Technology, AI Overhaul After Ephgrave

The goal of the Serious Fraud Office to accelerate its investigations through intelligence-gathering and technology signals that the white-collar agency's new interim director will persist with plans put in place by predecessor Nick Ephgrave after his surprise exit earlier in April.

Exterior of the home of the High Court and appeals court in London at twilight.

Glencore Ruling Broadens Scope For Challenge Over Privilege

A recent court ruling that expands legal advice privilege to cover some internal corporate communications gives companies greater scope for withholding sensitive material but is likely to prompt challenges over whether those documents meet the test for protection, lawyers say.

Builders Brace To Fight Tax Fraud 'Should Have Known' Test

Britain's tax agency has begun to wield strengthened enforcement powers to combat tax fraud in the construction industry after reforms that lawyers warn could trigger disputes as businesses challenge whether they meet the regime's contentious "should have known" test.

Union flag flies high over Parliament Square in 2023.

Fair Work Agency Chief On Launch: 'We're Here To Listen'

The new Fair Work Agency is "here to listen" to employers as well as workers, its chief executive said ahead of its official launch on April 7.

April 24, 2026
Tycoon's Son Can't Appeal £3.1M Howard Kennedy Bill

The son of a diamond tycoon accused of swindling $1 billion from banks has lost his latest bid to challenge his legal bills from Howard Kennedy LLP, as a judge held Friday that he understood his "ongoing liability" from the international fraud case.
April 24, 2026
AI-Led Attacks Are Growing Risk For Finance Cos., FCA Says

The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday that financial services companies are facing growing risks from artificial intelligence-led attacks and finding it difficult to get senior manager support in developing defenses.
April 24, 2026
Mandelson Investigated By EU Anti-Fraud Office

The European Anti-Fraud Office revealed on Friday that it has opened an investigation into Peter Mandelson following the release by the U.S. Department of Justice of millions of court documents in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
April 24, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

The past week in London has seen a Hong Kong company sue the government and a COVID-19 PPE company linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone, an oligarch bring a fresh claim against a rival in a long-running feud, a rugby league club sue over a canceled mass dance event, and Visa and Mastercard hit with legal action from H&M, Eurostar, and Bang & Olufsen. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
April 24, 2026
Student Can Be Named In $2B Money Laundering Probe

A student subject to an asset freeze in connection with a $2 billion money laundering investigation can be publicly identified in principle but will stay anonymous pending her right to appeal, a judge ruled on Friday.
April 24, 2026
FCA Leads Global Crackdown On Illegal 'Finfluencers'

The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday that it has spearheaded a week of global action to stop illegal "finfluencers" who put consumers' money at risk.
April 24, 2026
EU Sanctions 20 More Russian Banks, Crypto, Shipping

The European Union said Friday that it has hit Russia with a fresh round of sanctions that target financial services, including cryptocurrency companies, as part of a broader package.
April 24, 2026
Father Admits He Misled Sons Amid £5M Row Over Loan

The father of two brothers accused of owing almost £5 million ($6.8 million) in outstanding payments on an investment loan has admitted that he misled them, but has denied liability for the lender's claimed loss.
April 23, 2026
Tax Barrister Suspended After Failed Libel Claim

A tax barrister has been suspended from practice until 2027, the bar regulator has said, following the failure of his £8 million ($10.8 million) libel claim against former Clifford Chance LLP partner Dan Neidle.
April 23, 2026
UK Builder.ai Founder Charged In India Over Siphoned Funds

Indian law enforcement has filed a criminal complaint against the founder of a failed, London-based artificial intelligence tech company, alleging he was "the key beneficiary" of millions of dollars siphoned off a defunct electronics manufacturer.
April 23, 2026
HMRC Defends Court's Power To Resolve Exit Tax Dispute

A U.K. tribunal didn't overstep its authority by interpreting legislation to allow taxpayers to pay an exit tax in deferred payment plans to comply with the European Union's rights to free establishment, HM Revenue & Customs argued Thursday.
April 23, 2026
Fraud Claims Made Up 15% Of 2025 Court Filings, Report Says

The number of fraud claims issued in England and Wales for 2025 remained proportionately high, with banking and financial services disputes dominating as the most common subject matter of those claims, according to industry analysis published Thursday.
April 23, 2026
Criteo Unit Seeks £7.5M From Ex-Owners Over Alleged Fraud

Internet ad broker BidSwitch has sued investors in a communications software provider that it acquired for £7.5 million ($10 million), accusing them of fraudulently inflating the financial position of the company, which led to millions of pounds in losses.
April 23, 2026
WealthTek Clients To Get £19M Compensation From Adviser

The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that investment adviser Sapia Partners LLP has agreed to pay £19.6 million ($26.5 million) to clients of WealthTek, a wealth manager that has since collapsed, after failing to protect client money.
April 23, 2026
Ex-RBS Banker Gets Prison For Soliciting £274K In Bribes

A Scottish court has sentenced a former Royal Bank of Scotland banker to 21 months imprisonment for soliciting £274,000 ($370,000) in bribes from business clients while working in the bank's Global Restructuring Group in the wake of the 2010 financial crisis.
April 23, 2026
BoE Pushes Banks To Combat Anthropic Mythos-Type AI Risk

The Bank of England and UK Finance have warned banks and insurers to strengthen their cyber defenses by using artificial intelligence, in response to threats shown by emerging frontier AI models such as Anthropic's Mythos.
April 23, 2026
Deripaska Sues Ex-Biz Partner Chernukhin In Ongoing Feud

Oleg Deripaska has launched a new High Court claim against Vladimir Chernukhin, his former business partner, in the latest chapter of the long-running bitter legal feud between the two Russian oligarchs.
April 22, 2026
Real Estate Co. Fights Exit Tax On £142M Over Legal Certainty

A tribunal breached the principle of legal certainty in European Union law by ruling in favor of Britain's tax authority in a dispute over an exit tax on capital gains of £142 million ($192 million), a real estate investment company told a London court Wednesday.
April 22, 2026
Class Rep Seeks To Revive £2.7B FX Claim As Opt-In Action

A competition law consultant is fighting to relaunch a £2.7 billion ($3.65 billion) class action against major banks over alleged foreign exchange-rigging as an opt-in claim after a tribunal rejected it as an opt-out case.
April 22, 2026
LC&F Solicitor Banned For Backdating Docs To Mislead FCA

A solicitor found to have abetted a Ponzi scheme that siphoned off millions of pounds from British investors was banned from practicing on Wednesday after a disciplinary tribunal found that he had backdated documents to mislead auditors and regulators.
April 22, 2026
FCA Leads 1st Raids On Illegal Crypto Traders

The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has led its first operation with other enforcement agencies to disrupt illegal peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading in locations across London.
April 22, 2026
Regulators Cut Burden On Senior Managers In Rule Changes

The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulatory Authority set out on Wednesday finalized reforms to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime that will reduce costs and increase flexibility for businesses.
April 22, 2026
FCA Faces Challenge Over Motor Finance Redress Formula

A consumer organization said Wednesday that it will bring a legal challenge to review how the Financial Conduct Authority's £7.5 billion ($10 billion) motor finance redress system is calculated, the first time such a program has been tested.
April 22, 2026
SFO Arrests 4 In Fraud Probe Into £4B Gov't Energy Scheme

The Serious Fraud Office said it arrested four people on Wednesday in an investigation into a £4 billion ($5.4 billion) government-backed scheme designed to cut fuel poverty and slash carbon emissions.
April 21, 2026
EU Adopts Anti-Corruption Law With 5% Turnover Fines

The European Union gave the final go-ahead Tuesday to a new directive on combating corruption, with fines of up to 5% of world turnover or €40 million ($47 million), adding a potential aggravating factor if offenders are banks or law firms.

Editor's Picks

New 'British FBI' Plan Missing Vital Detail, Lawyers Say

Plans by the government to merge several fraud enforcement agencies give little detail about how the largest policing overhaul in 200 years will operate in practice, although lawyers say the Serious Fraud Office appears to be safe — for now.
Slapped Down: SRA At Crossroads After SLAPP Setbacks

The string of failed prosecutions brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against City lawyers accused of trying to silence journalists on behalf of clients has raised questions about its enforcement strategy, with critics accusing the watchdog of overreaching its rules.
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.

Expert Analysis

Insights From FCA's Latest Customer Due Diligence Review

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent report on customer due diligence controls explains what distinguishes good policies and procedures from those that are lacking, and should encourage firms to check that their processes are detailed, practical and relevant to the business, say lawyers at Womble Bond.
How New EU Third-Country Branch Rules Will Affect UK Banks

The European Union's new directive on third-country branch rules for non-EU banks will have a significant impact on U.K. banks, which will no longer be permitted to provide core cross-border services into the EU without a local presence, unless an applicable exemption or carveout applies, say lawyers at Farrer & Co.
Lessons From ESMA's Record €1.4M Trade Repository Fine

The European Securities and Markets Authority's recent fine against REGIS-TR for data and procedure breaches under Market Infrastructure and Securities Financing Regulations demonstrates that a license confers no immunity from sanctions, and that dually registered trade repositories face a greater financial exposure in the event of noncompliance, say lawyers at White & Case.
CMA's 5-Point Plan Signals Shift In Enforcement Priorities

The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently published annual plan is notable for a strong shift toward prioritizing U.K. enforcement of consumer protection laws, encouraging innovation and policing public procurement markets for anticompetitive conduct, which contrasts with previous plans that focused on competition in digital markets, complex merger review and sustainability, say lawyers at Cooley.
A New Era For UK Financial Sanctions Enforcement

A major overhauling of the U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation brings it into closer alignment with its U.S. counterpart, though it also deliberately diverges in ways that carry real consequences for exposure modeling and enforcement strategy, says Irene Polieri at Gibson Dunn.
ECJ Ruling Shows When Cos. Can Reject Data Requests

The European Court of Justice’s recent decision in Brillen Rottler v. TC clarifies that although data controllers must be cautious in declining data subject access requests under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, a company may refuse to respond where the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, even at first contact, says Rob Dalling at Jenner & Block.
Dubai Ruling Delineates Standard For Foreign Arbitration Aid

By delineating the limits of its jurisdiction with clarity, in the recent Orabelle v. Orzenia decision, the Court of First Instance of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts enhances predictability and reinforces the court's standing as a forum combining international openness with strict adherence to statutory constraints, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.
What CMA Blog Reveals About Pricing Collusion Scrutiny

The Competition and Markets Authority's recent blog post announcing capabilities to screen for algorithmic collusion demonstrates that the regulator's concerns are crystallizing into enhanced investigative and enforcement actions, broadening the range of commercial arrangements at risk of antitrust scrutiny, say lawyers at Freshfields.
Carillion Fines Show FCA's Broad View Of Directors' Duties

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent issuing of final notices to Carillion’s former group CEO demonstrates that executive directors cannot recklessly allow misleading public announcements that undermine market confidence, says Wendy Saunders at Lewis Silkin.
Assessing Potential Legal Claims From Private Credit Turmoil

Amid the downturn in the private credit markets spurred by multiple high-profile bankruptcies, a New York lawsuit stemming from the collapse of First Brands provides an important case study for investors to help minimize future losses and maximize any potential recovery in the event of a private credit default, say attorneys at Bleichmar Fonti.
What New FCA Rules Mean For Deferred Payment Providers

New rules from the Financial Conduct Authority requiring deferred payment credit providers to obtain a financial services license have two notable implications: providers will be subject to full compliance with the regulator’s consumer duty, and must meet its organizational and governance requirements, says Alix Prentice at Cadwalader.
FCA Stablecoin Sandbox Indicates Shift In Crypto Regulation

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent decision to use four companies to test stablecoin models within its regulatory sandbox provides a mechanism for testing real-world use cases, and shines a light on the U.K.'s broader strategy in the context of global stablecoin legislation, says Ben Lee at Andersen.
Who Will Be 1st To Prosecute New Corporate Fraud Offense?

With no prosecutions under the failure to prevent fraud offense six months on from its introduction, lawyers at BCL Solicitors explore the front-runners in the race to prosecute, and consider whether a private prosecutor might beat a state prosecuting authority to the finish line.
What EU Cybersecurity Proposals Could Mean For Tech Cos.

The European Commission’s recent proposals for further communication technologies regulation via the Cybersecurity Act 2 and Digital Networks Act signify a substantive shift in how the European Union expects digital services, infrastructure and supply chains to function in an era of intensifying geopolitical risk, say lawyers at Akin.
FCA's £44M Nationwide Fine Highlights AML Control Gaps

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent £44 million fine of Nationwide Building Society for anti-money laundering control failures demonstrates that where a firm does not implement appropriate policies and remediation projects, there is a risk that noncompliance will remain unaddressed, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.