Financial Services UK

  • April 18, 2024

    Monex Unit And Drug Co. Settle £19M Contract Dispute

    An Indian drugmaker has settled its £19.4 million ($24.1 million) claim against a unit of foreign exchange giant Monex, alleging it unfairly canceled currency exchange contracts with "no basis."

  • April 18, 2024

    City Pushes For UK Regulators To Be Globally Competitive

    A body representing U.K. financial services called Thursday for a new post-Brexit international framework to compare regulators' performance and their impact on competitiveness.

  • April 18, 2024

    'Long Journey Ahead' On Dashboard Readiness, LCP Says

    Pension scheme trustees must finalize plans to be ready for the launch of a long-awaited dashboard program designed to connect savers with lost pots, a consultancy has said, warning that many still have a "long way to go."

  • April 18, 2024

    Banks Demand Wider Access To New Share Trading Outlet

    U.K. and European banking trade associations said Thursday they have asked the government to allow certain categories of retail investors access to its new post-Brexit platform for trading existing shares in private companies.

  • April 18, 2024

    Insurer Group Warns Of Creating State Pensions Consolidator

    The U.K. trade body for insurers said on Thursday that turning the Pension Protection Fund into a state-backed consolidator for smaller retirement plans would be a major and unjustified intervention.

  • April 18, 2024

    Pensions Ombudsman Probing 6 Multimillion Pound Scams

    The pensions arbitration body has told MPs that it is currently investigating 425 possible retirement scams, including six that are similar in scope to the Norton Motorcycle scandal. 

  • April 18, 2024

    SFO Vows To Be 'Bold And Pragmatic' Under New Strategy

    The Serious Fraud Office unveiled on Thursday its new five-year strategy focused on fraud prevention, the use of AI and greater use of covert intelligence, reflecting director Nick Ephgrave's intention for the agency to be more proactive and pragmatic.

  • April 17, 2024

    Ex-JPMorgan Analyst Liked 'Winding Up' Autonomy CEO, Jury Told

    A former JPMorgan stock analyst testifying Wednesday in the criminal fraud trial of former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch said that he "took pleasure in winding up Lynch" and once even used a Hitler analogy to describe his performance, but said his critical coverage was never personal.

  • April 17, 2024

    Swedish Tax Investigations Add $90M To Crypto Miners' Bills

    Investigations revealed that a number of cryptocurrency mining centers in Sweden misrepresented their business dealings, which led to the Swedish Tax Agency doling out a total of 990 million Swedish krona ($90 million) in increased tax liabilities, the agency said Wednesday.

  • April 17, 2024

    Raid On Broker In Cum-Ex Fraud Case Was Lawful, Court Says

    A raid on the London office of commodity brokerage MCML Ltd. following a request from Danish prosecutors investigating an alleged £56 million ($70 million) tax fraud was lawful, a London court ruled Wednesday.

  • April 17, 2024

    Merchants Bring Modified Bid For Swipe Fee Class Actions

    A group of merchants urged Britain's competition tribunal on Wednesday to approve proposed class actions accusing Visa and Mastercard of unfairly imposing interchange fees on retailers for several years, arguing they had sufficiently addressed concerns that led to their initial proposals being rejected.

  • April 17, 2024

    Gazprom Unit Fights Ruling Blocking Russian UniCredit Claim

    A Gazprom joint venture told the U.K. Supreme Court on Wednesday that appeal judges in England did not have jurisdiction to grant an anti-suit injunction blocking its €450 million ($480 million) claim in Russia against UniCredit Bank.

  • April 17, 2024

    Coinbase Loses EU Appeal To Bloc Rival TM

    Coinbase lost part of its bid Wednesday to stop an Estonian company bearing the same name from registering a trademark, with a European court saying the cryptocurrency platform cannot block the trademark of the Baltic state business for news services, publishing or education.

  • April 17, 2024

    UK Savers Report £2B Lost From Pensions Since 2019

    The compensation program for financial services said Wednesday that thousands of U.K. savers have reported losing almost £2 billion from pension schemes that went bankrupt since 2019.

  • April 17, 2024

    Standards Setter Proposes Steps To Boost Non-Bank Liquidity

    A global standards setter proposed on Wednesday new measures to enable non-bank financial firms such as hedge funds or insurers to better support their derivatives or securities positions in stressed markets.

  • April 16, 2024

    Autonomy CEO Pressured JPMorgan Over Analyst, Jury Told

    An ex-JPMorgan stock analyst testifying Tuesday in the criminal fraud trial of former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch told jurors that the software company founder responded with hostility when his research reports questioned its growth, and that Lynch offered JPMorgan millions in business if he were taken off the Autonomy beat.

  • April 16, 2024

    Cigna Denies Insurer's Claim For PPI Complaints Indemnity

    Cigna hit back at insurer PA (GI) Ltd.'s claim to recover its costs of dealing with missold payment protection insurance for healthcare cover, saying that it is not entitled to any compensation.

  • April 16, 2024

    Hill Dickinson Bolsters Disputes Team With New Partner

    Hill Dickinson LLP has snapped up a partner from Teacher Stern LLP to join its commercial litigation team, bringing a wealth of dispute resolution and crisis management experience to the table.

  • April 16, 2024

    Pensions Industry Backlash Grows Over New Reporting Rules

    The U.K.'s pension watchdog is facing mounting pressure from retirement industry trade bodies to back down from its new reporting obligations for schemes.

  • April 16, 2024

    UK Pension Transfer Numbers Continue To Decline

    The number of savers transferring from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes dropped by 32% in the financial year that ended in March 2023, according to figures published Tuesday by the Financial Conduct Authority.

  • April 16, 2024

    Treasury Gains £12B Fiscal Headroom In New Tax Year

    HM Treasury may have an extra £12 billion ($14.9 billion) to spend this financial year started April 6 thanks to the government's fiscal rule to cut national debt by 2029, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said in a report Tuesday.

  • April 16, 2024

    EU Watchdogs Ally With ECB To Help Firms' Data Reporting

    European Union finance watchdogs said Tuesday they have set up an alliance with Europe's central bank to collaborate more efficiently on regulatory data transfers, reducing reporting costs for financial firms.

  • April 16, 2024

    UK Pension Withdrawals Hit Record High

    The number of people making lump sum withdrawals from their U.K. pension savings reached a record high during the financial year that ended in March 2023, according to a new report by the country's financial watchdog published Tuesday.

  • April 16, 2024

    Global Body Mulls Better Bank Modeling For Climate Change

    Banks may need to develop new models that integrate artificial intelligence to better assess the risks posed by climate change, a global standard setter said Tuesday.

  • April 15, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy Exec Testifies To Handshake Deals, Backdating

    Autonomy's former U.S. head of sales testified for the prosecution Monday in the criminal fraud trial of founder Michael Lynch, saying he boosted sales figures via "quid pro quo" handshake deals with customers, created pretextual emails to cover his tracks and even backdated a deal to meet revenue targets.

Expert Analysis

  • Breaking Down The New Rules For High Net Worth Individuals

    Author Photo

    Andrew Northage at Walker Morris outlines what businesses need to be aware of to ensure ongoing compliance with revised conditions in the U.K. government's updated financial promotion exemptions for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors, and suggests a few practical tips for businesses to follow.

  • How Data Privacy Law Cases Are Evolving In UK, EU And US

    Author Photo

    To see where the law is heading in 2024, it is worth looking at privacy litigation and enforcement trends from last year, where we saw a focus on General Data Protection Regulation regulatory enforcement actions in the U.K. and EU, and class actions brought by private plaintiffs in the U.S., say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

  • Misleading Airline Ads Offer Lessons To Avoid Greenwashing

    Author Photo

    Following the Advertising Standards Authority's recent decision that three airlines' adverts misled customers about their environmental impact, companies should ensure that their green claims comply with legal standards to avoid risking reputational damage, which could have financial repercussions, say Elaina Bailes and Olivia Shaw at Stewarts.

  • An Overview Of UK Short Selling Regulation Reforms

    Author Photo

    The steps taken by the U.K. government to reform the short selling regime show a thoughtful and considered approach and a willingness to listen to industry feedback in adapting the legacy EU regime to the realities of the U.K. markets, say Anna Maleva-Otto and Matthew Dow at Schulte Roth.

  • Supreme Court Ruling Is A Gift To Insolvency Practitioners

    Author Photo

    As corporate criminal liability is in sharp focus, the Supreme Court's recent decision in Palmer v. Northern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court that administrators are not company officers and should not be held liable under U.K. labor law is instructive in focusing on the substance and not merely the title of a person's role within a company, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

  • What Can Be Learned From Adobe-Figma Merger Termination

    Author Photo

    The Competition and Markets Authority’s role in the recent termination of the proposed Adobe-Figma merger deal indicates the regulator's intention to be seen as a strong enforcer in the technology sphere, and serves as a warning for companies to address antitrust risks early on in the merger process, say Deirdre Taylor and Molly Heslop at Gibson Dunn.

  • How FCA Listing Regime Reform Proposals Are Developing

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently proposed U.K. equity listings reforms maintain increased flexibility with a disclosure-based approach, but much of the new regime’s success will depend on the eligibility criteria used and whether additional governance will be required for inclusion, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • Major EU AI Banking Ruling Will Reverberate Across Sectors

    Author Photo

    Following the European Court of Justice's recent OQ v. Land Hessen decision that banks' use of AI-driven credit scores to make consumer decisions did not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, regulators indicated that the ruling would apply broadly, leaving numerous industries that employ AI-powered decisions open to scrutiny, say lawyers at Alston & Bird.

  • Key Points From Ireland's New Accountability Framework

    Author Photo

    The recently introduced Individual Accountability Framework is a positive step for the financial services industry in Ireland, and in contributing to cultural and practical change will encourage positive behavior and good governance for the benefit of the industry and investors, say Aongus McCarthy and Niall Esler at Walkers Global.

  • Technology And AI: 2024's Legal And Regulatory Landscape

    Author Photo

    Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith discusses what businesses and their lawyers can expect in the year ahead in terms of regulation, policies and associated risks related to advancing technologies and artificial intelligence, including the need for increased internal governance and workforce engagement.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

    Author Photo

    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • A Look At 2023's Landmark Insolvency Developments

    Author Photo

    The insolvency landscape in 2023 witnessed pivotal court decisions that will continue to shape the industry in 2024, with a focus on refining director and administrator duties and obligations, and addressing emerging challenges, says Kerri Wilson at Ontier.

  • Pension Industry Should Monitor Evolving ESG Issues In 2024

    Author Photo

    ESG thinking in the pensions industry has substantially evolved from focusing on climate change and net-zero to including nature and social considerations, and formalizing governance processes — illustrating that, in 2024, continually monitoring ESG issues sits squarely within trustee fiduciary duties, says Liz Ramsaran at DWF.

  • What 2024 Has In Store For White Collar Crime Enforcement

    Author Photo

    Changes in Serious Fraud Office leadership and corporate crime laws in the U.K. signal a chance to kickstart enforcement in 2024, and companies need to stay alive to risks within their business, preparing in particular for the new offense of failure to prevent fraud, say lawyers at Latham.

  • Emerging Trends From A Busy Climate Litigation Year

    Author Photo

    Although many environmental cases brought in the U.K. were unsuccessful in 2023, they arguably clarified several relevant issues, such as climate rights, director and trustee obligations, and the extent to which claimants can hold the government accountable, illustrating what 2024 may have in store for climate litigation, say Simon Bishop and Patrick Kenny at Hausfeld.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Financial Services UK archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!