Financial Services UK

  • June 18, 2026

    Dexia Debt Swaps With Turin Upheld As Binding In €400M Row

    Dexia's debt-restructuring swaps with Italy's Comune di Torino are legally binding, a London court held Thursday, rejecting arguments that the municipality could undo the €400 million ($459 million) transactions in proceedings in Italy.

  • June 18, 2026

    Broking Group Investor Buys Majority Share In £9M UK Broker

    The Broker Investment Group has said it acquired a majority stake in Scott Blain Insurance Consultants Ltd., which has gross written premiums of around £9 million ($12 million), in its third transaction of the year.

  • June 18, 2026

    MPs Press Cabinet Office On Civil Service Pension Delays

    A parliamentary committee has said that the government should hit contractor Capita PLC with heavy fines if it misses agreed-upon deadlines for fixing the ongoing crisis at the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

  • June 18, 2026

    Finance Firms Should Review Supplier Checks, Pinsent Says

    Financial services firms should overhaul their due diligence checks on suppliers amid the growing use of agentic artificial intelligence in service delivery, according to a new report by Pinsent Masons.

  • June 18, 2026

    FCA Closes Probe Into Drax Biomass Fuel Sourcing Claims

    The finance watchdog said Thursday that it had closed its investigation into Drax Group PLC over its concerns about what the company had told the market about the sustainability of wood it used for biomass fuel.

  • June 18, 2026

    FCA Turns To Early Action As AI Speeds Financial Crime

    The financial regulator has said that it is increasingly using supervisory powers and early intervention to prevent harm before launching formal investigations as technological advances and AI accelerate financial crime.

  • June 18, 2026

    Eversheds Guides £55M Energy Market Pension Plan Buy-In

    Canada Life Ltd. said Thursday that it has completed a £55 million ($73 million) pension buy-in for an energy sector retirement savings plan that covers more than 700 members.

  • June 17, 2026

    Danish Financier Denied Tax Appeal For Missing Deadline

    A Danish financier and his company can't appeal a decision over a tax bill of over £866,000 ($1.2 million) despite his claim that they face a 200% tax rate, a London tribunal ruled, saying he had no good reason for missing a previous appeal deadline.

  • June 17, 2026

    Lloyd's Fights $3.7M Judgment Over Fake Cargo Ship Policy

    A Lloyd's unit fought Wednesday to overturn a decision that it should pay $3.7 million under a mortgagee policy to cover losses from when a cargo ship struck a mine in Ukrainian waters, arguing the lender's losses actually stemmed from the vessel's fake war risks coverage.

  • June 17, 2026

    Sweden's Ikano Bank Fined $14.9M For AML Violations

    Sweden's financial services regulator said Wednesday that it had hit Ikano Bank AB with a 140 million Swedish kronor ($14.9 million) fine for violating anti-money laundering regulations.

  • June 17, 2026

    Visa Sued By H&M, Eurostar In Latest Swipe Fees Case

    More than 30 major businesses and institutions including H&M, Heineken and a university have sued Visa at a London court, alleging that the payment card company's fees and rules restricted competition and drove up prices.

  • June 17, 2026

    British DC Pension Assets To Reach £1T By 2031, Report Says

    Defined contribution pension assets could exceed £1 trillion ($1.34 trillion) by 2031 and overtake defined benefit plans as the dominant form of private-sector retirement wealth by the end of the decade, an insurance technology company said Wednesday.

  • June 17, 2026

    UK To Review Rules After £1.2B Stagecoach Pension Deal

    The government has said it will carry out a review of legislation following a £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) transaction in which asset manager Aberdeen PLC took over a pension plan from Stagecoach, a transport operator.

  • June 17, 2026

    Ex-Media Biz Chair Tests Scope Of Directors' Good-Faith Duty

    The former director of a media company told Britain's top court Wednesday that he should not be forced to buy out a minority shareholder after he obstructed the sale of the business, claiming he believed delaying a sale was in its best interests.

  • June 17, 2026

    Wealth Manager Rathbones Launches Further £20M Buyback

    Wealth manager Rathbones said Wednesday it has launched a share buyback worth up to £20 million ($26.8 million) after the completion in February of its first-ever £50 million stock repurchase program.

  • June 17, 2026

    HMRC Wins Top Court Case On Taxation Of Partnership Pay

    Britain's top court ruled on Wednesday that deferred pay distributed to individual partners at a foreign exchange trading firm must be taxed as income, giving a win to HM Revenue and Customs in its challenge to the company's remuneration structure.

  • June 17, 2026

    Audit Watchdog Revamps Enforcement Kit For Early Detection

    The accounting regulator said on Wednesday that it will go ahead with proposals to improve its approach to enforcement, setting out new options such as publishing cases it has pursued, which it said would offer it a "broad and more flexible range of routes to resolution."

  • June 16, 2026

    Rathbones Halts New High-Risk Clients After FCA Review

    Wealth manager Rathbones Group PLC said Tuesday that it has paused onboarding new clients that require enhanced due diligence after a regulatory review identified areas of improvement for its consumer duty implementation and certain compliance, oversight and assurance arrangements.

  • June 16, 2026

    Fitch Accused Of Inflating Debt Ratings Before 2008 Crash

    Fitch Ratings secretly adjusted its credit rating models in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis to generate artificially high credit ratings for complex debt investments, motivated by a desire to grow its revenues, an investment firm said in its latest claim against a major rating agency. 

  • June 16, 2026

    UK To Review Tests On Quality Of Pension Schemes

    The government said Tuesday that it will review whether legislation that forces employers to test the quality of their workplace pension programs is still providing the appropriate safeguards to retirement savers.

  • June 16, 2026

    Captive Insurance Regime Will Be 'Proportionate,' BoE Says

    The Bank of England acknowledged on Tuesday that the success of Britain's new captive insurance regime will depend on it being transparent and cost-effective as it draws up long-awaited regulations for the emerging sector.

  • June 16, 2026

    FCA Eyes Higher Fines After Setbacks In Staley Case

    The financial regulator has said it plans to hike the fines it imposes on individuals for misconduct following a series of legal setbacks that slashed its sanctions against senior executives. 

  • June 16, 2026

    German Gov't Rejects UniCredit Pursuit Of Commerzbank

    Germany said Tuesday that it formally rejects "the aggressive approach" taken by Italy's UniCredit SpA as it pushes to increase its stake in domestic lender Commerzbank AG.

  • June 15, 2026

    UniCredit Refers Commerzbank Claims To German Regulator

    Italian lender UniCredit SpA on Monday rejected statements by Commerzbank AG raising doubts about the response of its shareholders to UniCredit's merger proposal, saying it has contacted Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, or BaFin, over what it called a "relentless dissemination of inaccurate and misleading information" by its German takeover target.

  • June 15, 2026

    CBRE Denies 'Biased' Valuation In Skyscraper Rent Fight

    Real estate investment giant CBRE has hit back at allegations that it had wrongly withheld rental income from the owner of the Finance Tower in Belgium on the basis of a "biased" valuation of the skyscraper obtained by lenders who pressured surveyors.

Expert Analysis

  • 2 UK Rulings Highlight Persistent Push Payment Fraud Issues

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Key Points From UK Prospectus Regime Reform Consultation

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority's current consultation on U.K. prospectus regime reform proposals, including when a prospectus will be required and the requirements concerning content, is designed to enhance the attractiveness of the U.K.'s capital markets, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Takeaways From New FCA Rules On Research Payments

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules on payment optionality for investment research, which involve a client disclosure obligation option, will be welcome news for U.K. managers who buy investment research from U.S. brokers, and for global asset management groups, says Anna Maleva-Otto at Schulte Roth.

  • What To Expect From Labour's Pension Schemes Bill

    Author Photo

    The Labour government’s recently announced Pension Schemes Bill, outlining key policy areas affecting the retirement savings sector, represents a positive step forward for both defined contribution scheme members and defined benefit superfunds, but there are some missing features, says Sonya Fraser at Arc Pensions.

  • Int'l Treaties May Aid Investors Amid UK Rail Renationalization

    Author Photo

    The recently introduced Passenger Railway Services Bill seeks to return British railways to public ownership without compensating affected investors, a move that could trigger international investment treaty protections for obligation breaches, says Philipp Kurek at Signature Litigation.

  • What EU Opinion May Mean For ESG Product Classification

    Author Photo

    The recently issued European Supervisory Authority opinion on the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation offers key recommendations, including revising the definition of sustainable investments and making principal adverse impacts consideration mandatory, that could sway the European Commission’s final approach to product classification, say lawyers at Debevoise.

  • What New UK Listing Rules Mean For Distressed Companies

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published overhaul of U.K. listing rules makes it easier for advisers to restructure distressed listed companies, and in moving to a more disclosure-based approach, simplifies timelines and increases opportunities for investors, say Kate Stephenson and Sarah Ullathorne at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • AI Reforms Prompt Fintech Compliance Considerations

    Author Photo

    With the EU Artificial Intelligence Act's Aug. 1 enforcement, and the U.K.'s new plans to introduce AI reforms, fintech companies should consider how to best focus limited resources as they balance innovation and compliance, says Nicola Kerr-Shaw at Skadden.

  • Irish Businesses Should Act Now To Prepare For EU AI Act

    Author Photo

    Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the Irish job market, and proactive engagement with the forthcoming European Union AI Act, a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for Irish businesses, will be essential for Irish businesses to responsibly harness AI’s advantages and to maintain legal compliance, say lawyers at Pinsent Masons.

  • EU Investment Fund Standards Offer Welcome Clarity

    Author Photo

    The European Commission’s recently published regulatory technical standards for long-term investments, which granted managers greater flexibility with respect to open-ended European long-term investment funds, should help managers active in the space navigate the mandatory liquidity requirements for long-term investment funds, say Zac Mellor-Clark and Nishkaam Paul at Fried Frank.

  • Unpacking The New Concept Of 'Trading Misfeasance'

    Author Photo

    In addition to granting one of the largest trading awards since the Insolvency Act was passed in 1986, the High Court recently introduced a novel claim for misfeasant trading in Wright v. Chappell, opening the door to liability for directors, even where insolvent liquidation or administration was not inevitable, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Key Takeaways From Proposed EU Anticorruption Directive

    Author Photo

    The European Commission's anticorruption proposal, on which the EU Council recently adopted a position, will substantially alter the landscape of corporate compliance and liability across the EU, so companies will need to undertake rigorous revisions of their compliance frameworks to align with the directive's demands, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • How Regulation Of Tech Providers Is Breaking New Ground

    Author Photo

    The forthcoming EU regulation on digital operational resilience and the U.K. critical third-party regime, by expanding the direct application of financial services regulation to designated technology providers, represent a significant development that is not to be underestimated, say David Berman and Emily Lemaire at Covington.

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.