Financial Services UK

  • July 05, 2024

    Matrix KC Richard Hermer Tapped For Attorney General

    Matrix Chambers' human rights barrister Richard Hermer KC will serve as the U.K.'s attorney general in a surprise appointment from newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer late Friday.

  • July 05, 2024

    Signature Litigation Partner Elected To ICC

    An international arbitration partner at Signature Litigation has been elected to the International Chamber of Commerce to represent Ethiopia for the next three years.

  • July 05, 2024

    Recruiting Co. Fights To Overturn Redundancy Fairness Loss

    A recruitment company urged a London appellate court on Friday to overturn a ruling that the company botched a redundancy process when it decided to fire an employee three weeks before the start of the consultation process, arguing that the employee had not pushed for an alternative.

  • July 05, 2024

    Shabana Mahmood Named Labour's New Justice Secretary

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer named former barrister Shabana Mahmood as the Labour government's new justice secretary on Friday following a sweeping victory in the U.K. general election.

  • July 05, 2024

    Nordea Laundered $4B For Russians, Denmark Police Say

    Police in Denmark charged Nordic bank Nordea on Friday with allegedly laundering $3.8 billion for Russian customers, in what could be the biggest violation of the country's safeguards against dirty money.

  • July 05, 2024

    Starmer Picks Reeves For Treasury To Steer Growth Aims

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has handed the reins of the U.K.'s fiscal and economic policy to Rachel Reeves, formally naming her as the next chancellor of the exchequer in the first of a round of cabinet appointments on Friday.

  • July 05, 2024

    Starmer Starts Work As Cabinet Appointments Expected

    Keir Starmer, the newly elected prime minister, promised change that focuses on the economy and wealth creation as he prepared on Friday to begin appointing cabinet ministers to form the Labour Party's first government since 2010.

  • July 05, 2024

    Investment Cos. Ask New Gov't To Remove Disclosure Rules

    A trade body urged the incoming Labour government on Friday to remove unfair cost disclosure rules for investment companies that put the sector at a competitive disadvantage.

  • July 05, 2024

    Mastercard Fails In Jurisdiction Bid To Cut Swipe Fees Claim

    Mastercard failed Friday to knock out claims worth more than £200 million ($255 million) from a mammoth swipe fees class action after the appeals court in London said the law governing the dispute should be that of England and Wales or Scotland.

  • July 05, 2024

    Aegon Calls On Labour Gov't To Set Up Pensions Commission

    Pensions provider Aegon Ltd. called on the new Labour government on Friday to establish an independent pensions and savings commission within its first 100 days in office after it won an overwhelming victory in the general election.

  • July 04, 2024

    Labour Gov't To Prioritize Competitive Financial Regulation

    The Labour government is expected to step up regulatory change to make the country's financial services more innovative and globally competitive, with centralized oversight of the watchdogs to ensure they help consumers and facilitate economic growth.

  • July 04, 2024

    Labour's Big UK Election Win Clears Way For Tax Reform

    Labour's victory in the U.K. general election clears the way for plans to raise taxes on the rich to close a widening spending gap, but it could also mean wider fiscal reform in the new government's first budget later this year.

  • July 04, 2024

    Labour Sweeps Tories From Power In UK Election Rout

    Keir Starmer was poised to become Britain's next prime minister on Friday after his Labour Party ousted Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of Tory government with a pledge of "national renewal."

  • July 04, 2024

    HSBC Wins Appeal Over Brexit Move Of EU Body To Ireland

    High street lender HSBC had no option but to move the U.K. arm of its European works council to Ireland after Brexit despite protests from the representative body for European staff, an appellate tribunal ruled Thursday.

  • July 04, 2024

    WSJ Publisher Dow Jones Must Face Bankers' GDPR Claims

    The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones has failed to strike out data protection allegations brought against it by two investment bankers as a London court found the claims were not a tactic to avoid the difficulties of bringing a defamation claim.

  • July 04, 2024

    Pope Aide Says Vatican 'Trapped' By UK Property Deal

    A close aide to the pope testified Thursday that he authorized payments of Є15 million ($16.2 million) to an Italian broker to regain full ownership for the Vatican of a London building at the heart a now-notorious property deal.

  • July 04, 2024

    Lender Hits Elite Law For £1.9M Over Alleged Loan Breach

    A lender has sued Elite Law Solicitors after it allegedly failed to spot that its client was a fraud and did not secure necessary protections over a £1.9 million ($2.4 million) property loan, telling a court that this has left it unable to recover its cash.

  • July 04, 2024

    Emirati Scrap Metal Sellers Lied To Secure $45M Loan

    A Dubai shipping broker and his son made false and fraudulent representations when they secured a $45 million loan arrangement from a Norwegian security agent and other lenders, a London court has ruled.

  • July 04, 2024

    Insurers Disadvantaged By EU Sustainability Reporting Rules

    European insurers have warned that bloc-wide rules on sustainability reporting for the sector are incomplete and inconsistent, meaning they are not reliable for investors.

  • July 04, 2024

    Briton Wins Bid To Challenge $99M Wine Fraud Extradition

    A British businessman accused of defrauding investors out of $99 million by persuading them to make interest-bearing loans using valuable wine collections as collateral won a chance on Thursday to challenge his extradition to the U.S.

  • July 04, 2024

    Pension Deals Market 'Driven By Transactions Under £100M'

    The record number of pension deals in the U.K. last year was driven primarily by smaller transactions of less than £100 million ($127.6 million), a consultancy has said.

  • July 04, 2024

    London IPO Market Gaining Momentum, EY Study Finds

    The London Stock Exchange attracted eight companies to take a listing in the first sixth months of 2024, raising a total of £513.8 million ($655.3 million), EY has said, signaling that the IPO market is gaining some momentum after a challenging couple of years.

  • July 04, 2024

    Barclays Sells €4.7B German Consumer Biz To Austrian Bank

    Barclays PLC said Thursday that it will sell its €4.7 billion ($5.1 billion) German consumer finance business to Austrian lender BAWAG as the British bank moves to simplify its operations.

  • July 03, 2024

    Ukraine Bank Slams Stay Request In $1.1B Suit Against Russia

    A Ukrainian bank is challenging the Russian Federation's bid to stay litigation to enforce a $1.1 billion arbitral award against the Kremlin pending efforts to annul the award in France, saying Russia's argument involves a string of contingencies that a D.C. federal judge should not entertain.

  • July 03, 2024

    M&G Lands £309M Pension Deal For Machinery Co.

    A subsidiary of finance and insurance company M&G PLC has taken on £309 million ($394.3 million) worth of pension liabilities from a scheme sponsored by machinery manufacturer NSK, in a deal guided by Shoosmiths, CMS and Hogan Lovells.

Expert Analysis

  • The FCA's Timely Plan To Reform Asset Management Regime

    Author Photo

    The discussion paper recently issued by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority finally addresses how, in the future, asset management regulation will work in totality from an investor, manager and distributor perspective, and its review of the purpose and balance of the regime is welcomed, says Tim Dolan at Greenberg Traurig.

  • UK's Draft Fraud Offense And How It May Affect Companies

    Author Photo

    The new U.K. corporate criminal offense of "failing to prevent fraud," recently published in draft form, will make it easier for prosecutions to be brought against companies, with no need to show that the "directing mind and will" of a company were involved in the fraud, say attorneys at Allen & Overy.

  • Questions Raised By UK Plan For ESG Ratings Providers

    Author Photo

    HM Treasury is taking steps toward regulating environmental, social and corporate governance ratings providers, aiming to ensure adequate protection for U.K. users and level the playing field, but the potential new regime risks imposing undue regulatory burden and overlapping requirements on U.K. and overseas firms, say Ferdisha Snagg and Andreas Wildner at Cleary.

  • Why The Royal Mint Failed To Launch An NFT

    Author Photo

    Without a clear objective it is unsurprising that The Royal Mint’s attempt to launch a nonfungible token ended with a whimper rather than bang, says Dion Seymour at Andersen.

  • Review Of Senior Managers Regime Provides Useful Insight

    Author Photo

    Although the recently launched review of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime suggests a remodel rather than wholesale change, the topics raised illustrate the mindset of the three key stakeholders in the U.K. financial services sector, say Richard Burger and Katy O’Connor at WilmerHale.

  • Highlights Of The UK's New Economic Crime Plan

    Author Photo

    With the direction of the U.K. government’s newly launched second economic crime plan undeniably altered by the recent focus on kleptocrats and their money, the emphasis is now on how the U.K. can deliver a more effective approach to reducing the threat of economic crime, says Kathryn Westmore at the Royal United Services Institute.

  • Fresh View Ruling Offers Clarity On Forfeiture Orders

    Author Photo

    The pragmatic focus on property rather than the defendants’ wrongdoing in Fresh View v. Westminster Magistrates' Court will be welcomed by enforcement authorities, although the low bar where mere knowledge or suspicion of unlawful conduct may be sufficient for forfeiture could be of concern to innocent recipients, says Joseph Sinclair at Mountford Chambers.

  • Considering Sanctions Enforcement From An EU Perspective

    Author Photo

    The creation of the European G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism and a sanctions environment with increased enforcement on a multijurisdictional level aims to streamline enforcement at EU level, essential for an effective implementation of the sanctions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Analyzing The UK Proposal For A Digital Pound

    Author Photo

    While the HM Treasury and Bank of England’s consultation makes clear that a central bank digital currency will likely be needed in the future, and there is certainly momentum in the space, there are still a number of concerns to be addressed, say attorneys at Simmons & Simmons.

  • How The LDI Crisis May Lead To Pensions' Negligence Claims

    Author Photo

    Following the liability-driven investment crisis and its impact on pension schemes, employers and trustees may now be considering if anyone is to blame for any losses arising, say Rachael Healey and Andrew Oberholzer at RPC.

  • UK Financial Services Bill May Not Be Quick Fraud Fix

    Author Photo

    While the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Bill is expected to pass into law this year and will make it easier for fraud victims to achieve redress, the reforms could result in increased costs and greater friction in payment processing and may not directly make it more difficult for criminals to operate scams, say Daniel Murphy and Gary Orritt at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • A Look At Key Trends In UK Enforcement Of G-7 Sanctions

    Author Photo

    In light of the recent creation of a G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism that is opening the door for greater collaboration between the U.K. and G-7 countries, together with a more aggressive approach to enforcement in the U.K., an uptick in investigations is likely, particularly regarding Russia, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Proposed EU Directive May Bring Harmony To Insolvency Law

    Author Photo

    The diverging insolvency regimes across European Union member states often lead to significant discrepancies in the recovery value for creditors, but a recent proposal for a directive that would affect areas like directors' duties and prepack processes represents a welcome move toward the harmonization of these laws across the EU, say attorneys at Taylor Wessing.

  • UK Enviro Ruling Takes Narrow View Of Standard Of Review

    Author Photo

    In an important case that should provide comfort to investors involved in large public-finance backed infrastructure projects, the U.K. Court of Appeal's judgment against Friends of the Earth suggests that English courts will only intervene in limited circumstances where the U.K. government is challenged on the basis of an international treaty, say Holly Stebbing and Maddie Hallwright at Norton Rose.

  • How Changes To 'Acting In Concert' Will Affect UK Takeovers

    Author Photo

    The recent changes made to the rules by the U.K. Takeover Panel on who is presumed to be acting in concert will be of most interest to parties proposing to make a bid for a U.K. listed company, and give welcome clarity as to how the U.K. takeover regime operates, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.

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!