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Financial Services UK
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June 13, 2025
France's BPCE To Buy Novo Banco In €6.4B Deal
France's second-largest banking group BPCE said Friday that it will buy U.S. private equity shop Lone Star Fund's 75% stake in Novo Banco SA in a deal that values the Portuguese bank at €6.4 billion ($7.4 billion).
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June 13, 2025
Tap Global To List On AIM, Eyes Wider Investor Base
Tap Global Group PLC said Friday it will list on London's junior alternative investment market this month, a move the digital finance platform believes will help it attract a wider pool of investors.
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June 12, 2025
Lords Urges Regulators To Shed Risk-Aversion, Boost Growth
A cross-party House of Lords committee called Friday on the U.K.'s financial services watchdogs to change their culture of risk-aversion which is preventing them from promoting growth in the economy.
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June 12, 2025
Everbright Exec Testifies He Trusted Media Biz's Financial Info
An executive of the Chinese financial services firm Everbright testified Thursday that a sports media rights business was portrayed as "well performing" before a joint venture acquired a majority stake, only to later discover its financial health was allegedly inflated.
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June 12, 2025
Customs Missteps Don't Void VAT Exemption, ECJ Says
A horse owner can still claim a value-added tax exemption if she was merely negligent, rather than deceitful, in failing to declare her horses with Swedish customs officials, the European Court of Justice held Thursday.
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June 12, 2025
KPMG Fined £690K In Audit Independence Probe
The accounting watchdog said Thursday it that has fined KPMG £690,625 ($940,000) and its audit engagement partner Nick Plumb £38,000 for breaching independence requirements as auditor of Carr's Group PLC.
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June 12, 2025
SFO Aligns With Gov't Growth Plans In Pitch To UK PLC
Britain's top white-collar prosecutor unveiled on Thursday new details about plans to share data and offer training to companies to prevent economic crime, in a shift to "assist growth" in line with government plans to kindle the sluggish economy.
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June 12, 2025
Broadstone Buys ExactVAL To Boost Pension Transactions
Retirement consultancy Broadstone said Thursday it has bought actuarial service provider ExactVAL to support insurers in carrying out pension transactions.
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June 12, 2025
Reed Smith Appoints New Head Of Its Frankfurt Office
Reed Smith LLP said Thursday that it has appointed debt finance specialist Oliver Hahnelt as the managing partner of its office in Frankfurt following the departure of its previous incumbent.
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June 12, 2025
Gowling Steers Pension Insurer's £150M Buy-In For Reach
Just Group, a pensions insurer, revealed on Thursday it has taken on retirement plan liabilities worth £150 million ($204 million) from a program sponsored by publishing giant Reach.
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June 12, 2025
Baker McKenzie Guides Credit Agricole's €345M Care Biz Deal
The healthcare subsidiary of French banking giant Crédit Agricole SA said Thursday that it will buy Petits-fils, an at-home services provider for the elderly in France, for €345 million ($400 million) from French care provider Clariane SE.
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June 12, 2025
5 Questions For Howard Kennedy Partner Rebecca Hume
The U.K government is putting crypto-assets at the heart of its growth agenda, relying on the Financial Conduct Authority to shore up regulation of the sector.
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June 11, 2025
Coinbase Loses 'Bad Faith' TM Clash With Rival At EU Court
A European Union court tossed Coinbase's latest attempt to void a Japanese crypto exchange's "coinbase" trademark on Wednesday, ruling there was no proof the company acted in bad faith by registering the mark.
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June 11, 2025
UK Growth Push Puts FCA Enforcement On Unfamiliar Footing
The government's demand that regulators should prioritize growth is "largely incompatible" with their duty to deter misconduct, say lawyers who are warning clients not to interpret the political messaging as a green light to engage in risky behavior.
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June 11, 2025
EuroChem Fights Banks Over €212M Bonds In Sanctions Row
A Russian subsidiary of fertilizer producer EuroChem accused two European banks of using the pretext of sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine to "never" pay out on €212 million ($244 million) in bonds, on the first day of a High Court trial Wednesday.
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June 11, 2025
37% Of Romania Cos. Fall Short On EU Reporting Standard
Almost 40% of businesses filing public country-by-country reports in Romania are failing to fully comply with the European Union's reporting standard, according to a report by a nonprofit organization.
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June 11, 2025
UBS Sues Chelsea Group For $20.6M Over Greensill Deal
UBS' asset management unit has brought a $20.6 million claim in an English court against three companies in a Cyprus-based group alleging unpaid debt resulting from a supply chain finance deal with the now-defunct Greensill Capital.
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June 11, 2025
Accountant Gets Maternity Bias Payout Boosted To £32K
A property development company must pay its former accountant £31,900 ($43,200) for maternity discrimination after she won her appeal against an initial figure of £5,000, a tribunal has ruled.
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June 11, 2025
EU Lawmakers Urged To Boost Share Settlement Competition
A trade body for financial institutions in Europe has asked lawmakers to prioritize making clearing and settlement service more competitive in plans to integrate and grow European Union capital markets.
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June 11, 2025
FCA Warns Financial Advisers Of Retirement Advice Failings
The City watchdog said Wednesday that it has found that companies providing retirement income advice are failing to record clients' financial situations or revisit their attitude to risk in a thematic review.
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June 11, 2025
Nearly 80% Of Trustees Plan To Access Pension Surplus
More than three-quarters of retirement savings plan trustees have said they are planning to use new powers floated by the government that will allow them to distribute surpluses tied up in their schemes, a consultancy has said.
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June 10, 2025
Innsworth Seeks Review Of £200M Mastercard Settlement Split
Litigation funder Innsworth announced Tuesday it was launching a High Court challenge to how the Competition Appeal Tribunal decided to distribute a £200 million ($270 million) settlement reached between Mastercard and Walter Merricks to end litigation over credit card fees.
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June 10, 2025
CMS Faces £10M Negligence Claim Over Investec Debt Advice
A property developer has alleged that law firm CMS owes him at least £10 million ($14 million) for negligent advice concerning a debt-restructuring plan that he says he never would have agreed to if he had been given proper warning.
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June 10, 2025
Greensill Says He Was Trapped In Katerra Restructuring Deal
Lex Greensill said Tuesday that he was "between a rock and a hard place" in a restructuring deal involving his eponymous firm and SoftBank, a Japanese investment company, as the former banker gave evidence in a $440 million trial in London of a claim brought by a collapsed Credit Suisse fund.
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June 10, 2025
UK Treasury Committee Warns HMRC Over Phishing Attack
A British treasury committee warned HM Revenue & Customs in a letter published Tuesday that its failure to report details of a breach affecting around 100,000 taxpayers is unacceptable.
Expert Analysis
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Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling
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.
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Key Points From UK Prospectus Regime Reform Consultation
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.
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Why NCA's 1st Seizure Of Sanctioned Funds Is Significant
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.
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Takeaways From New FCA Rules On Research Payments
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.
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What To Expect From Labour's Pension Schemes Bill
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.
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Int'l Treaties May Aid Investors Amid UK Rail Renationalization
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.
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What EU Opinion May Mean For ESG Product Classification
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.
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What New UK Listing Rules Mean For Distressed Companies
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.
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AI Reforms Prompt Fintech Compliance Considerations
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.
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Irish Businesses Should Act Now To Prepare For EU AI Act
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.
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EU Investment Fund Standards Offer Welcome Clarity
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.
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Unpacking The New Concept Of 'Trading Misfeasance'
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.
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Key Takeaways From Proposed EU Anticorruption Directive
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.
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How Regulation Of Tech Providers Is Breaking New Ground
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.
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What EU Net-Zero Act Will Mean For Tech Manufacturers
Martin Weitenberg at Eversheds Sutherland discusses the European Council’s recently adopted Net-Zero Industry Act and provides an overview of its main elements relevant for net-zero technology manufacturers, including benchmarks, enhanced permitting procedures and the creation of new institutions.