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Financial Services UK
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March 27, 2024
UK Draft Pay Fraud Rules Open Tricky Legal Liabilities
The government's new draft legislation, which will give banks longer to investigate suspicions of fraud before they send payments instructed by customers, will create a wave of new legal liabilities and lead to regulatory hurdles, according to lawyers.
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March 27, 2024
Ex-Barclays, Citi Traders Lose Interest Rate-Rigging Appeals
Two former traders convicted of manipulating benchmark interest rates lost their bid to clear their names on Wednesday as an English appellate court ruled that they had received fair trials.
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March 26, 2024
UAE Fund Must Pay £7M As Judge Tosses Azima Fraud Ruling
A London judge has ordered a sovereign wealth fund to make an initial £7.6 million ($9.6 million) payment to Farhad Azima, ending a lengthy feud involving allegations the fund fraudulently obtained a $4 million judgment against the aviation tycoon with help from a lawyer at Dechert LLP.
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March 26, 2024
Clyde & Co. Eyes Case Against Switzerland Over Credit Suisse
Clyde & Co. LLP said it is currently soliciting claimants for a possible mass claim to be filed against Switzerland a year after the country forced a distressed sale of Credit Suisse to UBS along with a write-down of $17.5 billion of the bank's bonds to zero.
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March 26, 2024
UK Police Arrest Over 400 In 'Henhouse' Anti-Fraud Sting
U.K. police forces have arrested over 400 people in a monthlong fraud crackdown involving multiple national agencies, the U.K.'s National Crime Agency said Tuesday.
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March 26, 2024
LC&F Boss Denies Trying To Mislead Company Auditors
The former chief of London Capital & Finance denied trying to paint a misleading picture of the mini-bond holder's finances, as he gave evidence at the £237 million ($299 million) investment scandal trial Tuesday.
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March 26, 2024
Gov't Issues Deadlines For Pensions 'Dashboard' Linkage
Large pension schemes in the U.K. must connect their plans to the government's long-awaited Pensions Dashboard Program by the end of April 2025, according to new guidance.
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March 26, 2024
Insurance Execs Deny BDO Found Buyer For £18.5M Sale
Directors of KGJ Insurance Services have denied owing advisory fees to BDO LLP following the sale of the insurance broker for an estimated £18.5 million ($23.4 million), claiming that BDO never proposed or introduced the buyer itself.
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March 26, 2024
EU Watchdog Sets Out Rules For Green Bond Issue Reviewers
The European Union's financial markets regulator on Tuesday proposed rules for external reviewers of green bond issues across the bloc, to help stop greenwashing and conflicts of interest.
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March 26, 2024
Over Regulation Restricted Defined Benefit Pensions, MPs Say
The government should change the focus of the U.K.'s pension watchdog, lawmakers said Tuesday, warning that years of excessive caution on regulation has nearly wiped out the country's remaining defined benefit retirement plans.
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March 26, 2024
FCA Warns 'Finfluencers' To Keep Promotional Ads Lawful
Britain's finance watchdog reminded firms on Tuesday that they are responsible for all of their promotions, especially when working with so-called finfluencers, who offer advice and information on financial topics on social media platforms.
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March 25, 2024
Pilot For UK Billionaire Says Stock Tips Case Is Too Vague
A pilot charged with trading on insider stock tips from U.K. billionaire Joe Lewis told a New York federal judge Friday that prosecutors had failed to identify a piece of information that he knew was non-public, urging the court to toss the case.
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March 25, 2024
Man Denies Conspiring Against Game Host's Ex-Biz Partner
A man accused of conspiring with convicted HBOS fraudster Mark Dobson to acquire a company from the ex-business partner of TV personality Noel Edmonds by undervaluing it has denied that any plot existed.
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March 25, 2024
FCA Warns Fund Managers Over Third-Party Supervision
The Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday it has found failings in how some hedge fund managers rely on third parties to help manage the fund, possibly undermining efforts to prevent financial crime.
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March 25, 2024
UK Firms To Get More Influence On Pension Fund Investing
British companies will probably enjoy greater sway over the investment decisions taken by their pension plans under new rules being considered by The Pensions Regulator, a consultancy said on Monday.
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March 25, 2024
Staveley On The Hook For £3.4M After Failed Court Battle
Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley failed Monday to have a repayment demand from a Greek shipping magnate set aside as a High Court judge ruled that she had 21 days to hand over £3.5 million ($4.4 million).
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March 25, 2024
Lebanese-Owned Bank Breached AML Rules, Watchdog Finds
Switzerland's financial regulator said Monday that Banque Audi (Suisse) SA has breached rules designed to tackle money-laundering and must give up 3.9 million Swiss francs ($4.3 million) in illicit profits.
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March 22, 2024
Investment Firm Fights To Save £43M Delayed Hotel Claim
An investment firm pleaded with a London court on Friday not to throw out its £43 million ($54 million) claim against a hotelier who it says scuppered a hotel project in Scotland by demanding last-minute changes.
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March 22, 2024
JPMorgan Gets Early Trial On US Regs In Viva Wallet Dispute
J.P. Morgan on Friday was granted an expedited London trial on some of the issues in its warring claims with the founder of a Greek payment company co-owned by the investment bank over the fintech business' value.
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March 22, 2024
Money Laundering Ringleader Jailed For £560K Bank Con
A fraudster who set up sham carpet and furniture businesses as part of a money laundering scheme that lost banks £560,000 ($705,000) has been jailed for six years and four months, the U.K.'s Insolvency Service said Friday.
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March 22, 2024
Glencore Cannot Deny Knowing It Was Corrupt, Investors Say
Glencore cannot claim it "reasonably believed" it was telling the truth when it failed to disclose it orchestrated a global bribery scheme during an initial public offering that raised $10 billion, institutional investors suing the mining and trading group have said.
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March 22, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen the BBC and Wall to Wall Media hit with a passing off lawsuit by musician BOSSIIE, Poundland parent company Pepco Group file a commercial fraud claim against several mobile network giants, family law specialists Alexiou Fisher Philipps LLP start proceedings against former oil trader Michael Prest, and a transgender lawyer file a libel claim against a blogger. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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March 22, 2024
4 Charged For Unregulated Water Investment Scam
The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday it has charged four individuals with allegedly defrauding investors out of £3.9 million ($4.9 million) in an unregulated water investment scheme.
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March 22, 2024
UK Tax Avoidance Scheme Promoter Fined £900K
A Liverpool-based company that promoted a tax avoidance scheme to medical professionals must pay a £900,000 ($1.1 million) penalty, according to a tribunal ruling published by HM Revenue and Customs on Friday.
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March 22, 2024
87-Year-Old Billionaire Lewis Seeks No Jail For Insider Trading
Lawyers for British billionaire Joe Lewis have asked a Manhattan federal judge not to impose any prison time after his plea to insider trading, saying a term of probation is appropriate because the 87-year-old is "nearing the end of life in declining health."
Expert Analysis
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Why The UK Needs Tougher Fraud Enforcement
The Crown Court's recent conviction of Anthony Constantinou for running a Ponzi scheme is a rare success for prosecutors, highlighting the legal system's painfully slow course when it comes to complex fraud, and the need for significant funds and resources in the fight against financial crime, says James Clark at Quillon Law.
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What New FCA Management Will Mean For Enforcement
Therese Chambers’ first speech since becoming the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s joint executive director provided insightful observations about the expected behaviors of firms and their legal advisers during investigations, indicating the advent of a proactive, prosecution-minded enforcement agency trying to do the right thing, says Richard Burger at WilmerHale.
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Global M&A Outlook: Slow But Moving Along
Global merger and acquisition markets had a tough start to the year, with inflation, rising interest rates and the Ukraine conflict knocking sentiment, but in the macroeconomic, deal makers have continued to unearth pockets of activity to keep deal volumes ticking over, say lawyers at White & Case.
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Why Int'l Investors Should Keep An Eye On German M&A Regs
While German reform proposals will digitize corporate law formalities that have long been immune to change, international limitations remain, particularly for countries outside the European Union, as Germany moves to tighten regulatory hurdles to control inbound investment, say Marcus Geiss and Sonja Ruttmann at Gibson Dunn.
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How B2B Data Sharing Could Unlock Untapped Value
B2B data sharing offers organizations an opportunity to extract greater value from an existing asset, and although it is essential to consider the legal and regulatory framework and maintain a sound governance structure, with strong support businesses that share data are likely to grow more than those that do not, say Jocelyn Paulley and Helen Davenport at Gowling WLG.
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Why Coordinated UK Crypto Regulation Is Needed
The slew of recently published crypto-sector consultations and reports differ in their treatment of the currency, so the industry must coordinate to establish regulations that can weather the proliferation of fraud while supporting the U.K.'s race to become a world leader in digital assets, says Nicola McKinney at Quillon Law.
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5 Code Of Ethics Recommendations For FTSE 350 Companies
In light of the U.K. Institute of Business Ethics' recent report on the FTSE 350, companies should regularly update their code of ethics in order to emphasize to employees and business partners the importance they place on following good practice, say attorneys at Norton Rose.
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Examining The Effects Of Increased Construction Insolvency
With a significant rise in construction firm insolvencies, proactive monitoring of key counterparties is paramount, and if early warning signs such as failure to pay suppliers or a turnover in key management are triggered, parties should take steps to minimize exposure and potential losses, say lawyers at Reynolds Porter.
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What TPR's Guidance On DEI Means For Pensions Industry
The Pension Regulator is one of the first regulators to issue guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion, and employers and trustees should incorporate its advice by developing policies and monitoring progress to ensure that improvements are made regularly, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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The Many Challenges Of Post-Brexit Regulatory Divergence
As the regulatory effects of the U.K.'s departure from the EU emerge and the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, firms must monitor compliance with fast-changing trade sanctions and the foreign investment screening regime that continues to add cost and complexity to the cross-border acquisitions market, say lawyers at Shepherd & Wedderburn.
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Economic Issues To Watch In The Libor Transition
With the London Interbank Offered Rate officially retiring June 30, market participants and their counsel should consider how the economic questions presented by outstanding contracts and the pros and cons of different alternative reference rates may lead to litigation around Libor cessation, say analysts at The Brattle Group.
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Reserved Investor Fund Would Plug Gap In UK Finance Market
The reserved investor fund recently proposed by HM Treasury has the potential to be a welcome tax-efficient addition to the U.K.’s canon of products for real estate investments, with attractive features for companies and, in particular, large asset managers, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.
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What Firms Need To Know About The FCA Consumer Duty
The Financial Conduct Authority's new consumer duty, in force from July 31, presents an opportunity for manufacturers and distributors of financial services to understand the importance of fair value for consumers, and the regulator will be taking a close interest in this, say Julie Patient, Mark Aengenheister and Virginia Montgomery at Hogan Lovells.
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Examining The Growing Strength Of FRC Enforcement Actions
As the U.K. Financial Reporting Council prepares to broaden its powers and transition into the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority in 2024, it is already demonstrating an increased appetite for enforcement, with greater expectations placed on auditors, say Kathleen Harris, Sean Curran and Melissa Dames at Arnold & Porter.
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UK Case Shows Risks Of Taking Shortcuts In Fund Payments
While the High Court recently reversed a decision in Floreat Investment Management v. Churchill, finding that investors routing funds into their own accounts was not dishonest, the case serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of directing investment funds other than as contractually provided, say lawyers at Dechert.