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Financial Services UK
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September 12, 2024
Pensions Watchdog To Focus More On Investment Strategies
Britain's retirement savings watchdog has said it will be "stepping up" its focus on investment strategies to try to ensure pension schemes deliver the best possible results for savers.
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September 12, 2024
BNP Paribas Attempts To Prune London Banker's Claim
BNP Paribas attempted to trim a manager's claim at a London employment tribunal on Thursday, arguing that the employee had taken a "kitchen sink approach" by adding excessive legal claims onto some of her allegations.
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September 12, 2024
UK Gov't Warned Over Pension Tax Changes In Budget
A trade body for actuaries said on Thursday that the government should consult widely and take time to implement any reform to pension taxation as it joins a growing number of organizations urging caution over potential tax changes ahead of the upcoming Budget.
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September 12, 2024
Crypto-Scam Victim Can't Trace Lost £2M To Thai Exchange
A judge at a London court ruled Thursday that a victim of crypto-fraud had failed to trace the stolen money to an exchange in Thailand, the first ruling to deal with the status and treatment of cryptocurrency in English law after a full trial.
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September 12, 2024
UK Watchdog Waters Down New Capital Rules For Banks
The Prudential Regulation Authority published Thursday the second part of its rules on capital requirements for banks and has delayed their implementation by six months to the beginning of 2026.
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September 12, 2024
Austrian Bank Can't Recover Licence Axed Over AML Controls
The European Union's highest court upheld on Thursday a decision by the bloc's central bank to strip an Austrian lender of its license over alleged anti-money laundering failures and regulatory breaches.
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September 11, 2024
EU Court Upholds Sanctions On Russian Clearinghouse
Russia's securities clearinghouse has lost its appeal challenging sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to the invasion of Ukraine, after a Luxembourg court ruled Wednesday that the decisions were backed up by evidence.
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September 11, 2024
Watchdog Warns Small Banks To Improve Lending Controls
The Bank of England's regulatory arm warned smaller banks and building societies in a letter Tuesday to improve their lending controls and affordability assessments.
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September 11, 2024
UK Gov't To Classify Cryptocurrency As Personal Property
The U.K. government introduced a bill on Wednesday that classifies bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as personal property, a move that will give owners of digital assets certainty and protection under the law if it passes.
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September 11, 2024
Solaris Sues Binance For €144M After Debit Card Deal Axed
Online banking group Solaris has sued Binance in London for €144 million ($159 million) it claims to be owed in guaranteed fees after the cryptocurrency exchange operator terminated an agreement for the provision of debit cards to customers of Binance companies.
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September 11, 2024
Oligarchs Fridman, Aven Fail To Ax Sanctions Reporting Rules
European Union measures that require oligarchs including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven to disclose their assets and cooperate in investigations are lawful and "necessary" for maintaining the bloc's sanctions regime, a European court ruled Wednesday, saying the rules were "unprecedented."
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September 11, 2024
Ex-PE Boss Denies Owing Fee For €150M Investment In Fund
A former partner at private equity firm TPG has denied that he owes an asset adviser any fees for securing an alleged €150 million ($165 million) investment in his own fund.
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September 11, 2024
UK Pension Funding Surplus Dips £500M After BoE Rate Cut
The funding surplus of U.K. pension plans fell by £500 million ($653 million), according to official figures, after the Bank of England cut interest rates in August.
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September 11, 2024
TV Property Developer Appears In Court On Fraud Charges
A television property developer appeared at a London criminal court on Wednesday to face charges for the first time that he defrauded a U.S. rental company out of £2 million ($2.6 million).
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September 11, 2024
Latham Hires Senior Tax Pro From Travers Smith In London
Latham & Watkins LLP said on Wednesday that it has recruited a former head of tax at Travers Smith LLP for its office in London, a blow for the U.K. law firm, which has been hit by the departure of a series of partners.
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September 10, 2024
TPG, Rosatom Seek To Bar Jailed Oligarch's $14B Fraud Claim
Russia's state atomic energy corporation and private equity firm TPG Group on Tuesday urged a London judge to block an imprisoned oligarch's $14 billion fraud conspiracy claim over the alleged seizure of his port and transport businesses led by the Russian state.
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September 10, 2024
V&E Launches New Dublin Office In Aviation Finance Push
Vinson & Elkins LLP has launched a new office in Ireland to provide New York and English law advice to clients on aviation leasing and financing matters.
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September 10, 2024
Crypto-Biz Loses 'Mara' TM Over Virtual Coin Services
British officials have partially pulled the plug on an African technology company's trademark for "Mara," ruling that a rival business had already cornered the virtual coin market with a similar-looking name.
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September 10, 2024
Local Gov't Audit Deadlines 'Necessary Step,' Watchdog Says
Legislation recently tabled in Parliament that introduces statutory deadlines for local authorities and their auditors to publish accounts is a "necessary step" to rebuild a system hampered by delays, Britain's accounting watchdog said Tuesday.
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September 10, 2024
White & Case Guides £100M Hedge Fund Deal For Spectator
Hedge fund manager Paul Marshall has bought The Spectator for £100 million ($130 million), the 196-year-old news magazine said on Tuesday, a move that will keep the publishing institution independent and out of foreign control.
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September 10, 2024
FCA Charges 1st Individual With Running Illegal Crypto-ATMs
The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has launched its first criminal prosecution of an individual suspected of running a network of illegal cryptocurrency ATMs.
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September 10, 2024
Investors Sue Broker For Assisting $129M Forex Fraud
A group of investors who lost tens of millions of dollars in a fraudulent foreign exchange scheme have sued a London broker for approximately $43 million for allegedly providing credit for the company to trade through brokerage accounts which perpetuated the fraud.
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September 10, 2024
Ex-Barclays VP Loses Bid To Retry Lost Promotion Claim
An attempt by a former Barclays vice president to revive her claim that she faced racial discrimination during a promotion round has failed, as an employment tribunal ruled that she was merely trying to "have another bite at the cherry."
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September 10, 2024
Paul Hastings Taps Capital Markets Pro From Davis Polk
Paul Hastings LLP has hired a prominent capital markets transactions expert as a partner at its London office as it looks to boost its global practice, which it has identified as a priority.
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September 09, 2024
Brit Fights Fraud Extradition, Says He Is Protected Witness
A retired British accountant urged a London court Monday to block Spanish authorities' request that he be extradited to face money laundering and fraud charges, arguing that the request is abusive because he is entitled to protection as a witness for prosecutors in related cases.
Expert Analysis
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What UK Digital Markets Act Will Mean For Competition Law
The new Digital Markets Act’s reforms will strengthen the Competition and Markets Authority's investigatory and enforcement powers across its full remit of merger control and antitrust investigations, representing a seismic shift in the U.K. competition and consumer law landscape, say lawyers at Travers Smith.
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What New UK Labour Gov't Is Planning For Financial Services
Following the Labour Party’s U.K. election win on July 4, the new government has already announced its key missions for economic growth, green investment and tax reform, so affected Financial Conduct Authority-regulated entities should be prepared for change and on the lookout for details, says Rachael Healey at RPC.
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Companies Trading In The EU Should Heed Mondelēz Ruling
The European Commission’s recent €337.5 million fine of Mondelēz is the latest decision targeting restrictions on EU cross-border trade, and serves as a warning to companies active in the region to check their contracts and practices for illegal restraints, and to perform audits to ensure compliance, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.
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Why Reperforming Loan Securitization In UK And EU May Rise
The recently published new U.K. securitization rules will largely bring the U.K.’s nonperforming loan regime in line with the European Union, and together with the success of EU and U.K. banks in reducing loan ratios, reperforming securitizations may feature more prominently in relevant markets going forward, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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What French Watchdog Ruling Means For M&A Landscape
Although ultimately dismissed due to lack of evidence, the French competition authority’s recent post-closing review of several nonreportable mergers is a landmark case that highlights the increased complexity of such transactions, and is further testament to the European competition authorities’ willingness to expand their toolkit to address below-threshold M&As, say lawyers at Cleary.
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New Directors' Code Of Conduct May Serve As Useful Guide
Although the Institute of Directors’ current proposal for a voluntary code of conduct is strongly supported by its members, it must be balanced against the statutory requirement for directors to promote their company’s success, and the risk of claims by shareholders if their decisions are influenced by wider social considerations, says Matthew Watson at RPC.
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Exploring The EU's Draft Standards On Crypto Authorization
The European Securities and Markets Authority’s recently published draft standards aim to promote fair competition and a safer environment for crypto providers and investors, detailing precisely the information to be provided to national authorities in charge of screening the acquisitions of a qualifying holding, says Mathieu de Korvin at Norton Rose.
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How FCA Guidance Aligns With Global Cyberattack Measures
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s recent guidance on preparing for cyberattacks aligns with the global move by financial regulators to focus on operational resilience, highlighting the importance of proactive strategies and robust resilience frameworks to mitigate disruptions, while observing a disappointing level of engagement by the industry, say Alix Prentice and Grace Ncube at Cadwalader.
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Takeaways From Regulators' £61.6M Citigroup Trading Fine
Following the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority’s recent significant fining of Citigroup for its catastrophic trading error, and with more enforcement likely, institutions should update their controls and ensure system warnings do not become routine and therefore disregarded, says Abdulali Jiwaji at Signature Litigation.
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Factors For London Cos. To Consider If Adding US Listings
Recent reports of a continuing valuation gap between London and New York have resulted in some London-listed companies considering U.S. listings to gain an increased investor base, but with various obligations and implications involved in such a move, organizations should consider whether there is a real benefit from trading there, say lawyers at Winston & Strawn.
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Assessing The Energy Act 2023, Eight Months On
Although much of the detail required to fully implement the Energy Act 2023 remains to be finalized, the scale of change in the energy sector is unprecedented, and with the U.K. prioritizing achieving net-zero, it is likely that developments will continue at pace, say lawyers at Paul Hastings.
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Opinion
Why Timing Makes UK Libor Judgments Controversial
The recent U.K. Court of Appeal decision in the R v. Hayes and Palombo appeal against Libor convictions demonstrates that had U.K. regulators probed with the facts known today, civil claims in all jurisdictions would be dismissed and a decadelong wasted investigation should be put to rest, says Charles Kuhn at Clyde & Co.
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Tips For Orgs Using NDAs In Light Of New UK Legislation
The recent passage of the Victims and Prisoners Act follows a crackdown on the misuse of nondisclosure agreements, but although NDAs are not prohibited and regulators recognize their legitimate justification, organizations relying on them must be able to clearly explain that justification if challenged, say attorneys at Macfarlanes.
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What Alternative Fuel Proposals Mean For EU Infrastructure
The European Union’s proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, covering activities in the transport sectors supporting the decarbonization process, sets ambitious standards regarding the deployment of adequate supply infrastructure and offers new funding opportunities for port operators and shipowners, says Christian Bauer at Watson Farley.
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Continuation Funds: What You Need To Know
As the continuation fund market matures, the structure and terms of these transactions have become increasingly complex, presenting challenges that should be carefully navigated by participants to ensure a successful transaction process, say lawyers at Skadden.