Financial Services UK

  • September 11, 2025

    FCA Official Outlines Risk-Based Approach To Financial Crime

    Fighting financial crime isn't a barrier to growth but a prerequisite for economic investment, a senior official at the Financial Conduct Authority said on Thursday, as he outlined plans to take a "risk-based" approach to cracking down on fraud.

  • September 11, 2025

    Pensions Managers Urged To Boost Standards For Savers

    Pensions administrators must invest more to modernize their data systems and trustees should play a stronger role in raising standards to help the sector make improvements, the retirement savings watchdog warned on Thursday.

  • September 11, 2025

    BlackRock, Pictet Back Swiss Marketplace's $1.3B IPO

    Online marketplace owner SMG said on Thursday that it expects to raise up to approximately 1.04 billion Swiss francs ($1.3 billion) in its initial public offering scheduled to take place on the SIX Swiss Exchange on Sept. 19.

  • September 11, 2025

    Social Mobility Data Needed To Tackle Pensions Skill Shortage

    Recording social mobility data in the financial services sector would broaden talent pools across various companies and address the predicted skills shortage over the next decade, a pensions trade body has said.

  • September 11, 2025

    Watchdog Launches Program To Help Small Audit Firms Grow

    Britain's accounting watchdog initiated a program on Thursday that it said would help small audit businesses to improve their inspections of larger companies, as part of its broader bid to improve variety in the market.

  • September 11, 2025

    Liquidators Can't Contractually Limit Liability To VC Funds

    A London court has ruled that the former liquidators of three venture capital funds cannot contractually limit their liability to the companies over claims that they enabled the managers of the funds to siphon off shareholders' assets.

  • September 11, 2025

    Prudential Must Pay VAT On Investment Firm's Success Fees

    Britain's highest court ruled Thursday that payments of £9.3 million ($12.5 million) made by Prudential to an investment firm are taxable under value-added tax regulations because the liability was incurred when they were not part of the same group for tax purposes.

  • September 11, 2025

    HCR-Led Tavistock Buys Financial Adviser For Up To £10M

    Tavistock said Thursday that it has acquired a controlling stake in Lifetime Financial Management Intermediaries Ltd., a financial advisory company, for up to £9.9 million ($13.4 million), in a move to expand its consultancy services.

  • September 11, 2025

    Latham, Cederquist Guide NOBA Bank's $3.7B Swedish IPO

    Swedish lender NOBA Bank said Thursday that it plans to re-list on the Stockholm stock exchange in a flotation that it expects to value the company at 35 billion Swedish kronor ($3.7 billion)

  • September 10, 2025

    UK Gov't Rebuffs Lawmaker Calls To Reform Lifetime ISAs

    The government shrugged off calls to reform the rules around Lifetime ISAs on Thursday, despite warnings that millions of Britons may have been wrongly sold the long-term savings product.

  • September 10, 2025

    FCA Weighs Changing Rules To Boost Contactless Payments

    Britain's financial regulator said Wednesday that it is considering changes to the rules that will give companies the power to set their own contactless payment limits.

  • September 10, 2025

    FCA Hauls 3 'Finfluencers' To Court For Illicit Forex Promotion

    Three individuals charged with advertising unauthorized investment opportunities in foreign exchange markets on social media made their initial court appearance Wednesday as part of what the Financial Conduct Authority said was a wider global crackdown on illegal online promotions. 

  • September 10, 2025

    Pinsent Masons Guides £105M Materials Co. Pension Deal

    ​Legacy pension plans for the industrial materials giant Mativ Holdings Inc.'s U.K. arm have completed two full-scheme buy-ins worth £105 million ($142 million) with Rothesay Life PLC, the insurer has said.

  • September 10, 2025

    Lawmakers Float Plan To End Lifeboat Fund Admin Levy

    The Liberal Democrats said Wednesday that they have backed reform that will see the permanent removal of a controversial levy on pension providers which funds the administrative expenses of the sector's lifeboat program.

  • September 10, 2025

    Abramovich Loses Appeal To EU Sanctions Over Evraz Ties

    Roman Abramovich failed to lift European Union sanctions against him on Wednesday as judges ruled they are justified because the oligarch is a main shareholder in the steel company Evraz, one of the largest taxpayers in Russia.

  • September 10, 2025

    FCA To Slash Data Reporting For Retail Broker Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it plans to slash some of the quarterly and biannual reports that retail broker companies must submit, a step it estimates can save the sector approximately £1.8 million ($2.4 million) in administrative costs.

  • September 09, 2025

    Addleshaw Goddard Hires Innovation Lead From Macfarlanes

    Addleshaw Goddard LLP announced Tuesday that it hired the former head of law tech and chief knowledge and innovation officer at U.K. law firm Macfarlanes as a financial services partner with a focus on bolstering its tech offerings to clients.

  • September 09, 2025

    Tether Accuses Crypto Trader Of Unlawful Suit Over Bitcoin JV

    Tether accused a crypto trading company in a London court on Tuesday of knowingly bringing an unlawful claim over a soured bitcoin mining joint venture after the trader conceded that it did not own the intellectual assets of the joint venture vehicle.

  • September 09, 2025

    FCA Puts Brakes On 400 Misleading Auto Finance Payout Ads

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has curbed hundreds of promotions by claims management companies that have overstated the compensation available to consumers in the wake of rulings over motor finance fees.

  • September 09, 2025

    Insurers Told To Invest In Data To Meet Cyber-Market Demand

    The insurance sector must improve the quality of its data to better understand risks if it is to address the anticipated growth in the cyber-market, Lockton Re has said.

  • September 09, 2025

    Dutch Pension Reform Could Mean Shakeup For Markets

    The sweeping reform of the €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) Dutch pension sector from next year could have knock-on effects for bond markets and Eurozone banks, a credit rating agency warned Tuesday.

  • September 09, 2025

    Accountant Spied On By Boss Wins £14K Over Unfair Firing

    A former employee of an accounting company has been awarded £14,120 ($19,150) after an employment tribunal ruled that her employer unfairly fired her and then spied on her work computer to retrospectively justify its decision.

  • September 09, 2025

    Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Pension Tax Relief

    Possible changes to pension tax relief rules that could be announced in the forthcoming autumn budget to raise additional revenue are fraught with risks for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and could break government manifesto commitments, a consultancy has said.

  • September 16, 2025

    Squire Patton Hires Dentons' PE Head In Germany

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP has hired a senior partner from Dentons' private equity and corporate team to boost its services in Germany.

  • September 09, 2025

    BHP Settles Class Action Over Brazil Dam Collapse For $72M

    BHP Group Ltd. revealed on Tuesday that it has agreed to pay 110 million Australian dollars ($73 million) to settle a class action brought in Australia on behalf of shareholders in the mining giant before a deadly dam collapse in Brazil in 2015.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Incarceration's Impacts On Foreign Nationals

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    Sentencing arguments that highlighted the disparate impact incarceration would have on a British national recently sentenced for insider training by a New York district court, when compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens, provide an example of the advocacy needed to avoid or mitigate problems unique to noncitizen defendants, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • How Proposed Platforms For Unlisted Co. Trading May Work

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    The U.K. government is continuing development of its proposed private intermittent securities and capital exchange system to facilitate secondary share trading in private companies through a regulatory sandbox while ironing out details, representing an innovative step for unlisted company liquidity, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Experian Ruling Helps Cos. Navigate GDPR Transparency

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    In Information Commissioner v. Experian, the Upper Tribunal recently reaffirmed the lawfulness of the company's marketing practices, providing guidance that will assist organizations in complying with the GDPR’s transparency obligations, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

  • Clarity Is Central Theme In FCA's Greenwashing Guidance

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    Recent Financial Conduct Authority guidance for complying with the U.K. regulator's anti-greenwashing rule sends an overarching message that sustainability claims must be clear, accurate and capable of being substantiated, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • How New FCA Rules Strengthen Borrower Protections

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules, aimed at strengthening protections for borrowers in financial difficulty by regularizing good practices across the industry, put its previous guidance on a permanent footing and send a clear message to firms that this issue remains a regulatory priority, say James Black, Julie Patient and Mark Aengenheister at Hogan Lovells.

  • Opinion

    New Property Category Not Needed To Regulate Digital Assets

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    The U.K. Law Commission's exploration of whether to create a third category of property for digital assets is derived from a misreading of historical case law, and would not be helpful in resolving any questions surrounding digital assets, says Duncan Sheehan at the University of Leeds.

  • FTSE Draft Rules Show Impact Of FCA Listing Reforms

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    FTSE Russell’s recently published provisional rule changes represent a much-awaited indication of its response to the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed listing reforms, providing a level of certainty that will assist issuers and advisers in preparing for the implementation of the regime, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • FCA Strikes A Balance With 'Finfluencer' Guidance

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    With financial firms leveraging social media to engage with a broader audience, the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent "finfluencer" guidance signals a recognition of the imperative to adapt regulatory frameworks while maintaining a firm commitment to consumer protection, say David Allinson and Damien O'Malley at RPC.

  • Dissecting Recent Developments Against The Misuse Of NDAs

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    The U.K. government's recent plans to nullify nondisclosure agreements that prevent victims from reporting crimes should remind lawyers to proactively consider the necessity of such agreements, especially in light of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's warning notice on drafting improper NDAs, say Clare Davis and Macaela Joyes at RPC.

  • What To Know About The Russia-Stranded Plane Ruling

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    The High Court's recent decision in Zephyrus Capital Aviation v. Fidelis Underwriting, rejecting reinsurers' U.K. jurisdiction challenges in claims over stranded planes in Russia, has broad implications for cross-border litigation involving exclusive jurisdiction clauses, says Samantha Zaozirny at Browne Jacobson.

  • 3 Notable Pensions Reforms In Spring Budget

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    The U.K. government’s spring budget introduced reforms to improve pension outcomes through the value for money framework and the lifetime provider model, as well as to encourage investments in Britain — three interlinked areas that could pressure trustees and providers to rethink how they approach investments, say Liz Ramsaran and Marcus Fink at DWF.

  • Assessing The FCA Data Study's Response To User Concerns

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published report on the supply of wholesale financial data differs from others in its exceptional breadth and analysis of an enormous volume of information, but in its reluctance to address market power or pricing directly, the regulator’s approach is still cautious, say Emma Radcliffe and Greg Dowell at Macfarlanes.

  • Focus On Private Funds Will Boost Ireland's Global Standing

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    As the market increasingly pivots to private funds, Ireland's recent introduction of particular products — such as an updated, flexible European long-term investment fund — provides more structuring opportunities and paves the way for a brighter outlook in the country, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Cum-Ex Prosecutions Storm Shows No Sign Of Abating

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    The ongoing trial of Sanjay Shah in Denmark is a clear indicator that efforts remain focused on holding to account the alleged architects and beneficiaries of cum-ex trading, and with these prosecutions making their way across Europe, it is a more turbulent time now than ever, says Niall Hearty at Rahman Ravelli.

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