Financial Services UK

One-pound and two-pound coins on a wooden table interspersed with a tape showing consecutive years.

Gov't Misses Chance To Go Big With New Pensions Body

The government launched a once-in-a-generation review of retirement savings on Monday, but experts warned that the new Pension Commission is a missed opportunity to take a no-holds-barred approach to tackle the savings crisis.

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Senior Managers Regime Revamp Risks Letting In Bad Apples

The City watchdog's planned overhaul of its senior managers regime risks allowing people with records of misconduct to slip into financial firms because of the relaxation of rules on references and criminal checks, according to lawyers.

Gov't Reforms Needed To Unlock FCA's Targeted Support Plan

The financial watchdog's planned "targeted support" program for consumers requires government legislation or guidance to remove legal obstacles to direct marketing — and regulatory experts expect the first step to come at the Mansion House address by Chancellor Rachel Reeves late on Tuesday.

Staley Tribunal Decision Could Fuel Challenges To FCA Fines

A landmark tribunal ruling that upheld the Financial Conduct Authority's ban of ex-Barclays CEO James "Jes" Staley from banking — but slashed his fine — could ultimately lead other executives with back-loaded pay packages to fight the watchdog's decisions, lawyers say.

July 22, 2025
Ex-Soldier Ran £1.3M Investment Ponzi Fraud, Jurors Told

A former British Army rifleman ran a Ponzi investment fraud which raised £1.3 million ($1.7 million) from 238 investors before collapsing, the U.K.'s financial regulator said at the beginning of a London criminal trial Tuesday.
July 22, 2025
VTB Sues Investment Biz In Sanctions Dispute Over Trades

VTB Capital PLC has sued an investment firm for $3.4 million over unsettled trades of Russian securities, arguing that the other company did not have the right to terminate the trades due to sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
July 22, 2025
JMW Guides £4M Pension Deal For Church Scheme

Pension insurer Just Group has taken on £4 million ($5.4 million) worth of retirement savings liabilities from a scheme linked to a Christian church, in a deal put together by pensions consultancy K3 Advisory and guided by law firm JMW Solicitors.
July 22, 2025
Russian Magnate's Bankruptcy Trustee Can't Stop Share Move

The bankruptcy trustee of the founder of a Russian bank on Monday lost his bid to halt the release of shares to companies alleged to be owned by the businessman, with a London court ruling that they should not be withheld.
July 22, 2025
BoE Chief Vows To Speak Up If Deregulation Goes Too Far

Andrew Bailey told a cross-party group of lawmakers Tuesday that he would speak out if the Treasury tries too hard to deregulate the financial services industry, adding that bank ring-fencing must remain in place.
July 22, 2025
Apax Partners To Pay €916M For Apax Global Alpha

British private equity firm Apax Partners LLP has agreed to acquire a company it collaborates with, Apax Global Alpha Ltd., for €916.5 million ($1.07 billion), as it eyes the investment company's roster of assets.
July 22, 2025
Gov't Sets Out Plan To Include Pensions In Inheritance Tax

The government has confirmed that it is pushing ahead with plans to apply inheritance tax to wealth transferred through pensions in a move that experts say marks a "seismic" change for the sector.
July 22, 2025
NCA Calls For Crypto-Data Sharing In £100B AML Battle

The National Crime Agency has called for financial services companies to share data with law enforcers to improve identification of illicit cryptocurrency activity as it seeks to combat the estimated £100 billion ($135 billion) laundered in the country every year.
July 21, 2025
FCA Trims Mortgage Rules To Boost Homeownership Access

The Financial Conduct Authority published rule changes for lenders on Monday that make it easier to discuss mortgages with clients and to reduce the repayment period or remortgage.
July 21, 2025
Family Claims Bad Tax Advice Led To Costly HMRC Bills

The trustees of family trusts accused a U.K. accounting firm of giving them negligent advice that led to unexpected inheritance taxes and penalties owed to HM Revenue & Customs, according to a claim filed in a London court.
July 21, 2025
New AI Audit Standard Aims To Tame 'Wild West' Market

The British Standards Institution on Monday unveiled what it called the world's first standard for companies independently auditing artificial intelligence systems amid concern over a potential "wild west" of unchecked providers.
July 21, 2025
Ex-Execs Sue Telecom Biz Over Alleged £8M Share Sale Loss

Two former directors of a telecom technology company are suing their successors for over £8 million ($10.7 million), alleging they were tricked into selling their shares at a fraction of their true value.
July 21, 2025
Trader Blames Deutsche Bank For Spoofing Conviction

A former Deutsche Bank trader convicted of tricking market competitors through a "spoofing" scheme has sued the bank in a London court, alleging it trained him to use an illegal trading strategy and then "scapegoated" him when he faced prosecution.
July 21, 2025
Kession Fights Liability In £1.7M Collective Investment Case

A finance company urged the U.K.'s top court Monday to partly override a judgment that found it liable for botched property investments worth approximately £1.7 million ($2.3 million), arguing that its liability to investors should have been limited.
July 21, 2025
Petershill Partners Sells Stake In US PE Firm For $561M

Investment firm Petershill Partners PLC has sold its entire stake in private equity firm Harvest Partners for $561 million after seven years of collaboration, continuing its pattern of exiting investments in investment firms.
July 21, 2025
Investors Poised To Buy Risky Funds Amid Gov't ISA Reforms

Most investors are ready to invest in hard-to-sell assets including private equity through long-term asset funds after the government said they will be included in tax-free individual savings accounts from 2026, a trade body said Monday.
July 21, 2025
Audit Watchdog Publishes Revised Pension Standard Rules

Britain's accounting watchdog has published a finalized set of actuarial rules for the retirement savings sector in light of recently introduced changes to pension funding and plans to use surplus money tied up in savings schemes.
July 21, 2025
IFX Weighs Ending £3M Argentex Bid After Administration

Foreign exchange provider IFX Payments said Monday that it might end its interest in the acquisition of Argentex Group PLC after the troubled currency risk manager disclosed that it intends to appoint administrators.
July 21, 2025
Gov't Revives Pensions Commission To Tackle Savings Crisis

The government said on Monday that it will restore the Tony Blair-era Pensions Commission to probe why future retirees are likely to be poorer than today's pensioners, amid growing fears that millions of Britons will not have saved enough money for later life.
July 18, 2025
EU Agrees To Hit Russian Banking Harder With New Sanctions

The European Union agreed Friday to new sanctions against Russia hitting the banking sector harder as part of a broader package.
July 18, 2025
Fintech Blocks JPMorgan's €917M Greek Case In JV Dispute

A London judge granted a fintech company an injunction on Friday that prevents J.P. Morgan from pursuing its directors in Greece, finding that the litigation in Athens breached a shareholder agreement.
July 18, 2025
Irwin Mitchell Can't Escape Costs In Pension Fraud Claim

Irwin Mitchell LLP failed on Friday to recover costs after it persuaded a London court that it had been wrongly named in a retired naval officer's negligence claim because its broader effort to throw out the case fell short.
July 18, 2025
Odey Fights To Delay Libel Trial Amid Sex Assault Claims

U.K. hedge fund manager Crispin Odey argued in a London court on Friday that his £79 million ($106.3 million) libel claim against the Financial Times should be put on hold while he defends against claims by five women accusing him of sexual abuse.
July 18, 2025
FCA Shrugs Off Commissioner's Criticisms Of Ignoring Tip-Off

The City watchdog has hit back at criticisms by the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner concerning how it treats tipoffs about unregulated firms.
July 18, 2025
Tomb Raider Game Composer Jailed For COVID Loan Fraud

A composer for the Tomb Raider video game series has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for fraud involving the U.K. government's COVID-19 pandemic-era bounce-back loan scheme, the Insolvency Service said Friday.

Editor's Picks

5 Questions For Spencer West Partner Karl Foster

The Financial Conduct Authority's approach to enforcement and consumer protection has come up against government economic growth priorities and resistance from the sector to its proposals to "name and shame" companies early on during regulatory probes.
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.
FCA Fires Warning Shot Over City's Consumer Duty Failings

The Financial Conduct Authority has sent out a fresh warning to financial services companies highlighting how some of them are failing to comply with its Consumer Duty regime. But experts have told Law360 that the expectations are unclear.

Expert Analysis

New Interpol Silver Notice Could Be Tool For Justice Or Abuse

Interpol has issued dozens of Silver Notices to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activity since January, and though the tool may disrupt organized crime and terrorist financing, attorneys must protect against the potential for corrupt misuse, say attorneys at Clark Hill and Arktouros.
Weighing PE Transaction Risks As EU AI Act Rolls Out

As the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act becomes effective in stages, legal practitioners involved in private equity deals should consider the transactional risks resulting from this measure, including penalties, extraterritorial reach and target-firm applicability, say lawyers at Covington.
EU Banking Watchdog Regulations Herald New AML Era

The European Banking Authority’s forthcoming anti-money laundering package will set a framework for compliance across the European Union by redefining the rules of engagement between financial institutions and supervisors, setting a new standard for transparency and accountability, say lawyers at A&O Shearman.
What To Expect As UK, US Gov'ts Develop Stablecoin Policies

While the U.K. and U.S. governments’ policies both suggest that fiat-backed stablecoins can improve efficiency and safety in payments systems, a perception that crypto-assets remain high risk means consumers are unlikely to use them in significant volume anytime soon, say lawyers at Cadwalader.
What Insurers Can Do To Prepare For PRA 'Solvent Exit' Rules

With less than a year until the Prudential Regulation Authority's new solvent exit rules for insurers come into force, it is critical that firms prepare to meet the imminent deadline by outlining an execution plan and establishing clear governance arrangements, say lawyers at Holman Fenwick.
Decoding Arbitral Disputes: UK Injunctions Across Borders

A recent High Court of Justice decision allowing JPMorgan Chase Bank to block VTB Bank from bringing suit in a Russian court provides a seminal reflection on the power of English courts to issue antisuit injunctions when global banking disputes increasingly straddle multiple jurisdictions, says Josep Galvez of 4-5 Gray's Inn.
Identifying Data Center Investment Challenges, Opportunities

The role of data centers is expanding, as are new opportunities for private capital investors, but there are issues to consider, including finance models and contract complexity, as well as power supply, cyber threat resilience and data sovereignty, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.
What EU Bank Regulator's Letter Means For Crypto Providers

A recent letter from the European Banking Authority notes a need to avoid dual authorization for e-money token transactions under European Union payment services and cryptocurrency regulations, which could result in a high regulatory burden for crypto-asset service providers and leaves open questions for future political negotiations, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
How Regulators Want Online Platforms To Fight Finance Fraud

Recent statements from the International Organization of Securities Commissions and the European Securities and Markets Authority make clear that online platform providers are expected to adopt proactive measures to prevent the promotion of unauthorized financial services and related misconduct, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.
FCA Notes Industry Criticism But Keeps Transparency Focus

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently updated enforcement guide finally gives up the "naming and shaming" public interest test, demonstrating that the regulator has recognized the industry's serious concerns while maintaining less contentious aspects of its proposals to improve transparency in investigations, say lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.
Anticipating A Shift In CMA Merger Control Enforcement

As the Competition and Markets Authority outlines plans to put the U.K. government's growth objectives into action, the changes may well pave the way for a more permissive outlook for review of mergers and acquisitions in the U.K., say lawyers at A&O Shearman.
Court Backing Of FCA Pensions Ruling Sends Key Message

The Upper Tribunal’s recent upholding of the Financial Conduct Authority's decisions against CFP Management directors serves as a judicial endorsement of the regulator’s approach to defined benefit transfers, underscoring that where the advisory model is fundamentally flawed, the consequences for those in control can be severe, say lawyers at RPC.
Saxon Woods Ruling Tightens Rules On Director Good Faith

The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Saxon Woods v. Costa departs from the High Court's ruling, clarifying that a director's sincere belief they have acted in the company’s best interests is not sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirement to act in good faith, say lawyers at Covington.
Key Points From HMRC's Tax Reform Proposals

Although HM Revenue & Customs’ recent proposals for reform of U.K. transfer pricing and permanent establishment rules align with the latest international consensus, certain amendments may lead to future controversy, say lawyers at Skadden.
What To Note As UK Adopts OECD Crypto Disclosure Rules

With the U.K.’s recent announcement that it will adopt the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's crypto-asset reporting framework, users and providers will benefit from understanding the context surrounding the decision and the framework's intended goal of clamping down on tax evasion, say lawyers at Brown Rudnick.