Insurance UK

FCA's New Enforcement Regime Threatens Firms, Individuals

The Financial Conduct Authority could damage the reputations of businesses and individuals under investigation in cases that it publicizes anonymously as an unintended consequence of a new enforcement policy, lawyers have warned.

Cryptocurrency coming out of a man's hand

FCA's Crypto Ban Reversal Unleashes Consumer Harm Risk

The Financial Conduct Authority's proposed reversal of its ban on crypto exchange-traded notes for retail investors has paved the way for immeasurable consumer harm, U.K. and U.S. lawyers have warned.

Pedestrians walk past the sign outside the headquarters of the white-collar agency in London.

SFO's Growth Push A 'Difficult Line To Tread' For Prosecutor

The Serious Fraud Office's recent promise to assist UK PLC with growth has raised eyebrows among former officials who question the optics of adopting political talking points that, on the surface, appear to distract from investigating and prosecuting economic crime.

Lost Russian Jets Ruling Has Global Implications For Insurers

A London court ruling that major insurers must compensate aircraft lessors for planes seized by Russia will provide useful support for companies seeking repayments for assets stranded in conflict zones with little probability of their return.

July 01, 2025
Mayer Brown-Led Aviva Seals Pension Deal For Packaging Co.

Aviva said Tuesday that it has completed a £249 million ($341 million) buy-in transaction to acquire the pensions of approximately 3,500 members of the Molins UK Pension Fund.
July 01, 2025
Gov't Warned On Impact Of Pension Reforms On Small Biz

Small businesses might have to raise prices, cut jobs or face lower profit margins if the government goes ahead with potential plans to increase employer pension contributions amid its wider probe into retirement savings adequacy, a trade group has said.
July 01, 2025
AI Risks Leaving UK Businesses Exposed To Insurance Gaps

Businesses that replace workers with artificial intelligence tools could face difficulties when they make claims under standard negligence insurance policies after consumers lose out, lawyers say.
July 01, 2025
Pension Trustees Urged To Help Shape FCA Guidance Rules

The U.K.'s retirement savings watchdog has called for trustees of pension plans to respond to a major shakeup of rules guiding what level of financial guidance can be issued by providers.
July 01, 2025
BNP Paribas Seals €5.1B Axa Investment Management Buy

BNP Paribas Cardif said on Tuesday that it has finalized its purchase of the investment management business of French insurer Axa for an estimated €5.1 billion ($6 billion).
July 01, 2025
Aviva's £3.7B Direct Line Deal Gets CMA Approval

The competition regulator said Tuesday that it has waved through Aviva's £3.7 billion ($5.1 billion) cash and stock acquisition of rival insurer Direct Line, granting the deal its final regulatory clearance.
June 30, 2025
EU Watchdog Pushes For Stronger Greenwashing Controls

The European Union's markets watchdog warned national regulators Monday to supervise better how investment managers disclose sustainability-related factors of funds.
June 30, 2025
Finance Gender Gap Progress Too Slow, Gov't Report Warns

A body set up by HM Treasury to increase the representation of women at senior levels in finance warned Monday that improving gender parity in the sector remains too slow and urged companies to "accelerate" their efforts.
June 30, 2025
Insurer Competition Drives Down Pension Plan Costs

Increased competition in the pensions insurance market has driven down costs to their lowest level in two years, professional services company Aon said Monday.
June 30, 2025
EU Eyes Adding ESG Risk In Stress Tests For Banks, Insurers

Three European Union finance watchdogs have proposed rules to ensure that national banking and insurance regulators integrate environmental, social and governance risks into supervisory stress-testing in a more harmonized way.
June 30, 2025
BP Marsh Raises Stake In RPC-Advised Broker To 39%

Private equity investor B.P. Marsh said Monday that it has snapped up an additional 2% interest in Pantheon for £5.5 million ($7.5 million), expanding its holding in the Lloyd's market broker to 39%.
June 29, 2025
FCA Presents Targeted Support Rules For Finance Firms

The Financial Conduct Authority said Monday it has set out a fast-track plan to allow financial services firms to provide a new type of "targeted support" to unadvised customers about pensions and investments.
June 27, 2025
EU Watchdog Floats Allowing Funds Some Riskier Investing

The European Union's market watchdog has recommended that the European Commission should reform the rule book governing the bloc's retail investors, calling for a more relaxed stance on alternative assets investments and improved regulatory harmonization across member states.
June 27, 2025
Pensions Admin Staff To Strike Amid Takeover Plan

A union for public sector workers announced a six-week-long strike action Friday against the management of pension administrator MyCSP, ahead of a planned takeover of the administration of civil service pensions by professional services company Capita.
June 27, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen the British Basketball Federation sued by members of the men's professional basketball league for alleged competition breaches, songwriter Coco Star file an intellectual property claim against Universal Music Publishing, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the Post Office amid ongoing investigations into law firms linked to the Horizon IT Scandal. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
June 27, 2025
Aon Denies Ex-Exec's $1.3M Bonus Bid Over Early Exit

Aon has rejected its former insurance consulting chief's $1.3 million claim for bonus and stock options, arguing that his employment contract ended before the payout date.
June 27, 2025
ICO Secures Guilty Verdicts In Massive Data Misuse Case

The director of a legal funding company and seven other men have been convicted over a personal injury data conspiracy at an English court, the U.K.'s data regulator has said.
June 27, 2025
Preventing Financial Crisis Best Thing For Growth, BoE Says

The government's growth agenda should not equate to throwing out all safeguards, because preventing a major financial crash is vital for ensuring Britain is competitive, a senior member of the Bank of England said Friday.
June 27, 2025
Eversheds Leads £44M Deal With Industrial Co.'s Pension Plan

Industrial manufacturer Milliken has secured its U.K. employee pension scheme through a bulk purchase annuity transaction valued at £44 million ($60 million) with Royal London, Britain's largest mutual life insurer said Friday.
June 26, 2025
Tokio Marine Unit Hit In £46M Case Over Mayfair Development

A Jersey-based property development company has sued a Tokio Marine HCC unit and an insolvent construction contractor for around £46 million ($63.2 million) for a string of alleged failures linked to the building of an apartment block and luxury hotel in Mayfair, west London.
June 26, 2025
Ex-Consultant Wants £1.4M Over Botched Insurance Cover

A former consultant has sued a wealth management and benefits consultancy for £1.4 million ($1.9 million) for allegedly failing to arrange adequate insurance cover, which she claims left her short of money during serious illness and surgery.
June 26, 2025
BoE Launches Forum For Financial Firms And Policy Body

The Bank of England said Thursday it has set up a forum for senior individuals in large financial services firms to liaise with the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates.
June 26, 2025
Audit Watchdog Sets New Guidance For 'Black Box' AI

Britain's accounting watchdog warned Thursday in new guidance on using artificial intelligence in audits that the opacity of AI models makes it crucial for firms to document how they are controlled.
June 26, 2025
Gov't Mulls Mandating Climate Plans From Banks, Insurers

Large banks and insurance companies in Britain could be forced to develop and publish a strategy for how they plan to align their business with global climate targets under proposals floated by the U.K. government.
June 26, 2025
PIC Inks £900M Pension Deals For Energy Tech Biz

Pension Insurance Corp. PLC said Thursday that it has completed buy-ins with three plans sponsored by Baker Hughes Co., a global energy technology business, covering liabilities worth £900 million ($1.2 billion).

Editor's Picks

Top Court Ruling In 'Whiplash' Test Case Could Hit Premiums

Personal injury claimants could get higher payouts from their motor insurance as a result of a test case ruling at Britain's highest court on Tuesday, although analysts warn that insurers could respond with higher premiums to cover the cost of bigger claims.
FCA Begins Crackdown On Poor-Value Insurance Products

The move by the Financial Conduct Authority to restrict sales of guaranteed asset protection insurance is a sign of a faster approach to market intervention, and could lead the regulator to scrutinize other underperforming products, consultants say.
Post-Election UK Pension Changes Could Be In The Fine Print

Regulatory lawyers are not expecting radical overhaul in pension policies if the government changes after this year's general election. But lawyers say that signals in the opposition Labour Party's policy language could hint at possible shifts in investment priorities for retirement savings.

Expert Analysis

Pension Schemes Bill's Most Notable, Controversial Measures

The long-awaited Pension Schemes Bill recently introduced to Parliament creates a framework for harnessing money saved in U.K. workplace pension funds to grow the country’s economy, but provisions relating to local government pension scheme investment, and scale and asset allocation, are controversial, says Claire Dimmock at Squire Patton.
Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Prestige's Jurisprudential Legacy

The U.K. Supreme Court's recent denial of appeal ended Spain's decades-long quest to enforce an €855 million arbitral judgment against a London insurer, throwing into stark relief the increasingly complex relationship between arbitral sovereignty, foreign state immunity and the shifting terrain of post-Brexit private international law, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.
UK Securities Tax Reform Will Be Welcomed By Investors

The proposed reforms resulting from HM Revenue & Customs' recent consultation on modernizing stamp taxes on shares, suggesting a single digital tax on securities to replace stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax, are expected to reduce complexity for investors transacting in U.K. securities, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.
A Shifting Landscape Of Greater Scrutiny After Data Breaches

Recent Information Commissioner's Office fines for personal data breaches and a Home Office consultation signal a shift in the U.K. regulatory landscape, and with an increase in mass actions and resulting exposure, organizations should prepare for potential third-party claims from those incurring consequential losses, say lawyers at Atheria.
What To Note As HM Treasury, FCA Plan New Crypto Regs

Taken together, HM Treasury’s recently proposed crypto-asset regulations and the Financial Conduct Authority’s new discussion paper on regulating crypto-asset activities provide key insights into the government's planned regime, which represents significant changes that will affect all firms providing related services, says Mark Chalmers at Davis Polk.
FCA Update Eases Private Stock Market Disclosure Rules

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently updated proposals for the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System would result in less onerous disclosure obligations for businesses, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance an attractive trading venue for private companies while maintaining sufficient investor protections, say lawyers at Debevoise.
Why Cos. Should Investigate Unethical Supply Chain Conduct

The U.K. government’s recent updated guidance for businesses on reporting slavery and human trafficking in supply chains underscores the urgent need for companies to adopt transparent and measurable due diligence practices, reinforcing the broader need for proactive internal investigations into unethical or criminal conduct, say lawyers at Seladore and Matrix Chambers.
How UK Proposals Would Simplify Fund Manager Regime

The ongoing HM Treasury consultation and Financial Conduct Authority call for input on the future regulation of alternative investment fund managers indicate that deliberate steps are being taken to make the AIF regime more suitable for the U.K. market, with the aim of encouraging growth and competitiveness, says Leonard Ng at Sidley.
FCA's Regulatory Plans Signal Cause For Cautious Optimism

The Financial Conduct Authority’s latest strategy document plans for less intrusive supervision, a more open and collaborative approach, and a focus on assertive action where needed, outlining a vision of deepened trust and rebalanced risk that will be welcomed by all those it regulates, says Imogen Makin at WilmerHale.
What Latest FCA Portfolio Letter Means For Payments Firms

Charlotte Hill at Charles Russell discusses the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent portfolio letter to CEOs of payments firms, outlining the regulator’s expectations, and the steps that these companies may now need to take to ensure compliance and operational effectiveness.
What's Next After FCA Drops Troubled 'Name And Shame' Plan

A closer look at the Financial Conduct Authority's recent decision to toss its widely unpopular proposal changing the test for announcing enforcement investigations may reveal how we got here, why the regulator changed course, and where it’s headed next, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
New UK Order Offers Welcome Clarity To Crypto Staking Rules

The recently effective Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Amendment Order clarifies that arrangements for qualifying crypto-asset staking do not amount to a collective investment scheme, and by addressing an issue that curtailed staking activities in the U.K., facilitates the use of that practice, says Andrew Henderson at Goodwin.
How EU's Anticoercion Tool May Counter New US Tariffs

The never-before-used anticoercion instrument could allow the European Union to respond to the imposition of U.S. tariffs, potentially effective March 12, and gives EU companies a voice in the process as it provides for consultation with economic operators at different steps throughout the procedure, say lawyers at Crowell & Moring.
What To Know About Compliance As EU AI Act Takes Effect

Raj Shah at Mishcon de Reya explains how recently effective provisions of the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, which concern prohibited AI practices and AI literacy, will affect both providers and users of AI systems, and suggests steps that companies can take now to plug any compliance gaps.
Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

“No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.