Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • July 08, 2024

    Audit Watchdog Creates New Monitoring, Digital Functions

    Britain's accounting watchdog said Monday it will create two new market functions to support enforcement and supervision as well as digital reporting, driving U.K. growth as part of its response to earlier government-led criticisms.

  • July 08, 2024

    SRA Fines London Firm Over Anti-Money Laundering Failings

    The English solicitors' regulator has hit a London law firm with a fine after investigators discovered a series of failures to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.

  • July 08, 2024

    Hermer Poised To Return Independence To AG Role

    The appointment of Richard Hermer KC as attorney general in the new Labour government will restore independence to a position that had become increasingly politicized over recent years, top British lawyers say.

  • July 05, 2024

    Truckmakers Can Use Pass-On Defense In Price-Fixing Case

    European truck manufacturers can argue that local U.K. authorities suing them over a price-fixing cartel passed the inflated costs allegedly paid for vehicles on to residents through tax and service charges, a tribunal ruled Thursday.

  • July 05, 2024

    Legal Teams' Costs Slashed By £253M In UK Dieselgate Case

    Legal teams involved in unprecedented U.K "Dieselgate" vehicle emissions tests litigation had more than £250 million ($320 million) of their budgets slashed on Friday after a High Court judge ruled that the estimated costs were "out of all proportion".

  • July 05, 2024

    EU Watchdog Sets Out Sustainability Reporting Expectations

    The European Union's financial markets regulator on Friday set out its expectations on new sustainability reporting standards for large companies with shares listed on stock exchanges and their regulators.

  • July 05, 2024

    Bitcoin Fraudster Gets £1.5M Of Assets Frozen

    A London court on Friday froze assets worth over £1.5 million ($1.9 million) belonging to Craig Wright, the man who falsely claimed to be the inventor of bitcoin, to cover the costs of a cryptocurrency podcaster who had to defend against Wright's defamation allegation.

  • July 05, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen collapsed sports television company Arena Television hit Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank with a claim, James Vorley, the Deutsche Bank metals trader convicted of fraud, sue his former employer, and journalist John Ware file a defamation claim against Pink Floyd band member Roger Waters and Al Jazeera Media Network. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • July 05, 2024

    Barrister Struck Off After Buying Drugs From Clients

    A tribunal has disbarred a barrister who spent 14 months in prison after he was convicted of buying crystal meth from his drug dealer clients.

  • July 05, 2024

    Matrix KC Richard Hermer Tapped For Attorney General

    Matrix Chambers' human rights barrister Richard Hermer KC will serve as the U.K.'s attorney general in a surprise appointment from newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer late Friday.

  • July 05, 2024

    Liz Kendall Tapped To Head Labour's DWP Amid Reform Talk

    The new Labour government named Liz Kendall as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on Friday as speculation grew about looming reforms to the U.K. benefits system.

  • July 05, 2024

    Shabana Mahmood Named Labour's New Justice Secretary

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer named former barrister Shabana Mahmood as the Labour government's new justice secretary on Friday following a sweeping victory in the U.K. general election.

  • July 05, 2024

    Nordea Laundered $4B For Russians, Denmark Police Say

    Police in Denmark charged Nordic bank Nordea on Friday with allegedly laundering $3.8 billion for Russian customers, in what could be the biggest violation of the country's safeguards against dirty money.

  • July 05, 2024

    Starmer Starts Work As Cabinet Appointments Expected

    Keir Starmer, the newly elected prime minister, promised change that focuses on the economy and wealth creation as he prepared on Friday to begin appointing cabinet ministers to form the Labour Party's first government since 2010.

  • July 05, 2024

    Ex-Bird & Bird Partner Can't Ax Sexual Misconduct Case

    A former Bird & Bird LLP partner lost his fight at a tribunal on Friday to strike out a sexual misconduct case over allegations he harassed two junior female colleagues.

  • July 05, 2024

    Mastercard Fails In Jurisdiction Bid To Cut Swipe Fees Claim

    Mastercard failed Friday to knock out claims worth more than £200 million ($255 million) from a mammoth swipe fees class action after the appeals court in London said the law governing the dispute should be that of England and Wales or Scotland.

  • July 04, 2024

    Labour Gov't To Prioritize Competitive Financial Regulation

    The Labour government is expected to step up regulatory change to make the country's financial services more innovative and globally competitive, with centralized oversight of the watchdogs to ensure they help consumers and facilitate economic growth.

  • July 04, 2024

    What Labour Means For UK White Collar Crime Enforcement

    The new Labour government will introduce an "expanded fraud strategy" as part of its reform of the means to tackle financial crime. And lawyers have told Law360 that the new government will find a valuable partner in a newly energized SFO.

  • July 04, 2024

    Labour Sweeps Tories From Power In UK Election Rout

    Keir Starmer was poised to become Britain's next prime minister on Friday after his Labour Party ousted Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of Tory government with a pledge of "national renewal."

  • July 04, 2024

    WSJ Publisher Dow Jones Must Face Bankers' GDPR Claims

    The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones has failed to strike out data protection allegations brought against it by two investment bankers as a London court found the claims were not a tactic to avoid the difficulties of bringing a defamation claim.

  • July 04, 2024

    Pope Aide Says Vatican 'Trapped' By UK Property Deal

    A close aide to the pope testified Thursday that he authorized payments of Є15 million ($16.2 million) to an Italian broker to regain full ownership for the Vatican of a London building at the heart a now-notorious property deal.

  • July 04, 2024

    Lender Hits Elite Law For £1.9M Over Alleged Loan Breach

    A lender has sued Elite Law Solicitors after it allegedly failed to spot that its client was a fraud and did not secure necessary protections over a £1.9 million ($2.4 million) property loan, telling a court that this has left it unable to recover its cash.

  • July 04, 2024

    Emirati Scrap Metal Sellers Lied To Secure $45M Loan

    A Dubai shipping broker and his son made false and fraudulent representations when they secured a $45 million loan arrangement from a Norwegian security agent and other lenders, a London court has ruled.

  • July 04, 2024

    Briton Wins Bid To Challenge $99M Wine Fraud Extradition

    A British businessman accused of defrauding investors out of $99 million by persuading them to make interest-bearing loans using valuable wine collections as collateral won a chance on Thursday to challenge his extradition to the U.S.

  • July 03, 2024

    Ex-Post Office Chair Says Legal Review Buried On Advice

    The former chair of the U.K.'s Post Office told a London inquiry Wednesday that he had not shared a legal review of prosecutions of subpostmasters due to advice that it would be legally privileged, despite warnings in the report that some of the convictions may have been unsafe.

Expert Analysis

  • Insurance Ruling Stresses High Hurdle To Fix Policy Wording

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    In Project Angel v. Axis, the Court of Appeal recently refused to rewrite the exclusion clause of an insurance policy, reminding parties in the warranty and indemnity market to carefully word clauses, as there is a high threshold before courts will intervene to amend policies, say Joseph Moore and Laura McCann at Travers Smith.

  • CMA Reports Signal Tighter Scrutiny Of AI Model Markets

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    The Competition and Markets Authority’s recent reports on artificial intelligence foundation models suggest that competition in AI is not working as it should, so large digital firms can expect the regulator to use its full toolbox as it continues to monitor and investigate the sector, say lawyers at Cooley.

  • Taking Stock Of Changes UK Economic Crime Act Will Bring

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    With more than six months since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act's enactment, it is time to look at the steps organizations can take to prepare for imminent changes, including the new failure to prevent fraud offense and extensions to Companies House authority, say lawyers at Mayer Brown.

  • Examining Senior Managers' Accountability For AI Use

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    With the Financial Conduct Authority's artificial intelligence update and the Prudential Regulation Authority’s letter to the government offering key guidance on the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, Senior Managers in these organizations need to show they have taken steps to prevent breaching requirements in order not to be held personally accountable, says Jennifer Holyoake at DLA Piper.

  • FCA Brokerage Changes Offer Asset Managers Wider Options

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s fast-tracked plan to lift its controversial ban on joint payments to broker-dealers for third-party services will be welcomed by many asset managers wishing to return to a soft commission structure, say Richard Frase and Simon Wright at Dechert.

  • What Cos. Should Know About The EU Greenwashing Rules

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    The EU's recently proposed Green Claims Directive introduces new rules to improve the transparency and honesty of environmental claims in advertising, which will help ensure that consumers receive accurate and reliable information to make informed purchasing decisions, says Daja Apetz-Dreier at Morgan Lewis.

  • Sanctions Ruling Opens Door For Enforcer To Clear Up Rules

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    In Vneshprombank v. Bedzhamov, the High Court recently argued against a broader interpretation of the test on reasonable suspicion for asset freezes, offering the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation an opportunity to clarify when freezes should be applied and respond to judicial criticism of its guidance on financial sanctions, says Tasha Benkhadra at Corker Binning.

  • How Gov't Response Addresses Investment Act Concerns

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    The government’s recently published response to a call for evidence on the National Security and Investment Act is largely appropriate to stakeholder concerns raised and demonstrates in its five areas of focus that it is willing to respond to live issues, say lawyers at Watson Farley.

  • New Legislation May Jeopardize The Future Of Data Protection

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    While U.K. officials argue that the recently enacted Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act seeks to enhance national security and the pending Data Protection and Digital Information Bill aims to modernize data protection regulations, both give rise to concerns about achieving a balance between security needs and individual liberties, says Maria Moloney at PrivacyEngine.

  • 'Debanking' Complaints Highlight Need For Flexibility In AML

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    The House of Commons' Treasury Committee's concerns about bank account closures have highlighted certain counterproductive features of anti-money laundering laws, and the review offers the opportunity for a more flexible approach, says John Binns at BCL Solicitors.

  • 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.

  • How Sustainability Directive Will Contribute to EU Regulation

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    The EU Sustainability Directive, in potentially enhancing certain obligations and setting a new benchmark for environmental and human rights due diligence practices, is a significant piece of legislation that will likely support the broader legal framework of other laws in a developing legal puzzle, say Rebecca Chin and Silke Goldberg at HSF.

  • 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.

  • What The EU Sustainability Directive Will Mean For Companies

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    The European Parliament’s recent approval of the landmark Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive provides welcome clarity for small and midsize enterprises regarding human rights and environmental due diligence expectations, forming part of a growing pressure on companies around the world to operate ethically and sustainably, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

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