Expert Analysis

• Economic Crime Act Offers Welcome Reform To AML Regime

  

  The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act exemption for mixed-property transactions that came into force on Jan. 15 as part of the U.K.'s anti-money laundering regime is long overdue, and should end economic harm to businesses, giving banks confidence to adopt a more pragmatic approach, say Matthew Getz and Joseph Fox-Davies at Pallas Partners.

• 3 Financial Services Hot Topics To Watch In 2024

  

  Technology, ESG and private markets are set to have the greatest impact on financial markets in 2024, as firms grapple with increasing regulatory change and a shifting political backdrop on both sides of the Atlantic, says Matthew Allen at Eversheds Sutherland.

• Key Litigation Funding Rulings Will Drive Reform In 2024

  

  Ground-breaking judgments on disputes funding and fee arrangements from 2023 — including that litigation funding agreements could be damages-based agreements, rendering them unenforceable — will bring legislative changes in 2024, which could have a substantial impact on litigation risk for several sectors, say Verity Jackson-Grant and David Bridge at Simmons & Simmons.

• 10 Global Antitrust Trends To Anticipate In 2024

  

  Proactive navigation of the antitrust enforcement environment remains crucial this year as legal policy and tools evolve to meet intensifying global economic complexity, including geopolitical tensions, trade realignment, market volatility and inflation, say attorneys at Freshfields.

• Breaking Down The New Rules For High Net Worth Individuals

  

  Andrew Northage at Walker Morris outlines what businesses need to be aware of to ensure ongoing compliance with revised conditions in the U.K. government's updated financial promotion exemptions for high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors, and suggests a few practical tips for businesses to follow.

• How Data Privacy Law Cases Are Evolving In UK, EU And US

  

  To see where the law is heading in 2024, it is worth looking at privacy litigation and enforcement trends from last year, where we saw a focus on General Data Protection Regulation regulatory enforcement actions in the U.K. and EU, and class actions brought by private plaintiffs in the U.S., say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

• Misleading Airline Ads Offer Lessons To Avoid Greenwashing

  

  Following the Advertising Standards Authority's recent decision that three airlines' adverts misled customers about their environmental impact, companies should ensure that their green claims comply with legal standards to avoid risking reputational damage, which could have financial repercussions, say Elaina Bailes and Olivia Shaw at Stewarts.

• CMA Guidance Can Help Businesses Act On Climate Change

  

  Guidance recently published by the Competition and Markets Authority, which explains how competition law applies to sustainability and climate change agreements, provides clarity for businesses seeking to collaborate and emphasizes the regulator’s open-door policy, says Andrew Maxwell at Freeths.

• An Overview Of UK Short Selling Regulation Reforms

  

  The steps taken by the U.K. government to reform the short selling regime show a thoughtful and considered approach and a willingness to listen to industry feedback in adapting the legacy EU regime to the realities of the U.K. markets, say Anna Maleva-Otto and Matthew Dow at Schulte Roth.

• Supreme Court Ruling Is A Gift To Insolvency Practitioners

  

  As corporate criminal liability is in sharp focus, the Supreme Court's recent decision in Palmer v. Northern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court that administrators are not company officers and should not be held liable under U.K. labor law is instructive in focusing on the substance and not merely the title of a person's role within a company, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

• What Can Be Learned From Adobe-Figma Merger Termination

  

  The Competition and Markets Authority’s role in the recent termination of the proposed Adobe-Figma merger deal indicates the regulator's intention to be seen as a strong enforcer in the technology sphere, and serves as a warning for companies to address antitrust risks early on in the merger process, say Deirdre Taylor and Molly Heslop at Gibson Dunn.

• How FCA Listing Regime Reform Proposals Are Developing

  

  The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently proposed U.K. equity listings reforms maintain increased flexibility with a disclosure-based approach, but much of the new regime’s success will depend on the eligibility criteria used and whether additional governance will be required for inclusion, say lawyers at Debevoise.

• Major EU AI Banking Ruling Will Reverberate Across Sectors

  

  Following the European Court of Justice's recent OQ v. Land Hessen decision that banks' use of AI-driven credit scores to make consumer decisions did not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, regulators indicated that the ruling would apply broadly, leaving numerous industries that employ AI-powered decisions open to scrutiny, say lawyers at Alston & Bird.

• Key Points From Ireland's New Accountability Framework

  

  The recently introduced Individual Accountability Framework is a positive step for the financial services industry in Ireland, and in contributing to cultural and practical change will encourage positive behavior and good governance for the benefit of the industry and investors, say Aongus McCarthy and Niall Esler at Walkers Global.

• Technology And AI: 2024's Legal And Regulatory Landscape

  

  Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith discusses what businesses and their lawyers can expect in the year ahead in terms of regulation, policies and associated risks related to advancing technologies and artificial intelligence, including the need for increased internal governance and workforce engagement.