Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Corporate Crime & Compliance UK
-
November 29, 2024
Audit Watchdog Urges EU To Curb Harmful Tax Practices
The European Union is still not doing enough to stop harmful corporate tax practices that are costing governments more than €100 billion ($105 billion) a year in revenue, the bloc's independent audit watchdog has warned.
-
November 28, 2024
Barclays Fights 'Shareholder Rule' In Privilege Dispute
Investors sought to prevent Barclays PLC asserting legal privilege over documents requested for disclosure in securities fraud litigation at a court hearing Thursday, after a judge ruled in a separate case that a "shareholder rule" exception to legal privilege did not exist.
-
November 28, 2024
Police Detain 32 People In Raids On €297M VAT Fraud Network
Police have detained more than 30 people in raids on a €297 million ($313 million) value-added tax fraud network that spanned 16 EU countries, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.
-
November 28, 2024
UK To Ban 'Rogue,' 'Shameless' Firms From Hiring Overseas
Employers that breach visa rules to exploit foreign workers will be banned from hiring overseas help for at least two years, the government said Thursday as it launched measures to crack down on abuse of the immigration system.
-
November 28, 2024
EU Closes Tax Investigations Into Amazon, Fiat, Starbucks
The European Commission said Thursday that it is closing tax investigations into three multinational companies — Amazon, Fiat and Starbucks — following a series of high-profile court decisions.
-
November 28, 2024
Lawyer Duped By Fraudulent Barrister Overturns Firm Closure
A court has ordered the solicitors' regulator to end the closure of a law firm, concluding that it was unlikely that its manager knew that a "fraudulent impostor" was forging property titles and making false mortgage applications.
-
November 28, 2024
BHP Exec Denies Mining Giant's Role In Brazil Dam Disaster
The former chief financial officer of Australian miner BHP Billiton told the High Court on Thursday that it was a "separate entity" from Samarco — the company responsible for running a mine that caused Brazil's worst environmental disaster.
-
November 28, 2024
UK Trial Of Bulgarians Accused Of Spying For Russia Begins
Three Bulgarians "tasked to spy" for Russia gathered information on prominent targets before passing it along to a Russian agent, a prosecutor told the first day of a trial in London on Thursday.
-
November 28, 2024
Former Finance Execs Must Pay £45M For Takeover Violations
The financial troubles of three former executives of MWB Group, an investment firm that has collapsed, does not preclude them from owing £44.8 million ($56.8 million) in compensation for violating the U.K. takeover rules by deceiving shareholders, a court ruled on Thursday.
-
November 28, 2024
Ex-HMRC Compliance Officer Helped Husband Launder £3M
A former compliance officer with HM Revenue and Customs has been handed a suspended sentence for her role in a £3 million ($3.8 million) money laundering operation carried out by her husband, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.
-
November 28, 2024
SFO General Counsel Sara Lawson To Step Down Early 2025
The Serious Fraud Office said on Thursday that its general counsel, Sara Lawson KC, is stepping down at the end of January after almost six years as the agency's most senior lawyer.
-
November 28, 2024
FCA Reworks Plans To Name Firms Under Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority issued "significant" revisions to controversial proposals for publicizing investigations of wrongdoing on Thursday, including a move to give businesses more time to make justifications to the watchdog before being named.
-
November 27, 2024
BlueCrest Disputes 'Disguised Salary' Claim In HMRC Case
British-American hedge fund BlueCrest Capital Management LLP pushed back Wednesday against arguments from the U.K. tax authority that its portfolio managers are employees receiving a disguised salary.
-
November 27, 2024
FCA Strengthens Whistleblowing Policy After Staff Complaints
The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has updated its internal whistleblowing policy in the wake of complaints from employees that it has failed to properly act on intelligence provided by informers.
-
November 27, 2024
SFO Must Disclose Cost Of Botched Unaoil Probe
The Serious Fraud Office must disclose the total cost of its controversial Unaoil investigation after a tribunal rejected the authority's argument that providing the details would hamper its ability to prosecute economic crime.
-
November 27, 2024
LSB Needs Bigger Budget After Axiom Ince Probe Overspend
The body that oversees the regulation of lawyers plans to increase its next annual budget by 11% as it admitted it had overspent in the current financial year because of higher-than-expected costs from its review of Axiom Ince.
-
November 27, 2024
Dyson Fights To Keep Workers' Forced Labor Claim Out Of UK
British appliance manufacturer Dyson fought on Wednesday to keep a forced labor case out of England, telling a London appeals court that claims that migrant workers were abused in Malaysian factories should be heard in the Asian country.
-
November 27, 2024
FCA Fines Former Wizz Air Exec Over Share Trades
The City watchdog said Wednesday it has fined a former executive at budget airline operator Wizz Air Holdings PLC over unallowed trading in the airline's shares worth more than £4 million ($5 million).
-
November 27, 2024
UK Investors Denied Appeal In Barclays Dark Pool Claim
A High Court Judge refused Wednesday to allow U.K. investors to challenge his decision striking out claims worth £330 million ($418 million) from securities fraud litigation alleging that Barclays dishonestly delayed publishing information about its dark pool trading system.
-
November 27, 2024
Briton Fights South African Extradition In £36M Bribery Case
A British businessman wanted in South Africa over an alleged £36 million ($46 million) government bribery scandal urged a London judge on Wednesday to hit the brakes on his extradition following recent findings that the request is unconstitutional.
-
November 27, 2024
HSBC Loses Challenge To €32M Euribor Rigging Fine
HSBC Holdings PLC has lost its challenge to a €31.7 million ($33.4 million) European Union fine for rigging Euribor, as a European court rejected on Wednesday the bank's argument that the penalty was imposed out of time.
-
November 27, 2024
UK Court's National Security Decision Highlights M&A Risk
A court decision that compelled LetterOne, a Russian-backed investment firm, to sell a broadband provider highlights the regulatory risk posed to corporate dealmakers by the government's far-reaching national security discretion, including the costly prospect that they might have to unwind concluded transactions.
-
November 26, 2024
UK Gov't Urged To Hold Off On Changes To Inheritance Tax
The British Labour government should hold off on inheritance tax changes for farmers, scheduled to take effect in April, that would make gifts to their heirs taxable if they occur within seven years of the giver's death, a U.K. economics think tank said.
-
November 26, 2024
Prince Harry, Celebs Can Keep Daily Mail Burglary Allegations
Prince Harry and Elton John saw their case against the Daily Mail's publishers get a boost on Tuesday, as a London court refused to toss claims that its journalists had hired investigators to carry out burglaries.
-
November 26, 2024
'Incompetent' FCA Needs Gov't-Led Radical Reform, MPs Say
The Financial Conduct Authority is not fit for purpose and requires government intervention for an extensive overhaul to address its "significant shortcomings" if it is to be an effective regulator, a group of cross-party MPs said in a report published Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
-
AI Reforms Prompt Fintech Compliance Considerations
With the EU Artificial Intelligence Act's Aug. 1 enforcement, and the U.K.'s new plans to introduce AI reforms, fintech companies should consider how to best focus limited resources as they balance innovation and compliance, says Nicola Kerr-Shaw at Skadden.
-
Irish Businesses Should Act Now To Prepare For EU AI Act
Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the Irish job market, and proactive engagement with the forthcoming European Union AI Act, a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for Irish businesses, will be essential for Irish businesses to responsibly harness AI’s advantages and to maintain legal compliance, say lawyers at Pinsent Masons.
-
Takeaways From World Uyghur Congress Forced Labor Ruling
The Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in the World Uyghur Congress' case against the National Crime Agency confirms that companies dealing in goods that they suspect to be products of forced labor are potentially liable to criminal prosecution, presenting significant legal risks that cannot always be mitigated through conducting supply chain due diligence, say lawyers at King & Spalding.
-
10 Ways To Manage AI Risks In Service Contracts
With the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act coming into force on Aug. 1 and introducing a new regulatory risk, and with AI technology continuing to develop at pace, parties to services arrangements should employ mechanisms now to build in flexibility and get on the front foot, says James Longster at Travers Smith.
-
What Future May Hold For AI Innovation In UK Under Labour
Labour’s recent King's Speech was notable in its absence of discussion of a comprehensive artificial intelligence bill, and while this may indicate to many that the UK is open for business, the party’s approach to cross-sectoral engagement will be critical for shaping Britain's AI landscape in the near term, says Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith.
-
Unpacking The New Concept Of 'Trading Misfeasance'
In addition to granting one of the largest trading awards since the Insolvency Act was passed in 1986, the High Court recently introduced a novel claim for misfeasant trading in Wright v. Chappell, opening the door to liability for directors, even where insolvent liquidation or administration was not inevitable, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.
-
EU WhatsApp Deletion Fine Sends Clear Message
The recent European Commission fine of International Flavors & Fragrances — the first for the deletion of social media messages during a dawn raid — although halved as a result of IFF's cooperation, shows the commission's view on obstruction poses a real risk to companies under investigation, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.
-
Key Takeaways From Proposed EU Anticorruption Directive
The European Commission's anticorruption proposal, on which the EU Council recently adopted a position, will substantially alter the landscape of corporate compliance and liability across the EU, so companies will need to undertake rigorous revisions of their compliance frameworks to align with the directive's demands, say lawyers at Linklaters.
-
Implications Of EU Network Directive For Data Center Owners
With the October implementation deadline of the EU’s new cybersecurity regime under the Network Systems Directive fast approaching, data center owners and operators need to consider compliance steps, and U.K. companies providing services in the EU should take note, say lawyers at Bird & Bird.
-
New EU Guidelines Provide Insights On Global AI Regulation
The European Data Protection Supervisor’s first guidelines on artificial intelligence only apply to governmental bodies, but together with the EU AI Act they demonstrate a strong and prescriptive policy, and offer a glimpse into what could be the next phase in world AI regulation, says Kevin Benedicto at Redgrave.
-
Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.
The plea deal for conspiracy to defraud regulators that Boeing has tentatively agreed to will, on the one hand, probably help the company avoid further reputational damage, but also demonstrates to companies that deferred prosecution agreements have real teeth, and that noncompliance with DPA terms can be costly, says Edmund Vickers at Red Lion Chambers.
-
Keeping Up With Carbon Capture Policy In The US And EU
Recent regulatory moves from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission in the carbon capture, sequestration and storage space are likely to further encourage the owners and operators of fossil fuel-fired power plants to make decisions on shutdowns or reconfiguration to meet the expanding requirements, say Inosi Nyatta and Silvia Brünjes at Sullivan & Cromwell.
-
How AI Treaty Will Further Global Governance Cooperation
The EU’s recently adopted treaty on artificial intelligence represents a significant step toward global cooperation in AI governance in emphasizing human rights obligations, although additional guidance and clarity would be beneficial to minimize varied interpretations at national level, say lawyers at Eversheds Sutherland.
-
EU Investor-State Dispute Transparency Rules: Key Points
The European Union's recent vote to embrace greater transparency for investor-state arbitration will make managing newly public information more complex for all parties in a dispute — so it is important for stakeholders to understand the risks and opportunities involved, say Philip Hall, Tara Flores and Charles McKeon at Thorndon Partners.
-
How Regulation Of Tech Providers Is Breaking New Ground
The forthcoming EU regulation on digital operational resilience and the U.K. critical third-party regime, by expanding the direct application of financial services regulation to designated technology providers, represent a significant development that is not to be underestimated, say David Berman and Emily Lemaire at Covington.