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Financial Services UK
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October 04, 2024
McDermott Taps Big 4 Partner As Senior Tax Pro In London
McDermott Will & Emery LLP announced it has recruited a former U.K. partner from KPMG to join its firm as a tax partner, bringing an expert in private equity to its London office.
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October 11, 2024
Dechert Hires Fund Finance Pro From DLA Piper
Dechert LLP has recruited a fund finance specialist as a partner from DLA Piper to boost its offerings for asset management firms, financial institutions and alternative lenders.
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October 04, 2024
FCA's £29M Fine Of Starling Sends Wider Compliance Warning
The Financial Conduct Authority hit Starling Bank Ltd. with a £28.9 million ($38.4 million) fine on Wednesday for inadequate anti-money laundering and sanctions controls. This has sent a wider warning to companies that compliance levels must match growth.
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October 04, 2024
Bahamian Bank Claims No Fault In $3M Loan Row
A Bahamian bank has argued it did not breach a $3 million loan agreement with a director of an American biotech company, arguing the deal was justifiably terminated and that it does not owe him $15 million for any alleged losses.
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October 03, 2024
Former Senior Accountant Jailed For £1M Council Fraud
A former council accountant has been jailed for defrauding a local authority out of nearly £1 million ($1.3 million) over two decades, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
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October 03, 2024
FCA Charges 2 Brothers With Insider Dealing
The U.K.'s financial watchdog charged two men with insider dealing in London on Thursday over allegations they pocketed £110,000 ($144,230) by profiting off confidential information on oil and gas stocks over a four-year period.
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October 03, 2024
Whisky Fund Manager To Pay £51K Over Sexist Treatment
An employment tribunal has ordered an investment consultancy specializing in rare whiskies to pay £51,800 ($68,000) to a female staff member after employees harassed her and forced her out with sexist treatment.
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October 03, 2024
New UK Anti-Fraud Law Could Fuel Prosecution Of Individuals
The new "failure to prevent fraud" offense that is likely to take effect in 2025 was written to target large companies that do not have internal controls to prevent such crime, but lawyers are warning clients that bosses will be expected to help pursue individual fraudsters
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October 03, 2024
Pension Co. Expects Greater Investment Plan Detail In Budget
More detail on how the British government plans to generate greater investment from the £800 billion ($1.05 trillion) defined contribution sector into the economy seems "highly likely" to feature in the upcoming autumn Budget, PensionBee has said.
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October 03, 2024
Herbert Smith-Led WTW Buys Stake In Wealth Manager
Insurance group Willis Towers Watson PLC said Thursday that it has acquired a minority stake in U.K. wealth manager Atomos, following an alliance between the companies since 2022.
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October 03, 2024
EU Finance Bodies Seek Clarity On Cybersecurity Compliance
Financial trade bodies across the European Union have urged regulators to clarify critical requirements under the Digital Operational Resilience Act, which is set to come into effect in January, saying they are not clear on how the cybersecurity legislation applies to them.
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October 02, 2024
UK To Give Banks New Powers To Combat Fraudsters
The U.K. government said Thursday it is introducing new laws enabling banks to extend investigations of suspected fraudulent payments.
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October 02, 2024
Parliamentary Ombudsman Probes Pensions Injustice
The independent complaints body for government departments has launched an inquiry into historical injustices in state pensions that could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds being paid out in compensation to women who were affected, a consultancy said Thursday.
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October 02, 2024
FCA Wins Appeal In $700M BlueCrest Investor Redress Case
The Financial Conduct Authority can resume its bid to impose a redress scheme of more than $700 million for investors of hedge fund BlueCrest Capital Management, an appeals court said Wednesday, ruling that a tribunal wrongly held that the regulator did not have that power.
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October 02, 2024
Italian Lender Beats Rival's Challenge To 'Isybank' TM Bid
An Austrian bank cannot rely on its "Easybank" trademarks to stop Italian rival Intesa Sanpaolo from protecting its "Isybank" brand because there is no likelihood of European Union consumers mixing up the signs, officials in the bloc have ruled.
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October 09, 2024
Shoosmiths Adds Privacy & Data Partner From BCLP
Shoosmiths LLP has hired a new partner to its privacy and data unit in London from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, with the new arrival saying Wednesday that an immediate rapport with Shoosmiths' partners led her to jump ship.
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October 02, 2024
Hogan Lovells Leads Royal London's 1st £30M Pension Deal
The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Ltd. completed its first full scheme buy-in with the £30 million ($39.8 million) acquisition of The Retreat York Pension Scheme in a deal guided by Hogan Lovells and Wrigleys Solicitors, its adviser K3 Advisory said Wednesday.
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October 02, 2024
FCA Fines Starling £29M For 'Shockingly Lax' Client Screening
The U.K.'s City watchdog said Wednesday that it has hit Starling Bank Ltd. with a £28.9 million ($38.4 million) fine over failures to screen for financial sanctions and for breaching a ban on opening accounts for high-risk clients.
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October 02, 2024
Reed Smith Steers £140M Pension Deal For Insurance Biz
Aviva PLC has covered £140 million ($186 million) of pension liabilities for insurance group Thomas Miller & Co. Ltd. to secure the benefits of all members of the retirement savings plan, the companies said Wednesday.
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October 01, 2024
Westfield Denies Infringing Clearpay IP In Partnership Dispute
Shopping giant Westfield has returned fire in a battle with Clearpay Finance Ltd. over a collapsed partnership, with the shopping center company denying infringing the credit business's intellectual property by continuing to show Clearpay advertisements in its centers.
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October 01, 2024
Investors Settle Wirecard Fraud Case With Transfer Provider
Two businessmen have settled claims worth €33 million ($36.5 million) brought by investors who alleged the pair duped them into selling their stake in a money transfer provider for a pittance before the company was sold on to payments giant Wirecard for many times the price.
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October 01, 2024
McFaddens Dodges Client's Late Claim Over Loan Advice
A court said Tuesday that a City of London law firm can sidestep a client's claim that she received negligent advice over a loan, ruling that there was no good reason for her filing key details of the claim too late.
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October 08, 2024
Eversheds Sutherland Taps Rutgers & Posch For Finance Trio
Eversheds Sutherland said Tuesday it has hired three finance lawyers from Dutch law firm Rutgers & Posch as it looks to grow its partner cohort in the Benelux region.
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October 01, 2024
UK's 1st Sanction Fine Fires Warning Shot, But A Muffled One
Britain's sanctions enforcer's recently imposed its first fine for a breach of Russia-related restrictions — a modest reminder that the watchdog will penalize companies that fail to understand black-letter regulations rather than the warning shot that lawyers had expected.
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October 01, 2024
Lloyd's Says Forgery Sinks Claim Over Ship Struck In Ukraine
Lloyd's of London's Belgian unit has denied owing a wealth advisory business $3.7 million to cover alleged losses after a ship was struck by a mine, claiming the vessel at the time was trading in Ukrainian waters so it wasn't covered under the insurance policy.
Expert Analysis
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Comparing The UK And EU Approaches To AI Regulation
While there are significant points of convergence between the recently published U.K. approach to artificial intelligence regulation and the EU AI Act, there is also notable divergence between them, and it appears that the U.K. will remain a less regulatory environment for AI in the foreseeable future, say lawyers at Steptoe.
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Lessons On Using 3rd-Party Disclosure Orders In Fraud Cases
The expansion of the gateway for service out of jurisdiction regarding third-party information orders has proven to be an effective tool against fraud since it was introduced in 2022, and recent case law offers practical tips on what applicants should be aware of when submitting such orders, says Rosie Wild at Cooke Young.
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A Look At The Latest EU Alternative Investment Regulation
Recent amendments to the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive governing a range of alternative investment funds reflect a growing regulatory focus on nonbanking financial institutions, which expand credit to support economic growth but carry a commensurate risk, say Juliette Mills and Alix Prentice at Cadwalader.
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Unpacking The Law Commission's Digital Assets Consultation
The Law Commission recently published a consultation on recognizing a third personal property category to accommodate the development of digital assets, highlighting difficulties with current models of property rights and the potential consequences of considering digital assets as personal property, say Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP.
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Unpacking The FCA's Approach To AML Compliance Failures
In light of the upward trend of skilled-person reviews by the Financial Conduct Authority, including the latest investigation into Lloyds' anti-money laundering controls, financial firms should familiarize themselves with the mechanisms of FCA supervision and enforcement investigations, says Kathryn Westmore at RUSI.
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New Russia Sanctions Reveal Int'l Enforcement Capabilities
Significant new U.K., U.S. and EU sanctions imposed on Russia notably target Europe-based individuals and entities accused of sanctions evasion, and with an apparent political will to enhance capabilities, the rhetoric is translating into international enforcement activity, say lawyers at Cadwalader.
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What COVID Payout Ruling Means For Lockdown Loss Claims
While the High Court's recent COVID-19 payout decision in Gatwick v. Liberty Mutual, holding that pandemic-related regulations trigger prevention of access clauses, will likely lead to insurers accepting more business interruption claims, there are still evidentiary challenges and issues regarding policy limits and furlough, say Josianne El Antoury and Greg Lascelles at Covington.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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EEA Equivalence Statement Is Welcomed By Fund Managers
The recent statement confirming European Economic Area equivalence to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities for U.K. overseas funds regime purposes removes many managers’ concerns in the wake of Brexit, giving a clear pathway out of temporary marketing permissions and easing the transition from one regime to another, says Catherine Weeks at Simmons & Simmons.
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In Int'l Arbitration Agreements, Be Clear About Governing Law
A trilogy of recent cases in the English High Court and Court of Appeal highlight the importance of parties agreeing to explicit choice of law language at the outset of an arbitration agreement in order to avoid costly legal skirmishes down the road, say lawyers at Faegre Drinker.
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Crypto As A Coin Of The Corporate Realm: The Pros And Cons
The broadened range of crypto-assets opens up new possibilities for employers looking to recruit, incentivize and retain employees through the use of crypto, but certain risks must be addressed, say Dan Sharman and Sunny Mangatt at Shoosmiths.
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Comparing UK And EU's View On 3rd-Party Service Providers
The U.K. is taking welcome steps to address the lack of direct oversight over critical third-party service providers, and although less onerous than that of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act, the U.K. regime's proportionate approach is designed to make providers more robust and reliable, say lawyers at Shearman.
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Key Points Of BoE Response To Digital Pound Consultation
Lawyers at Hogan Lovells analyze the recent Bank of England and U.K. government response to a consultation on the launch of a digital pound, finding that the phased approach to evaluating the issues makes sense given the significant potential impact on the U.K. economy.
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Goldman Prosecution Delivers A Clear Sign Of FCA Strength
The recent successful prosecution of a former Goldman Sachs analyst for insider dealing and fraud is a reminder to regulated individuals that economic crime will never be tolerated, and that the Financial Conduct Authority is willing to bare its teeth in the exercise of its prosecutorial remit, says Doug Cherry at Fladgate.
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The Good, The Bad And The New Of The UK Sanctions Regime
Almost six years after the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act was introduced, the U.K. government has published a strategy paper that outlines its focus points and unveils potential changes to the regime, such as a new humanitarian exception for financial sanctions, highlighting the rapid transformation of the U.K. sanctions landscape, says Josef Rybacki at WilmerHale.