Financial Services UK

  • June 24, 2024

    Businessman Sentenced For Disclosure Failings In Fraud Suit

    A real estate investor was given a suspended sentence by a London judge Monday for failing to hand over information about his financial assets to investors suing him for alleged fraud, despite a court order.

  • June 24, 2024

    Ex-Luminance CEO Joins The Barrister Group As COO

    The Barrister Group, which serves clients in England and Wales, announced on Monday the appointment of a chief operating officer with experience leading legal artificial intelligence co-pilot Luminance Technologies Ltd.

  • June 24, 2024

    BHS Asks For £133M In Damages From Former Director

    Liquidators for now-defunct retail chain British Home Stores argued Monday that one of the company's former directors owes it £133.5 million ($169.2 million), maintaining that the court should calculate damages from the day he was found to have agreed to a loan that was not in the interests of shareholders and not likely to save the business.

  • June 24, 2024

    German Banker's Cum-Ex Trial Dropped Due To Health

    The former chairman of M.M. Warburg & Co. KGaA will not face trial for alleged dividend-tax evasion linked to cum-ex transactions spanning from 2006 to 2019 after a German court halted the trial due to his health, according to a Monday court statement.

  • June 24, 2024

    Ex-Chief Of EU Lender Probed Over Corruption Allegations

    Werner Hoyer, the former head of the European Union's lending arm, is being investigated by the bloc's public prosecutor over corruption, abuse of influence and misappropriation allegations that he said on Monday were "unfounded and baseless."

  • June 24, 2024

    Dentons' Inadvertent AML Error Wasn't SRA Misconduct

    Dentons' U.K. arm failed in handling anti-money laundering checks on a politically exposed former client, but its oversight was entirely inadvertent and therefore did not amount to professional misconduct, a London tribunal has ruled.

  • June 24, 2024

    Herbert Smith Launches ESG Regulations Monitoring Tool

    Herbert Smith Freehills LLP on Monday launched a tool designed to help businesses stay up to date with the evolving landscape of environmental, social and governance regulations and reporting requirements.

  • June 24, 2024

    CEO Can Sue Nickel Mining Co. In UK Over 'Ambiguous' Firing

    An employment tribunal has ruled that the former CEO of a Zambian mining company can pursue his unfair dismissal claim in the U.K. after concluding that his contract was subject to English law.

  • June 24, 2024

    UAE Fund Can't Shake Asset Freeze As Mogul Chases £20M

    A London court agreed on Monday to continue a worldwide asset freezing order against a UAE sovereign wealth fund to allow an aviation tycoon to attempt to recover more than £20 million ($25.4 million) after a fraud allegedly assisted by a Dechert LLP partner.

  • June 24, 2024

    Charity Urges Better Ways To Fight Investment Greenwashing

    A legal environmental charity on Monday called for stronger measures to address the practice of misrepresenting financial products as environmentally friendly when they do not meet the necessary sustainability criteria.

  • June 24, 2024

    Prudential Launches First Tranche Of $2B Buyback Program

    Insurer and asset manager Prudential PLC has commenced an initial $700 million share buyback program, the first phase of a wider up to $2 billion repurchase scheme, advised by Slaughter and May.

  • June 24, 2024

    FCA Takes Action Against 3 Fund Mngrs On Risky Investments

    The financial watchdog said Monday that it has decided to ban and fine three individuals who ran fund manager SVS Securities PLC after it invested clients' pension money into high-risk bonds that have defaulted, threatening their retirement security.

  • June 24, 2024

    CMS-Led Aareal Bank To Sell Unit To TPG For €3.9B

    German lender Aareal Bank AG and investment company Advent International said Monday that they have agreed to sell a property management and maintenance software company to U.S. private equity firm TPG and Canada's CDPQ for approximately €3.9 billion ($4.2 billion).

  • June 21, 2024

    UK Tax Fraud Cases Rose 49% Over One-Year Period

    The U.K. tax authority launched more criminal cases for tax fraud for the year ended June 30, 2023, increasing 49% from 63 cases for the previous year to 94, Pinsent Masons LLP said Monday.

  • June 21, 2024

    Russian Bank Founder Hit With Asset Freeze In $850M Claim

    A London judge froze the assets of the co-founder of a Russian bank in a hearing Friday, in the latest development of an $850 million fraud claim in which two Russian lenders are seeking to claw back allegedly embezzled funds.

  • June 21, 2024

    OECD Official Sees Amount B Deal Helping With Amount A

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is close to a final deal on a key part of its efforts to establish new international taxing rights under Amounts A and B of its Pillar One plans, according to the organization's tax chief.

  • June 21, 2024

    Austrian Bank Beats Challenge To 'Easybank' TM

    Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo lost its challenge to an Austrian bank's "easybank" trademark, after the Austrian bank persuaded the European Union's intellectual property office that it had put its direct banking brand to good use.

  • June 21, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen JD Wetherspoon sue a Welsh pub over its name in the Intellectual Property Court, ex-professional boxer Amir Khan and his wife file libel action against an influencer, the Performing Right Society hit with a competition claim over music licensing, and Manolete Partners bring action against the directors of a bust investment firm. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 21, 2024

    European Funds Want Laxer Rules On Derivatives Calls

    A European investment fund industry trade body has called for a reduction in proposed global rules to manage calls for extra money supporting derivatives positions intended to reduce the risk of a market crisis.

  • June 21, 2024

    Axiom Stays £65M Action As Directors Claim Bankruptcy

    A London judge ruled on Friday that shuttered firm Axiom Ince can stay its almost £65 million ($82 million) claim against its ex-director and several of his companies for allegedly misappropriating client funds, saying the main defendant has been declared bankrupt.

  • June 20, 2024

    Pensioners Still Taxed With 'Triple Lock Plus,' LCP Says

    The ruling Conservative Party's pledge to add a tax break to the anti-inflation "triple lock" on pensions would still mean that 2.5 million U.K. pensioners will be taxed, consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock LLP said Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    WTW Says Professional Trustee Appointments Up 11%

    Professional trustee appointments have surged by 11% over the past year, with corporate sole trustee appointments rising at 14%, according to WTW's 2024 professional trustee survey published Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    Mastercard Settles Retailers' Swipe Fees Group Litigation

    Mastercard has settled a class action claim brought by more than 1,900 businesses in ongoing litigation over allegations it imposed excessively high credit card fees on merchants, a person familiar with the case has confirmed.

  • June 20, 2024

    Aegon Plans ESG Shakeup Of £12B Workplace Pension Fund

    Pensions provider Aegon on Thursday announced a raft of measures to overhaul its £12 billion ($15.2 billion) workplace retirement fund, as it plots to reduce its carbon emissions and invest more in unlisted assets.

  • June 20, 2024

    Financial Watchdog Launches First-Ever ESG Probe Into Biz

    The Financial Conduct Authority has opened its first-ever enforcement investigation into a company over climate-related issues, lawyers from an environmental legal campaign group said on Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • Highlights Of The UK's New Economic Crime Plan

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    With the direction of the U.K. government’s newly launched second economic crime plan undeniably altered by the recent focus on kleptocrats and their money, the emphasis is now on how the U.K. can deliver a more effective approach to reducing the threat of economic crime, says Kathryn Westmore at the Royal United Services Institute.

  • Fresh View Ruling Offers Clarity On Forfeiture Orders

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    The pragmatic focus on property rather than the defendants’ wrongdoing in Fresh View v. Westminster Magistrates' Court will be welcomed by enforcement authorities, although the low bar where mere knowledge or suspicion of unlawful conduct may be sufficient for forfeiture could be of concern to innocent recipients, says Joseph Sinclair at Mountford Chambers.

  • Considering Sanctions Enforcement From An EU Perspective

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    The creation of the European G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism and a sanctions environment with increased enforcement on a multijurisdictional level aims to streamline enforcement at EU level, essential for an effective implementation of the sanctions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Analyzing The UK Proposal For A Digital Pound

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    While the HM Treasury and Bank of England’s consultation makes clear that a central bank digital currency will likely be needed in the future, and there is certainly momentum in the space, there are still a number of concerns to be addressed, say attorneys at Simmons & Simmons.

  • How The LDI Crisis May Lead To Pensions' Negligence Claims

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    Following the liability-driven investment crisis and its impact on pension schemes, employers and trustees may now be considering if anyone is to blame for any losses arising, say Rachael Healey and Andrew Oberholzer at RPC.

  • UK Financial Services Bill May Not Be Quick Fraud Fix

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    While the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Bill is expected to pass into law this year and will make it easier for fraud victims to achieve redress, the reforms could result in increased costs and greater friction in payment processing and may not directly make it more difficult for criminals to operate scams, say Daniel Murphy and Gary Orritt at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • A Look At Key Trends In UK Enforcement Of G-7 Sanctions

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    In light of the recent creation of a G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism that is opening the door for greater collaboration between the U.K. and G-7 countries, together with a more aggressive approach to enforcement in the U.K., an uptick in investigations is likely, particularly regarding Russia, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Proposed EU Directive May Bring Harmony To Insolvency Law

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    The diverging insolvency regimes across European Union member states often lead to significant discrepancies in the recovery value for creditors, but a recent proposal for a directive that would affect areas like directors' duties and prepack processes represents a welcome move toward the harmonization of these laws across the EU, say attorneys at Taylor Wessing.

  • UK Enviro Ruling Takes Narrow View Of Standard Of Review

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    In an important case that should provide comfort to investors involved in large public-finance backed infrastructure projects, the U.K. Court of Appeal's judgment against Friends of the Earth suggests that English courts will only intervene in limited circumstances where the U.K. government is challenged on the basis of an international treaty, say Holly Stebbing and Maddie Hallwright at Norton Rose.

  • How Changes To 'Acting In Concert' Will Affect UK Takeovers

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    The recent changes made to the rules by the U.K. Takeover Panel on who is presumed to be acting in concert will be of most interest to parties proposing to make a bid for a U.K. listed company, and give welcome clarity as to how the U.K. takeover regime operates, say attorneys at Herbert Smith.

  • Crypto And The Potential For Insider Dealing Offense

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    Recent cases have raised concerns about crypto providing new opportunities for insider dealing, and while it isn't more vulnerable to schemes than any other security, the lack of regulation and the newness of the technology exasperate its susceptibility to insider trading and potential criminal offense, say Adam Craggs and Alice Kemp at RPC.

  • UK Ruling Guides On Appropriation Of Financial Collateral

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    While a London court’s recent ruling in ABT Auto Investments v. Aapico sets out practical guidelines for enforcement of security over financial collateral by appropriation — particularly amid a breakdown of relations with the collateral provider — a recently proposed bill could mean the future of this method is in question, say Bruce Johnston and Paul Denham at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Lenders And Borrowers Can Prepare For Libor's End

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    While the end of Libor in just over three months isn't expected to greatly affect the syndicated loan market, borrowers and lenders should check their agreements for fallback provisions and references to Libor in order to implement the applicable benchmark replacement, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Key Points In Draft EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation

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    The draft implementing regulation on EU foreign subsidy control provides eagerly awaited guidance on the submission of mandatory notifications, but there are still many open questions, say Paul van den Berg and Merit Olthoff at Freshfields.

  • Sanctions Enforcement Around The G-7: View From The US

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    The recent creation of the G-7 Enforcement Coordination Mechanism, to be chaired by the U.S. in its first year, signals that companies should prepare for increased enforcement of Russia sanctions and better coordination of such efforts among member nations, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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