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Financial Services UK
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July 01, 2024
Global Group Tells Banks To Report Suspected Crime Better
A global banking group for combating financial crime warned Monday that banks should improve the quality of suspicious activity reports to make them more useful to law enforcement and cutting current over-reporting.
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July 01, 2024
Monzo Introduces New Anti-Fraud Controls
Monzo Bank Ltd. launched Monday three new security features to add a layer of protection for payments and pot withdrawals exceeding a daily allowance while addressing the growing concern of phone theft and fraud.
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July 01, 2024
EU Bans Giving Tax Consulting Services To Belarus
The European Union has introduced a ban on providing tax consulting and many other professional services to Belarus in a wide-ranging package of measures largely aimed at preventing the circumvention of the bloc's sanctions against Russia, a statement said.
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July 01, 2024
Payment Services Business Begins £20M Share Buyback
PayPoint PLC on Monday commenced its up to £20 million ($25 million) share repurchase program, part of the payment services company's three-year scheme aimed at returning capital to investors.
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July 01, 2024
Skadden-Led BlackRock To Buy Data Group Preqin For £2.6B
Investment firm BlackRock said Monday that it has agreed to acquire private markets data provider Preqin for £2.55 billion ($3.2 billion) to boost its investment management in a deal guided by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Macfarlanes LLP.
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July 01, 2024
Osborne Clarke Guides Aviva's School Pension Deal
Insurance giant Aviva has completed a full scheme buy-in for a pension plan sponsored by Taunton School, consultancy Broadstone said Monday, in a deal guided by Osborne Clarke LLP.
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June 28, 2024
EU Insurance Watchdog Warns Of Real Estate Risk Exposure
The European pensions and insurance industries are increasingly exposed to the possibility of a real estate collapse, the sector watchdog warned in a newly published report into the financial stability for the region.
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June 28, 2024
EU Adds 4 Pro-Russian Companies To Sanctions List
The Council of the European Union added four Russian companies and two individuals to its sanctions list Friday for actions that threaten Ukraine amid Russia's waging war against it.
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June 28, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Vinson, Skadden
In this week's Taxation with Representation, Aareal Bank AG and Advent International sell a property management and maintenance software company, Webtoon Entertainment Inc. and Tamboran Resources Corp. price initial public offerings, SM Energy Company acquires oil and gas assets, and Nokia sells Alcatel Submarine Networks to the French state.
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June 28, 2024
Firms Face Increased Scrutiny Amid FCA Focus On Resilience
The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority have challenged two thirds of general insurance and investment firms about their ability to prevent disruption by threats like cyberattacks, according to an industry study.
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June 28, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen Uber hit with claims from Addison Lee and the former CEO of the Kabbee app, animal by-product company Leo Group file a defamation claim against a local anti-odor campaigner, and a self-styled lord who claims to be the illegitimate son of the late Prince Phillip resume legal action against his cousins for a share in his late aunt's estate. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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June 28, 2024
Turkey Taken Off Global AML Monitoring List After Rule Fixes
The Financial Action Task Force said Friday that it has removed Turkey from its "gray list" after the country improved its anti-money laundering rules and strengthened its regulations combating the financing of terrorism.
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June 28, 2024
ING Claim Would Fund Sanctioned Billionaire, Tecnimont Says
ING cannot recover money from Tecnimont in a €212 million ($227 million) bond dispute because compensating the Dutch lender would directly fund a sanctioned Russian billionaire, the Italian industrial group said in London court filings.
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June 28, 2024
Fidelis Claims No Liability In $23M Stranded Jet Spat
Fidelis Underwriting Ltd. has hit back at another claim that it must pay out in a $23 million row over a leased plane stranded in Russia, arguing that no insured event has occurred, and that an Irish aviation lessor is not covered by the country's law.
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June 28, 2024
Manolete Sues MSR Partners For £15.6M Over Audit Failure
Manolete Partners PLC has sued MSR Partners LLP for £15.6 million ($19.7 million), alleging that the accounting firm failed in auditing a peer-to-peer lending platform that went into administration in 2019.
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June 27, 2024
Barclays Says Businessmen Breached £13.7M Freezing Order
Barclays Bank PLC told a London court Thursday that three businessmen breached a freezing order by moving assets offshore as it sued them, claiming they conspired to take £13.7 million ($17.4 million) by exploiting its overdraft mechanism.
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June 27, 2024
NFT Game CEO Accuses Collaborator Of Keeping Biz Info
The CEO of an NFT-winning online game has accused his former collaborator of refusing to hand over confidential information belonging to his gaming company after the pair's professional relationship broke down.
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June 27, 2024
DWF Buys Australian Claims Management Business
Private equity-backed DWF LLP said Thursday it has agreed to buy Australian claims management company Proclaim for an undisclosed amount to bolster its presence in the country.
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June 27, 2024
EasyGroup Can't Claim TM It Isn't Using, Van Rental Biz Says
Car and van rental firm Easihire has hit back in London court at easyGroup's claims of trademark infringement, arguing that the low-cost giant should lose the "easyHire" mark it relied on because it hadn't even used it.
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June 27, 2024
Xeinadin Sues Ex-Director, Wife Over Breach Of Duties
Xeinadin has sued the former director of an accountancy firm it acquired and his wife for more than £1 million ($1.2 million) it claims it is owed from the deal to buy their stake in the firm after it sacked him amid allegations of fraud.
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June 27, 2024
FCA Official Vows To Pick Up The Pace Of Fraud Probes
The Financial Conduct Authority is working to increase the "pace" of its investigations of fraud and other financial crimes as a law enforcer and regulator, the watchdog's joint head of enforcement said.
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June 27, 2024
DXC Wins TM Battle Against German Firm
American information technology DXC can now register its trademark after U.K. intellectual property officials ruled against a German investment firm's claim that the name was too similar to its own and would confuse customers.
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June 27, 2024
A&O Shearman Steers Ireland's €593M AIB Stake Sale
The Irish government said Thursday it has sold a further 5% stake in AIB for €592.9 million ($633.8 million), as it continues to shrink its ownership after nationalizing the lender during the global financial crisis.
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June 26, 2024
Financier Seeks Absolution In Vatican Real Estate Deal Trial
An Italian financier and his companies argued at a London trial Wednesday that the Vatican's allegations that he was involved in an unlawful conspiracy over a London property deal are "incoherent and confused," claiming he acted in good faith throughout the transactions.
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June 26, 2024
Ex-BHS Director Ordered To Pay £50M Over Firm's Collapse
A London judge has ordered a former director of the now-defunct British Home Stores to pay £50 million ($63.2 million) in damages after concluding he had committed trading misfeasance and wrongful trading during the company's high-profile downfall.
Expert Analysis
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Economic Issues To Watch In The Libor Transition
With the London Interbank Offered Rate officially retiring June 30, market participants and their counsel should consider how the economic questions presented by outstanding contracts and the pros and cons of different alternative reference rates may lead to litigation around Libor cessation, say analysts at The Brattle Group.
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Reserved Investor Fund Would Plug Gap In UK Finance Market
The reserved investor fund recently proposed by HM Treasury has the potential to be a welcome tax-efficient addition to the U.K.’s canon of products for real estate investments, with attractive features for companies and, in particular, large asset managers, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.
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What Firms Need To Know About The FCA Consumer Duty
The Financial Conduct Authority's new consumer duty, in force from July 31, presents an opportunity for manufacturers and distributors of financial services to understand the importance of fair value for consumers, and the regulator will be taking a close interest in this, say Julie Patient, Mark Aengenheister and Virginia Montgomery at Hogan Lovells.
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Examining The Growing Strength Of FRC Enforcement Actions
As the U.K. Financial Reporting Council prepares to broaden its powers and transition into the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority in 2024, it is already demonstrating an increased appetite for enforcement, with greater expectations placed on auditors, say Kathleen Harris, Sean Curran and Melissa Dames at Arnold & Porter.
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UK Case Shows Risks Of Taking Shortcuts In Fund Payments
While the High Court recently reversed a decision in Floreat Investment Management v. Churchill, finding that investors routing funds into their own accounts was not dishonest, the case serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of directing investment funds other than as contractually provided, say lawyers at Dechert.
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Growing EU Scrutiny Increases Hurdles For Foreign Investors
The application of the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation from July will bring further oversight to many large deals, and together with bolt-on strategies, foreign investment regulation and antitrust enforcement, financial sponsors will need to start planning for compliance to avoid potential delays, say Anna Mitchell and Neil Hoolihan at Linklaters.
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How Ambitious New EU Directive Seeks To Fight Corruption
If enacted, the European Union’s recently proposed directive to combat corruption, with its substantive rules, specialized bodies and aim of raising public awareness, would form another milestone in the long-term creation of a genuine European criminal law system, say Katharina Humphrey and Andreas Dürr at Gibson Dunn.
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How The FCA Is Using Its New Powers To Make Changes
The recent sentence of the former London Capital CEO is the latest development in the firm's scandal that prompted a damning report on the Financial Conduct Authority's regulatory conduct, leading the regulator to much soul-searching and a continuing clamp down on firms that misuse their approvals, says Ben Rees at Keller Postman.
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How The US And UK Differ On Crypto Regulation
While the U.K. and U.S. share strong economic ties, their approaches to crypto regulation differ wildly, with the U.K. setting bespoke rules through legislation and the U.S. taking a fragmented, and arguably hostile, approach to regulating crypto-assets, most often happening through enforcement, say attorneys at BCLP.
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Judicial Review Lessons From Financial Ombudsman Case
Even though the judicial review claim was dismissed in the recent High Court decision Shawbrook Bank v. Financial Ombudsman Service, it has important legal and practical takeaways for lenders who can obtain real value by challenging FOS decisions, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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Understanding ESG Considerations In Social Lending
In light of recent updates to sustainable finance guidance by loan market associations, lenders should ensure they request compliance information for projects intended to provide social benefits in order to encourage borrowers to hold environmental, social and corporate governance factors as a priority, says Jasmine Robinson at Taylor Wessing.
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How To Approach Different Data Types In E-Disclosure Matters
The High Court's recent decision in Terre Neuve v. Yewdale highlights the importance of practitioners adequately approaching e-disclosure obligations, including understanding their data landscapes and the nuances of different data types, say Fiona Campbell at Fieldfisher and Alejandro Gomez-Igbo at Forensic Risk Alliance.
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Why FCA Proposals For UK Listing Rules May Need Tweaking
Although many of the Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published proposals for listing rules reform are to be welcomed, a few further changes are needed if the regulator's objective of making the U.K. public markets more attractive is to be achieved, says Nigel Gordon at Fladgate.
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Exploring UK Regulatory Reform Amid Global Bank Failures
In light of recent high-profile bank failures and the publication of a feedback statement to a U.K. regulatory review, the concern that banks are overly reluctant to use their stock begs the question whether regulators now need to rethink the operation of the liquidity coverage ratio, say Alix Prentice and Carl Hey at Cadwalader.
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Key Takeaways From Recent UK Insolvency Disputes
As recent insolvency statistics show that U.K. registered company insolvencies are up 16% compared to last year, having a strong understanding of recent key U.K. decisions and how insolvency disputes operate is more important for companies now than it has ever been, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.