Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • January 15, 2025

    HMRC Board Chair Calls Fiscal Rules Nonnegotiable

    The U.K. government will not change course on its fiscal rules despite higher borrowing costs from worsening market conditions, the chair of the board of Britain's tax authority told Parliament's Treasury Committee on Wednesday.

  • January 15, 2025

    Whistleblowing Engineer Wins Unfair Firing Claim

    A chief engineer has won his claim that he was unfairly fired after raising concerns that a job to replace gas mains in London violated health and safety regulations.

  • January 15, 2025

    Russia Appeals For State Immunity In $60B Yukos Case

    Russia sought Wednesday to block former Yukos Oil investors from enforcing an almost $60 billion arbitration award, telling a London appeals court that English courts must consider its claim to state immunity afresh.

  • January 15, 2025

    Socialite In £200M Laundering Trial Saw No 'Red Flags'

    A socialite accused of being at the heart of a £200 million ($244 million) money laundering scheme said that he never intended to enter into "a criminal enterprise," as he testified at his trial on Wednesday.

  • January 15, 2025

    Ex-Axiom Ince Execs Appear In Court Charged With Fraud

    Five former leaders of Axiom Ince appeared at a London criminal court Wednesday accused of fraud and covering up wrongdoing during a regulatory probe into the collapse of the law firm with a hole of more than £60 million ($73 million) in its client accounts.

  • January 15, 2025

    Solicitor General Backs More Money For SFO

    The U.K.'s solicitor general on Wednesday voiced support for increasing funding for the Serious Fraud Office to close the resource gap between the agency and large corporations in response to criticism that the watchdog was backing away from the biggest cases after a string of setbacks in court.

  • January 15, 2025

    Shvidler Says Arbitrary Sanctions 'Shatter' His Reputation

    A billionaire sanctioned for his close ties to Roman Abramovich urged Britain's highest court on Wednesday to lift the measures in a landmark case that could redefine the government's financial crackdown on Russia after it invaded Ukraine.

  • January 15, 2025

    Food Co. Says Ex-Director Moved Assets Amid Fraud Claim

    A food product supplier has claimed a former director moved shares in a construction company to his wife and associates in the face of allegations of fraud and misrepresentation against him in the U.S. and London.

  • January 15, 2025

    FCA Warns More Firms Are Avoiding Redress Obligations

    The Financial Services Authority has warned that financial firms are increasingly trying to avoid compensating consumers for poor advice or products while they benefit from the assets of the business.

  • January 14, 2025

    Consumers Lose Bid To Bring £500M Apple Claim In UK

    Apple and Amazon on Tuesday evaded a consumer advocate's nearly £500 million ($610 million) price-fixing class action accusing the two technology giants of illegally colluding to keep prices for products high.

  • January 14, 2025

    Gov't Mulls Ban On Public Bodies Paying Ransomware Gangs

    The Home Office on Tuesday proposed banning all public bodies from making ransomware payments, including operators of so-called critical national infrastructure, such as the National Health Service or the National Grid.

  • January 14, 2025

    'I Was Like Howard Hughes,' Socialite Says In Laundering Trial

    A socialite accused of being at the heart of a £200 million ($244 million) money laundering scheme said while giving evidence at his trial Tuesday that he was "like Howard Hughes" in the aftermath of police launching the investigation.

  • January 14, 2025

    Spain Plans 100% Tax On Foreign-Owned Homes

    The Spanish government plans to introduce a 100% tax on foreign-owned homes and stricter rules for holiday rentals to tourists, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

  • January 14, 2025

    SFO Taps Insider As Top Lawyer As Osofsky Era Ends

    Britain's anti-graft agency said Tuesday that a long-serving official with a background in running fraud and corruption investigations will serve as its top lawyer at least on an interim basis as it hunts to fill the crucial role on its executive committee.

  • January 14, 2025

    UK Russia Sanctions Face Landmark Test At Supreme Court

    The U.K.'s sanctions regime faces a major test on Wednesday as billionaire Eugene Shvidler seeks to have his financial restrictions cast off — the first case to challenge Russian sanctions that has reached the country's highest court.

  • January 14, 2025

    Apple Tells UK Trial That App Developers Get Fair Price

     Apple told a trial in London on Tuesday that a £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) claim over the commission it charges to third-party app developers overlooks the benefits users get from its App Store and ignores the company's intellectual property rights. 

  • January 14, 2025

    Siddiq Resigns as City Minister Amid Bangladeshi Questions

    Tulip Siddiq resigned on Tuesday as the Treasury minister in charge of economic policy over questions about her family ties to the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh, amid a widening corruption probe by Bangladeshi authorities.

  • January 14, 2025

    Gunnercooke Pro Fined For Improper Use Of Client Account

    A lawyer at Gunnercooke LLP has been fined more than £14,000 ($17,000) for allowing clients to use the law firm's client account as a banking facility, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.

  • January 13, 2025

    NYDFS Launches Staff Exchange With Bank Of England

    The New York Department of Financial Services on Monday launched an international secondment program to allow the department to exchange staff with other regulators, starting with a digital assets-focused exchange with the Bank of England next month.

  • January 13, 2025

    Shippers Accused Of Overcharging Motorists In £100M Trial

    A group of shipping companies caused motorists to pay higher prices for their vehicle than they would otherwise have done by artificially inflating delivery charges, lawyers for the vehicle owners said at the start of a £100 million ($121.4 million) class action trial Monday in London.

  • January 13, 2025

    BNP Paribas Sues Oil Co. Boss For £104M Over Fraud Claims

    BNP Paribas has accused an oil company of defrauding it with forged invoices, making the allegation in a London court claim against the oil business's boss to claw back £104 million ($126 million).

  • January 13, 2025

    Employment Tribunal Rules All-Staff Email Not Whistleblowing

    An employment tribunal ruled that an accountant at a charity in central London did not blow the whistle on the organization's equality practices, finding that his staffwide email contained nothing more than his personal opinion.

  • January 13, 2025

    BHP Disputes Strict Liability Claim In £36B Dam Collapse Trial

    Individuals and municipalities suing BHP for £36 billion ($43.8 billion) do not need to prove a direct causal link between the miner and a dam collapse that caused Brazil's worst environmental disaster, an expert on the country's law told a trial on Monday. 

  • January 13, 2025

    Apple Accused At Trial Of 'Eliminating' App Store Competition

    Apple was accused Monday of "eliminating" competition to its App Store, allowing it to charge developers excessively high commissions that cost consumers up to £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion), as the first U.K. class action trial against a Big Tech company started.

  • January 13, 2025

    UK Unveils Blueprint To Become AI World Leader

    The government unveiled Monday an ambitious blueprint to make Britain a world leader in artificial intelligence to benefit financial services and other sectors, supported by pro-growth regulation.

Expert Analysis

  • Taking Stock Of The Latest Criminal Court Case Statistics

    Author Photo

    The latest quarterly statistics on the type and volume of cases processed through the criminal court illustrate the severity of the case backlog, highlighting the need for urgent and effective investment in the system, say Ernest Aduwa and Jessica Sarwat at Stokoe Partnership.

  • ICO Data Protection Guidance Offers Clarity On Fining Powers

    Author Photo

    New guidance from the Information Commissioners' Office is designed to offer transparency about its fining powers, and, combined with the office's wide-ranging enforcement authority, clearly intends to ensure breaching companies concentrate on the external harm they cause and not only internal changes, say Robert Allen and Amelia Handoll-Clark at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Hugh Grant Case Raises Questions About Part 36 Offers

    Author Photo

    Actor Hugh Grant's recent decision to settle his privacy suit by accepting a so-called Part 36 offer from News Group — to avoid paying a larger sum in legal costs by proceeding to trial — illustrates how this legal mechanism can be used by parties to force settlements, raising questions about its tactical use and fairness, says Colin Campbell at Kain Knight.

  • Investment Security Act Fine-Tune May Help Businesses

    Author Photo

    Although the government’s recent response to feedback on the National Security and Investment Act regime makes it clear that its approach is one of fine-tuning and substantial reforms will have to wait, there is still room to ease the burden on businesses by issuing guidance and refining the terms of mandatory area definitions, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • How New FCA Rules Strengthen Borrower Protections

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules, aimed at strengthening protections for borrowers in financial difficulty by regularizing good practices across the industry, put its previous guidance on a permanent footing and send a clear message to firms that this issue remains a regulatory priority, say James Black, Julie Patient and Mark Aengenheister at Hogan Lovells.

  • How Cos. Can Prepare For EU's Forced Labor Regulation

    Author Photo

    Before a new European Union regulation takes effect banning products made with forced labor from the internal market, economic operators will need to get their supply chain compliance functions ready, familiarizing themselves with international standards and case law, say Vassilis Akritidis and Jean-Baptiste Blancardi at Crowell & Moring.

  • Opinion

    New Property Category Not Needed To Regulate Digital Assets

    Author Photo

    The U.K. Law Commission's exploration of whether to create a third category of property for digital assets is derived from a misreading of historical case law, and would not be helpful in resolving any questions surrounding digital assets, says Duncan Sheehan at the University of Leeds.

  • FTSE Draft Rules Show Impact Of FCA Listing Reforms

    Author Photo

    FTSE Russell’s recently published provisional rule changes represent a much-awaited indication of its response to the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed listing reforms, providing a level of certainty that will assist issuers and advisers in preparing for the implementation of the regime, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • FCA Strikes A Balance With 'Finfluencer' Guidance

    Author Photo

    With financial firms leveraging social media to engage with a broader audience, the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent "finfluencer" guidance signals a recognition of the imperative to adapt regulatory frameworks while maintaining a firm commitment to consumer protection, say David Allinson and Damien O'Malley at RPC.

  • Pharma Remains A Key Focus Of EU Antitrust Enforcement

    Author Photo

    The recently published European Commission report on pharmaceutical sector competition law illustrates that effective enforcement of EU rules remains a matter of high priority for EU and national authorities, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Dissecting Recent Developments Against The Misuse Of NDAs

    Author Photo

    The U.K. government's recent plans to nullify nondisclosure agreements that prevent victims from reporting crimes should remind lawyers to proactively consider the necessity of such agreements, especially in light of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's warning notice on drafting improper NDAs, say Clare Davis and Macaela Joyes at RPC.

  • What UK Energy Charter Treaty Exit Would Mean For Investors

    Author Photo

    While the U.K.'s recent announcement that it intends to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty is a bold political signal, investor protections will remain in place for a significant period of time, ensuring that an element of certainty and business continuity will remain, say Karel Daele and Jessica Thomas at Taylor Wessing.

  • Assessing The FCA Data Study's Response To User Concerns

    Author Photo

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published report on the supply of wholesale financial data differs from others in its exceptional breadth and analysis of an enormous volume of information, but in its reluctance to address market power or pricing directly, the regulator’s approach is still cautious, say Emma Radcliffe and Greg Dowell at Macfarlanes.

  • Uber Payout Offers Employer Lessons On Mitigating Bias

    Author Photo

    Uber Eats' recent payout to a driver over allegations that the company's facial recognition software was discriminatory sheds light on bias in AI, and offers guidance for employers on how to avoid harming employees through the use of such technology, says Rachel Rigg at Fieldfisher.

  • Apple Ruling Offers Morsel Of Certainty On Litigation Funding

    Author Photo

    An English court's recent decision in Gutmann v. Apple, finding that a litigation funder could be paid via a damages award, offers a piece of guidance on the permissibility of such agreement terms amid the ongoing uncertainty around funded group litigation in the U.K., says Mohsin Patel at Factor Risk Management.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!