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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK
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April 22, 2024
EU Threatens To Suspend 'Addictive' TikTok App Features
The European Commission warned TikTok on Monday that it may suspend a key feature of the video sharing platform's new app that rewards users for watching videos unless it addresses the watchdog's concerns about addictive elements of the new app and its risk to mental health.
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April 22, 2024
Complaints Of Closed Bank Accounts To Ombudsman Surge
Customer complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service about closure of or refusal to open bank accounts have risen sharply in the last year, particularly from businesses, according to figures recently released by a select group of members of Parliament.
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April 22, 2024
Ex-Axiom Ince Chief Faces Bankruptcy Petition
The former head of collapsed Axiom Ince Ltd. is facing a bankruptcy petition after being accused of misappropriating almost £65 million ($80.3 million) to fund the acquisition of Ince Group PLC and property purchases.
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April 29, 2024
New Norton Rose UK Antitrust Chief Eyes Fresh Opportunities
Norton Rose Fulbright has promoted one of its partners to become its new head of antitrust and competition in London, with the new chief saying Monday she saw "new opportunities" for the group to build after her predecessor left for Cooley LLP.
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April 22, 2024
UK Authorities Charge 2 Men With Spying For China
U.K. authorities charged two men on Monday with spying for the Chinese government.
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April 22, 2024
NCA Investigator Sues Over Sexual Misconduct Sacking
A former National Crime Agency investigator told a tribunal on Monday that the law enforcement body unfairly sacked him over allegations that he inappropriately touched female colleagues and a member of the public at a Christmas party.
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April 22, 2024
FCA To Consider Big Tech Data-Sharing With Finance Firms
The Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday it will examine how Big Tech's access to data could be valuable to firms in the finance sector if it reveals consumers' preferences, and will consider setting out incentives to encourage information-sharing.
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April 22, 2024
FCA Defends Response To British Steel Pension Scandal
The Financial Conduct Authority on Monday said it took "appropriate regulatory action" amid complaints over its handling of the British Steel Pension Scheme transfer scandal and would not uphold any of the grievances it has received over its approach.
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April 22, 2024
CMA Wins Battle Over Home Search Warrants In Cartel Probe
The competition watchdog won a legal battle at a London court on Monday after a tribunal refused to grant it a domestic search warrant as it carried out a cartel investigation.
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April 22, 2024
FCA Urged To Halt Plan To Publicize Enforcement Probes
The Financial Conduct Authority's plan to name the firms it probes and publish information about investigations at an earlier stage risks an unjustified departure from the "fundamental principle" of being innocent until proven guilty, a House of Lords committee warned in a letter published Monday.
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April 19, 2024
Reed Smith Can't Escape £21M Suit Says Shipping Co.
A United Arab Emirates shipping company suing Reed Smith LLP for £21 million ($26.1 million) has accused the law firm of "surreptitiously" telling Barclays Bank that the shipping company was sanctioned by the U.S. resulting in its funds being frozen.
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April 19, 2024
SRA Calls For Law Firms To Step Up Checks On Third Parties
Half of law firms have changed working practices to avoid getting instructed in meritless lawsuits that gag negative publicity, but they still need more checks and balances in place when they work with third parties on reputation management claims, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said Friday.
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April 19, 2024
Post Office Lawyer Denies Aggressive Litigation Tactics
A top Post Office lawyer denied that his team had a strategy of fighting off at all costs a civil action brought by wrongly prosecuted sub-postmasters in order to stave off criminal appeals, as he testified Friday at the public inquiry into the scandal.
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April 19, 2024
Sudan Granted Two-Year Grace Period In £1.5B Debt Row
Long-standing creditors of Sudan were granted a two-year stay of their claim against the nation on Friday, with a London judge agreeing with the creditors that the country should be given time to stabilize its financial situation in the wake of political turmoil.
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April 19, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen U.K. holiday resort chain Butlins target Aviva and a huddle of insurers, Meta and WhatsApp tackle a patents claim by telecommunications company Semitel, an ongoing construction dispute between Essex County Council and Balfour Beatty, and Formycon AG hit a pharmaceutical company for infringing medical products. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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April 19, 2024
Grant Settlement Proves Pull Of Offer That Can't Be Refused
Hugh Grant's decision to settle his case against News Group to avoid the "most likely" outcome of paying millions in legal fees even if he won demonstrates the effectiveness of a common cost-saving legal mechanism despite criticism the media giant is being allowed to avoid scrutiny.
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April 19, 2024
EU Firms Say Strict ESG Rules Risk Chasing Off Clients
Large banks have warned the European Union's banking regulator that its proposed guidelines for managing sustainability risks are too demanding and could drive clients away to banks outside the bloc.
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April 19, 2024
UK Probes Suspected Charity Funding For Pro-Hamas Agency
The Charity Commission said Friday it has opened an investigation into the possible misuse of funds raised by charities linked to the director of a pro-Hamas news outlet who is subject to government sanctions.
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April 19, 2024
Prince Harry Beats Tabloid's Bid To Push Back Privacy Trial
Prince Harry and others suing the U.K. arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire won their battle to avoid a preliminary trial on whether their claims were brought too late after a judge refused Friday to push the case back, ruling the main trial should go ahead as planned.
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April 18, 2024
Ex-BigLaw Atty Can Stay Free During OneCoin Fraud Appeal
A Manhattan federal judge Thursday granted a former Locke Lord LLP partner's motion for bail pending appeal of his 10-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of laundering around $400 million in proceeds from the global OneCoin cryptocurrency scam, saying he does not pose a flight risk given his medical conditions.
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April 18, 2024
Ex-Autonomy CEO Wanted Whistleblower Fired, Ex-GC Says
Former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch thought a finance department whistleblower was "trying to destroy the company" and wanted him fired, the software company's former U.S. general counsel testified Thursday in a criminal fraud trial over claims Lynch conned HP into buying the British company at an inflated price of $11.7 billion.
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April 18, 2024
Insurers Face Appeal Over Refusal To Cover Bribery Loss
A holding company took its fight for an insurance payout to the Court of Appeal on Thursday, urging justices to force its insurers to cover its claim for losses it sustained when its acquisition of a construction contractor went south due to bribery and corruption allegations.
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April 18, 2024
HMRC Opens Consultation On Payroll Tax In Freeports
The U.K. tax authority is mulling changes to National Insurance, a payroll levy used to fund state pensions and healthcare, for employees working in special economic zones known as freeports.
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April 18, 2024
Womble Bond Told Post Office To Withhold Docs From Court
Womble Bond Dickinson advised the Post Office to "suppress" key documents from the court "for as long as possible" in a case brought by wrongly prosecuted sub-postmasters, according to correspondence disclosed at the inquiry into the scandal Thursday.
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April 18, 2024
Head Of Chambers Accused Of Bullying By Expelled Barrister
A barrister told an employment tribunal on Thursday that the head of an English criminal chambers put him through "absolute hell" by bullying him and trying to end his career before expelling him from the chambers.
Expert Analysis
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More UK Collective Actions On The Horizon After Forex Ruling
A U.K. appeals court's recent decision in Forex case Evans v. Barclays is likely to significantly widen the scope of opt-out collective proceedings that can be brought, paving the way for more class actions by prospective claimants who have previously been unable to bring individual claims, say Robin Henry and Tamara Davis at Collyer Bristow.
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FCA Listing Reform Proposals Aim To Modernize UK Markets
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals to reform listing rules will enhance equities while retaining protections and high governance standards, and will also make the capital markets work more efficiently and competitively with other global markets, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.
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Takeaways From ICO's Action In NatWest Privacy Dispute
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office's latest intervention in the Nigel Farage NatWest Bank dispute highlights the importance of the legal responsibilities of all data processors in possession of sensitive information, and is a reminder that upholding bank customers' privacy rights is paramount, says James Kelliher at Keller Postman.
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Employer Steps Ahead Of Sexual Harassment Prevention Law
A new Parliamentary bill on employers' duties to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace is expected to enter into force next year, so companies should prepare by rethinking their prevention strategies to avoid fines or being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says Joanne Moseley at Irwin Mitchell.
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How Russia Sanctions May Complicate Contract Obligations
Against the backdrop of recent comprehensive sanctions against Russia and Belarus, a review of recent U.K. case law clarifies that certain force majeure clauses likely cover trade sanctions, and that future litigation will further develop the scope of force majeure and frustration in the context of sanctions, says Frances Jenkins at Quillon Law.
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New Guidance Offers Clarity For Charities On ESG Investing
The need for charities to understand investing in line with environmental, social and governance aspirations has never been more pressing, and recently updated U.K. Charity Commission guidance should give trustees confidence to make decisions that are right for their organization, says Robert Nieri at Shoosmiths.
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US And EU Poised For Closer Ties In Tech Financial Market
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European Commission are both concerned about the challenges posed by the increasing digitalization of financial products, such as the use of AI and new forms of credit, and by working together, the two regulators can share information and best practices, says Yulia Makarova at Cooley.
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FCA Case Failures Highlight Value Of Robust Investigation
The recent U.K. upper tribunal judgment in Seiler, Whitestone and Raitzin v. The Financial Conduct Authority, criticizing the regulator for accepting a narrative advanced by the firm, makes clear that such admissions must not get in the way of a proper investigation to enable agencies to target the correct individuals, say Tom Bushnell and Olivia Dwan at Hickman & Rose.
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Reputation Management Lessons From Spacey Case
While a U.K. jury recently acquitted actor Kevin Spacey of sexual assault charges, his reputation has been harmed, illustrating the importance for lawyers to balance a client's right to privacy with media engagement throughout the criminal process, says Jessica Welch at Simkins.
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Factors To Consider In Protecting Software With Trade Secrets
With trade secrets protecting subject matter that would not otherwise be eligible for a patent now a mainstay of many multinationals’ intellectual property strategies, software developers have a number of considerations in deciding whether this is a viable alternative to protect their invention, says Dave Clark at Potter Clarkson.
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What ClientEarth Ruling Means For Shareholder Climate Suits
The High Court recently confirmed its earlier decision in ClientEarth v. Shell, illustrating that environmental groups seeking to bring a derivative action against corporate directors' strategic decision making may find it challenging to obtain admissible evidence to establish a prima facie case of a breach, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.
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Directors Should Beware Reinvigorated UK Insolvency Service
The recent lengthy disqualification of Carillion directors serves as a salutary lesson to executives on the level of third-party scrutiny to which their actions may be exposed, and a reminder that the directors’ fiduciary duty to creditors is paramount once a company is irretrievably insolvent, says Ben Drew at Fladgate.
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EU Privacy Plan Finally Resolves Data Transfer Woes
Previous attempts by the European Commission to facilitate data transfers to the U.S. have been unsuccessful, but the recent EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework may bring greater legal certainty through new control mechanisms and clearer supervisory authority functions, say Joaquín Muñoz and Robbie Morrison at Bird & Bird.
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The New Accountability Landscape For Financial Regulators
The preliminary-stage success of a group of U.K. lawmakers in a case against the Financial Conduct Authority highlights the significant hurdles for review of regulatory actions, but the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 creates additional visibility into the regulators' decision making, which may lead to an increase in judicial review activity, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Director Responsibilities Amid Russian Asset Seizures
Following Russia's recent takeover of several companies, shareholders may argue that directors failed to properly guard the companies' assets and choose to bring derivative claims or unfair prejudice petitions, say lawyers at Collyer Bristow.