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Financial Services UK
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September 13, 2024
Retraining Offer No Reason For NCA Investigator To Quit
A National Crime Agency investigator who quit his job a day after he was offered the opportunity to regain his official accreditation has lost his claim that he was forced to resign.
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September 12, 2024
Employment Firm GQ Littler Hires Pro From Baker McKenzie
GQ Littler has hired a long-serving employment lawyer at Baker McKenzie to its office in London to represent U.K. and international clients, particularly in the financial services, technology and media sectors.
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September 12, 2024
Pensions Watchdog To Focus More On Investment Strategies
Britain's retirement savings watchdog has said it will be "stepping up" its focus on investment strategies to try to ensure pension schemes deliver the best possible results for savers.
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September 12, 2024
BNP Paribas Attempts To Prune London Banker's Claim
BNP Paribas attempted to trim a manager's claim at a London employment tribunal on Thursday, arguing that the employee had taken a "kitchen sink approach" by adding excessive legal claims onto some of her allegations.
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September 12, 2024
UK Gov't Warned Over Pension Tax Changes In Budget
A trade body for actuaries said on Thursday that the government should consult widely and take time to implement any reform to pension taxation as it joins a growing number of organizations urging caution over potential tax changes ahead of the upcoming Budget.
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September 12, 2024
Crypto-Scam Victim Can't Trace Lost £2M To Thai Exchange
A judge at a London court ruled Thursday that a victim of crypto-fraud had failed to trace the stolen money to an exchange in Thailand, the first ruling to deal with the status and treatment of cryptocurrency in English law after a full trial.
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September 12, 2024
UK Watchdog Waters Down New Capital Rules For Banks
The Prudential Regulation Authority published Thursday the second part of its rules on capital requirements for banks and has delayed their implementation by six months to the beginning of 2026.
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September 12, 2024
Austrian Bank Can't Recover Licence Axed Over AML Controls
The European Union's highest court upheld on Thursday a decision by the bloc's central bank to strip an Austrian lender of its license over alleged anti-money laundering failures and regulatory breaches.
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September 11, 2024
Lloyd's Sued For $3.7M Over Cargo Ship Damaged In Ukraine
An investment and wealth advisory business has sued Lloyd's of London's Belgian unit for over $3.7 million to cover its alleged losses after a cargo ship was damaged by a mine strike in Ukraine.
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September 11, 2024
EU Court Upholds Sanctions On Russian Clearinghouse
Russia's securities clearinghouse has lost its appeal challenging sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to the invasion of Ukraine, after a Luxembourg court ruled Wednesday that the decisions were backed up by evidence.
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September 11, 2024
Watchdog Warns Small Banks To Improve Lending Controls
The Bank of England's regulatory arm warned smaller banks and building societies in a letter Tuesday to improve their lending controls and affordability assessments.
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September 11, 2024
UK Gov't To Classify Cryptocurrency As Personal Property
The U.K. government introduced a bill on Wednesday that classifies bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as personal property, a move that will give owners of digital assets certainty and protection under the law if it passes.
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September 11, 2024
Solaris Sues Binance For €144M After Debit Card Deal Axed
Online banking group Solaris has sued Binance in London for €144 million ($159 million) it claims to be owed in guaranteed fees after the cryptocurrency exchange operator terminated an agreement for the provision of debit cards to customers of Binance companies.
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September 11, 2024
Oligarchs Fridman, Aven Fail To Ax Sanctions Reporting Rules
European Union measures that require oligarchs including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven to disclose their assets and cooperate in investigations are lawful and "necessary" for maintaining the bloc's sanctions regime, a European court ruled Wednesday, saying the rules were "unprecedented."
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September 11, 2024
Ex-PE Boss Denies Owing Fee For €150M Investment In Fund
A former partner at private equity firm TPG has denied that he owes an asset adviser any fees for securing an alleged €150 million ($165 million) investment in his own fund.
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September 11, 2024
UK Pension Funding Surplus Dips £500M After BoE Rate Cut
The funding surplus of U.K. pension plans fell by £500 million ($653 million), according to official figures, after the Bank of England cut interest rates in August.
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September 11, 2024
TV Property Developer Appears In Court On Fraud Charges
A television property developer appeared at a London criminal court on Wednesday to face charges for the first time that he defrauded a U.S. rental company out of £2 million ($2.6 million).
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September 11, 2024
Latham Hires Senior Tax Pro From Travers Smith In London
Latham & Watkins LLP said on Wednesday that it has recruited a former head of tax at Travers Smith LLP for its office in London, a blow for the U.K. law firm, which has been hit by the departure of a series of partners.
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September 10, 2024
TPG, Rosatom Seek To Bar Jailed Oligarch's $14B Fraud Claim
Russia's state atomic energy corporation and private equity firm TPG Group on Tuesday urged a London judge to block an imprisoned oligarch's $14 billion fraud conspiracy claim over the alleged seizure of his port and transport businesses led by the Russian state.
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September 10, 2024
V&E Launches New Dublin Office In Aviation Finance Push
Vinson & Elkins LLP has launched a new office in Ireland to provide New York and English law advice to clients on aviation leasing and financing matters.
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September 10, 2024
Crypto-Biz Loses 'Mara' TM Over Virtual Coin Services
British officials have partially pulled the plug on an African technology company's trademark for "Mara," ruling that a rival business had already cornered the virtual coin market with a similar-looking name.
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September 10, 2024
Local Gov't Audit Deadlines 'Necessary Step,' Watchdog Says
Legislation recently tabled in Parliament that introduces statutory deadlines for local authorities and their auditors to publish accounts is a "necessary step" to rebuild a system hampered by delays, Britain's accounting watchdog said Tuesday.
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September 10, 2024
White & Case Guides £100M Hedge Fund Deal For Spectator
Hedge fund manager Paul Marshall has bought The Spectator for £100 million ($130 million), the 196-year-old news magazine said on Tuesday, a move that will keep the publishing institution independent and out of foreign control.
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September 10, 2024
FCA Charges 1st Individual With Running Illegal Crypto-ATMs
The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has launched its first criminal prosecution of an individual suspected of running a network of illegal cryptocurrency ATMs.
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September 10, 2024
Investors Sue Broker For Assisting $129M Forex Fraud
A group of investors who lost tens of millions of dollars in a fraudulent foreign exchange scheme have sued a London broker for approximately $43 million for allegedly providing credit for the company to trade through brokerage accounts which perpetuated the fraud.
Expert Analysis
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Why EU Ruling On Beneficial Ownership May Affect The UK
Following the EU judgment in Sovim v. Luxembourg that public access to beneficial ownership information conflicts with data protection rights, several British overseas territories and dependencies have recently reversed their commitment to introduce unrestricted access, and challenges to the U.K.’s liberal stance may be on the cards, says Rupert Cullen at Allectus Law.
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Key Changes In FRC Code Aim To Promote Good Governance
The focus of the recently published Financial Reporting Council Corporate Governance Code on risk management and internal controls is to ensure the competitiveness of the U.K. listing regime while not compromising on governance standards, and issuers may wish to consider updating their policies in order to follow best practice, say lawyers at Debevoise.
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Ruling In FCA Case Offers Tips On Flexible Work Requests
In Wilson v. Financial Conduct Authority, the Employment Tribunal recently found that the regulator's rejection of a remote work request was justified, highlighting for employers factors that affect flexible work request outcomes, while emphasizing that individual inquiries should be considered on the specific facts, say Frances Rollin, Ella Tunnell and Kerry Garcia at Stevens & Bolton.
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Breaking Down The New UK Pension Funding Regs
Recently published U.K. pension regulations, proposing major changes to funding and investing in defined benefit pension schemes, raise implementation considerations for trustees, including the importance of the employer covenant, say Charles Magoffin and Elizabeth Bullock at Freshfields.
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Predicting DeFi Regulations At Home And Abroad In 2024
Though decentralized finance has advocates on both sides of the Atlantic in figures like U.S. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, DeFi in 2024 seems likely to be folded into existing regulatory frameworks in the U.K. and EU, while anti-crypto scrutiny may discourage DeFi’s growth in the U.S., say Daniel Csefalvay and Eric Martin at BCLP.
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Consultation Docs Can Help EU Firms Prep For Crypto Regs
Firms providing crypto services should note two recent papers from the European Securities and Markets Authority defining proposals on reverse solicitation and financial instrument classification that will be critical to clarifying the scope of the regulatory framework under the impending Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
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A Closer Look At Novel Jury Instruction In Forex Rigging Case
After the recent commodities fraud conviction of a U.K.-based hedge fund executive in U.S. v. Phillips, post-trial briefing has focused on whether the New York federal court’s jury instruction incorrectly defined the requisite level of intent, which should inform defense counsel in future open market manipulation cases, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.
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Investors' Call For Voting Changes Faces Practical Challenges
A recent investor coalition call on fund managers to offer pass-through voting on pooled funds highlights a renewed concern for clients’ interests, but legal, regulatory and technological issues need to be overcome to ensure that risks related to the product are effectively mitigated, says Angeli Arora at Allectus.
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Litigation Funding Implications Amid Post-PACCAR Disputes
An English tribunal's recent decision in Neill v. Sony, allowing an appeal on the enforceability of a litigation funding agreement, highlights how the legislative developments on funding limits following the U.K. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Paccar v. Competition Appeal Tribunal may affect practitioners, say Andrew Leitch and Anoma Rekhi at BCLP.
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What Extension Of French FDI Control Means For Investors
The recently published French order on foreign investment control expands the regime's application to more sectors and at a lower threshold of share ownership, illustrating France's determination to maintain sovereignty over its supply chains in sensitive sectors, and adding new considerations for potential investors in these areas, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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What To Expect For Private Capital Investment Funds In 2024
As 2024 gets underway, market sentiment in the private fundraising sphere seems more optimistic, with a greater focus on deal sourcing and operational optimizations, and an increased emphasis on impact and sustainability strategies, say lawyers at Ropes & Gray.
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Cayman Islands Off AML Risk Lists, Signaling Robust Controls
As a world-leading jurisdiction for securitization special purpose entities, the removal of the Cayman Islands from increased anti-money laundering monitoring lists is a significant milestone that will benefit new and existing financial services customers conducting business in the territory, say lawyers at Walkers Global.
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Cos. Should Plan Now For Extensive EU Data Act Obligations
The recently enacted EU Data Act imposes wide-ranging requirements across industries and enterprises of all sizes, and with less than 20 months until the provisions begin to apply, businesses planning compliance will need to incorporate significant product changes and revision of contract terms, say Nick Banasevic, Robert Spano and Ciara O'Gara at Gibson Dunn.
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How Decision On A Key Definition Affects SMEs
The Financial Conduct Authority's decision not to extend the definition of small and midsized enterprises may benefit banks and finance providers in the current high interest rate environment and where SMEs in certain sectors may be under financial pressure in light of the cost-of-living crisis in order to streamline it, says Rachael Healey at RPC.
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What New Digital Sandbox Regs Hold In Store For UK Markets
The recently enacted Digital Sandbox Regulations will be key to incorporating distributed ledger technology into the activities of a central securities depository, but despite being a potentially transformative innovation, a number of considerations may need to be addressed to accommodate the trading, settlement and maintenance of shares, say Tom Bacon and Andrew Tsang at BCLP.