Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Financial Services UK
-
August 29, 2024
UK Teetering On Pensions Crisis, Mercer Warns
The U.K. needs pension reform to avert a looming crisis that threatens a secure retirement for pensioners, according to a report by American consultancy firm Mercer LLC released Thursday.
-
August 29, 2024
Ombudsman Reports 70% Surge In Financial Complaints
Users of financial products lodged 70% more complaints in the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year compared with the corresponding previous period, the Financial Ombudsman Service reported on Thursday, a jump from almost 44,000 to approximately 75,000.
-
August 29, 2024
Law Firm Can Use Client Comms To Fight Conspiracy Claim
A commercial law firm and its solicitor can fully plead their defenses against claims of conspiracy, a London court has ruled, finding that details of communication with clients are not limited by legal professional privilege because of a recently clarified legal exception.
-
August 28, 2024
Businessman Can't Force $1B Gramercy Suit Into Arbitration
A Wyoming federal judge has ruled that Gramercy Funds Management will not have to arbitrate its racketeering lawsuit accusing a Ukrainian businessman of fraudulently transferring more than a billion dollars from his agricultural business, a debtor of the Connecticut-based hedge fund.
-
August 28, 2024
Collapsed Forex Broker To Pay Whistleblowing Exec £564K
A compliance director at a foreign exchange brokerage who reported the firm to the financial services watchdog over its alleged illicit activities has won more than £560,000 ($740,000) after a tribunal ruled the company had unlawfully sacked him.
-
August 28, 2024
BoE To Widen Checks On How Finance Absorbs Disruption
The Bank of England has said it will develop its approach to assessing how financial markets deal with disruption to cover new technologies and more risks, potentially extending its scrutiny beyond the payments sector.
-
August 28, 2024
LDI Managers Urged To Influence Gov't Climate Policy
Liability-driven investment managers ought to be doing more to influence climate policy to protect members' pensions as government debt plays an increasingly large role in retirement savings portfolios, Lane Clark & Peacock LLP said.
-
August 28, 2024
Swiss Life To Acquire Green Hydrogen Biz For $106M
The asset management arm of insurer Swiss Life will buy Everfuel AS of Denmark in a deal that values the green hydrogen producer at $106 million and will take it off of the Euronext Growth market, the companies said Wednesday.
-
August 27, 2024
Money Laundering Cases Surge At Crown Courts, KPMG Says
The overall value of fraud cases involving money laundering heard at crown courts has risen nearly fourfold in the first half of this year, according a report issued by KPMG on Wednesday.
-
August 27, 2024
Ex-Barclays Exec Loses Appeal Over FCA Ban On Senior Job
Former Barclays wealth boss Thomas Kalaris has lost his appeal against the Financial Conduct Authority's decision banning him from holding a regulated senior management position at the firm he founded, as a London tribunal found in a judgment made public Tuesday he had given false evidence during interviews with the regulator.
-
September 03, 2024
Kirkland Hires German Restructuring Pair From Gleiss Lutz
Kirkland & Ellis LLP said on Tuesday that it has recruited two restructuring and insolvency specialists from German outfit Gleiss Lutz, as the firm continues to expand after unveiling plans to open a new office in Frankfurt.
-
August 27, 2024
Hong Kong Woman's Asset Freeze Extended Over Fraud Case
A London judge on Tuesday allowed a freezing order to be extended against a woman accused of defrauding her former employers of 164 million Hong Kong dollars ($21 million).
-
August 27, 2024
Starmer Warns Of 'Painful' Budget As UK Braces For Tax Hikes
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Tuesday of "painful" decisions to plug budget gaps, including tax increases and spending cuts, looming in the Oct. 30 budget statement.
-
August 27, 2024
25 Banks To Adopt Tool For Survivors Of Economic Abuse
Twenty-five banks and building societies have committed to working with a new tool designed to help survivors of economic abuse, Britain's banking trade body said on Tuesday.
-
August 27, 2024
BCLP Guides Fintech Plus500 On $110M Buyback Program
Plus500 Ltd. rolled out a $110 million share repurchase program Tuesday aimed at rewarding investors,which the financial technology business said reflects its "continued confidence" in its prospects.
-
August 27, 2024
Pinsent Masons Steers Insurer On £42M Pensions Deal
British insurer Just Group said on Tuesday that it has taken on pension liabilities valued at £42 million ($56 million) from a retirement savings plan sponsored by a British farmer-owned dairy co-operative, First Milk.
-
August 27, 2024
Gov't Urged To Reform Pension Tax To Fill Budget Gaps
The Labour government should reform £66 billion ($87 billion) worth of pension tax relief to raise extra revenue to help plug the black hole in public finances, a think tank affiliated to the party has said.
-
August 27, 2024
Santander To Buy Back Shares Worth €1.5B To Trim Capital
Banco Santander SA said Tuesday that it is launching a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) buyback program as the Spanish group looks to reward shareholders with approximately 50% of its underlying profit.
-
August 24, 2024
Italian Prosecutors Open Criminal Probe Into Yacht Sinking
Italian prosecutors said Saturday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the sinking of a superyacht that claimed the lives of seven people including a partner at Clifford Chance LLP and his client, British technology mogul Mike Lynch.
-
August 23, 2024
Ex-Iraqi Minister Foils Reporting Org.'s Defense In Libel Case
An Iraqi politician has successfully persuaded a judge to throw out an investigative reporting organization's qualified privilege defense to his defamation claim, with the judge ruling Friday that an article about alleged corruption in the Iraqi oil business did not accurately reflect court proceedings.
-
August 23, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen Google sue several Russian media outlets in response to challenges to the tech giant's response to international sanctions, easyGroup bring an intellectual property claim against delivery company Easycargo, and e-money business Nyavo challenge action by the Financial Conduct Authority.
-
August 23, 2024
Oligarch Denied Bid To ID Client Linked To $20M Transfer
A judge refused Friday to let an imprisoned Russian oligarch force a group of companies to disclose the identity of a client who requested a $20 million transfer, saying that revealing the person's identity runs the risk of violating criminal law in Liechtenstein.
-
August 23, 2024
Direct Line Reveals Capital Ratio Accounting Error
Direct Line Insurance Group PLC said Friday it has corrected a miscalculation in its accounting that distorted its capital buffer in its financial results for the year ending December 2023.
-
August 23, 2024
UK Terrorism Reinsurer Appoints Howden, Aon As Advisers
Britain's terrorism reinsurer has said it has appointed Aon Securities Ltd. and Howden Capital Markets as advisers for insurance-linked securities transactions.
-
August 23, 2024
Swiss Watchdog Recognizes Insurance Self-Regulation Plan
The financial watchdog of Switzerland said Friday that it has officially recognized the insurance industry's self-regulation concerning the training and education of insurance intermediaries, but warned that it will intervene if necessary to protect consumers.
Expert Analysis
-
Lessons On Using 3rd-Party Disclosure Orders In Fraud Cases
The expansion of the gateway for service out of jurisdiction regarding third-party information orders has proven to be an effective tool against fraud since it was introduced in 2022, and recent case law offers practical tips on what applicants should be aware of when submitting such orders, says Rosie Wild at Cooke Young.
-
A Look At The Latest EU Alternative Investment Regulation
Recent amendments to the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive governing a range of alternative investment funds reflect a growing regulatory focus on nonbanking financial institutions, which expand credit to support economic growth but carry a commensurate risk, say Juliette Mills and Alix Prentice at Cadwalader.
-
Unpacking The Law Commission's Digital Assets Consultation
The Law Commission recently published a consultation on recognizing a third personal property category to accommodate the development of digital assets, highlighting difficulties with current models of property rights and the potential consequences of considering digital assets as personal property, say Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP.
-
Unpacking The FCA's Approach To AML Compliance Failures
In light of the upward trend of skilled-person reviews by the Financial Conduct Authority, including the latest investigation into Lloyds' anti-money laundering controls, financial firms should familiarize themselves with the mechanisms of FCA supervision and enforcement investigations, says Kathryn Westmore at RUSI.
-
New Russia Sanctions Reveal Int'l Enforcement Capabilities
Significant new U.K., U.S. and EU sanctions imposed on Russia notably target Europe-based individuals and entities accused of sanctions evasion, and with an apparent political will to enhance capabilities, the rhetoric is translating into international enforcement activity, say lawyers at Cadwalader.
-
What COVID Payout Ruling Means For Lockdown Loss Claims
While the High Court's recent COVID-19 payout decision in Gatwick v. Liberty Mutual, holding that pandemic-related regulations trigger prevention of access clauses, will likely lead to insurers accepting more business interruption claims, there are still evidentiary challenges and issues regarding policy limits and furlough, say Josianne El Antoury and Greg Lascelles at Covington.
-
Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
-
EEA Equivalence Statement Is Welcomed By Fund Managers
The recent statement confirming European Economic Area equivalence to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities for U.K. overseas funds regime purposes removes many managers’ concerns in the wake of Brexit, giving a clear pathway out of temporary marketing permissions and easing the transition from one regime to another, says Catherine Weeks at Simmons & Simmons.
-
In Int'l Arbitration Agreements, Be Clear About Governing Law
A trilogy of recent cases in the English High Court and Court of Appeal highlight the importance of parties agreeing to explicit choice of law language at the outset of an arbitration agreement in order to avoid costly legal skirmishes down the road, say lawyers at Faegre Drinker.
-
Crypto As A Coin Of The Corporate Realm: The Pros And Cons
The broadened range of crypto-assets opens up new possibilities for employers looking to recruit, incentivize and retain employees through the use of crypto, but certain risks must be addressed, say Dan Sharman and Sunny Mangatt at Shoosmiths.
-
Comparing UK And EU's View On 3rd-Party Service Providers
The U.K. is taking welcome steps to address the lack of direct oversight over critical third-party service providers, and although less onerous than that of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act, the U.K. regime's proportionate approach is designed to make providers more robust and reliable, say lawyers at Shearman.
-
Key Points Of BoE Response To Digital Pound Consultation
Lawyers at Hogan Lovells analyze the recent Bank of England and U.K. government response to a consultation on the launch of a digital pound, finding that the phased approach to evaluating the issues makes sense given the significant potential impact on the U.K. economy.
-
Goldman Prosecution Delivers A Clear Sign Of FCA Strength
The recent successful prosecution of a former Goldman Sachs analyst for insider dealing and fraud is a reminder to regulated individuals that economic crime will never be tolerated, and that the Financial Conduct Authority is willing to bare its teeth in the exercise of its prosecutorial remit, says Doug Cherry at Fladgate.
-
The Good, The Bad And The New Of The UK Sanctions Regime
Almost six years after the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act was introduced, the U.K. government has published a strategy paper that outlines its focus points and unveils potential changes to the regime, such as a new humanitarian exception for financial sanctions, highlighting the rapid transformation of the U.K. sanctions landscape, says Josef Rybacki at WilmerHale.
-
A Look At Environment Agency's New Economic Crime Unit
Sophie Wood at Kingsley Napley explains how the Environment Agency’s newly established Economic Crime Unit will pursue criminal money flows from environmental offenses, and discusses the unit’s civil powers, including the ability to administer account freezing and forfeiture orders, says Sophie Wood at Kingsley Napley.