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Financial Services UK
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Featured
Experts See Risks In FCA's Soft-Touch Response To AI
The Financial Conduct Authority has so far failed to detail its rules on artificial intelligence and is moving toward a reliance on companies to self-report, putting it at risk of deferring excessively to the sector it regulates, legal experts say.
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September 09, 2024
Brit Fights Fraud Extradition, Says He Is Protected Witness
A retired British accountant urged a London court Monday to block Spanish authorities' request that he be extradited to face money laundering and fraud charges, arguing that the request is abusive because he is entitled to protection as a witness for prosecutors in related cases.
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September 09, 2024
EU Should Loosen Merger Rules To Compete, Report Says
The European Union should loosen its merger rules and reform trade policy and the energy market in order to boost EU competitiveness enough to catch up with the U.S. and China, a former European Central Bank president reported Monday.
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September 09, 2024
Think Tank Sets Out UK Pension Reform For Self-Employed
The government needs to introduce reforms to boost the level of pension contributions among self-employed workers, a think tank said.
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September 09, 2024
Barratt, Lloyds Bank Form £150M JV For UK Housing
Housebuilder Barratt Developments PLC said Monday that it has formed a £150 million ($195 million) joint venture with Lloyds Banking Group and the U.K.'s housing and regeneration agency to develop thousands of houses across the country.
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September 09, 2024
FCA Proposes Rules For Banks Delaying Suspicious Transfers
The Financial Conduct Authority set out guidance on Monday for banks seeking to delay suspicious payment transactions under new legislation as the watchdog seeks to ensure fair treatment for customers and efficient processing.
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September 09, 2024
Asset Manager Alpha Seals Guernsey Insurance Biz Buyout
Alpha Growth PLC said on Monday that it has completed the purchase of 93.36% of Jeometri, an insurance management company in Guernsey, for £449,300 ($588,300) including costs, as the asset manager moves to expand its life insurance business across the U.K. and streamline its operations.
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September 09, 2024
UK Crypto-Marketing Rules Risk Regulatory Overreach
Legal advisers for crypto-asset companies are concerned by how strenuously the financial watchdog will enforce new guidelines for promoting complex digital financial products for consumers, and have warned that overinterpreting the rules could handicap development of the market.
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September 06, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen Rockfire Capital sue its former director, Liam Kavanagh, after he was accused of cheating cash-strapped Thurrock Council out of £150 million ($197 million), FedEx launch a claim against an Israeli supply chain business, and a legal dispute between steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta and a former colleague. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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September 06, 2024
FCA Fines, Bans 4 For 'Reckless' Pension Transfer Advice
Britain's finance watchdog on Friday announced it has fined four people a total of nearly £600,000 ($793,300) and banned them from working in financial services because of pension transfer advice they gave that showed a "reckless disregard" for customers.
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September 06, 2024
Magnate Can't Stop Sale Of Airline Shares In €50M Dispute
A company with links to aviation magnate German Efromovich on Friday failed to get an order restraining the chairman of Aeroitalia SRL from selling the assets of the budget carrier pending the determination of a €50 million ($55 million) dispute.
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September 06, 2024
Travers Smith Names Elmore As New Head Of Funds
Travers Smith LLP said Friday that it has appointed Jeremy Elmore as its new head of funds, as the firm looks to continue building its practice following partner exits in 2023.
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September 06, 2024
EU Gears Up For New Commission With A Plea: More Women
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is gearing up to distribute the top jobs in foreign trade, economics and antitrust among the new commissioners for their five-year mandate, but she is pressing countries in the bloc to nominate more female candidates.
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September 06, 2024
Finance Co. Beats Would-Be CEO's Whistleblowing Claim
A U.K. finance company sacked its would-be chief executive because he lacked the experience and skills for the role — not because he had flagged alleged compliance breaches, a tribunal has ruled.
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September 06, 2024
UK Lags Globally In Pensions Allocation To Domestic Stocks
British pension funds have a "significantly lower" allocation of their assets to the domestic stock market than most of their counterparts around the world, a think tank has said.
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September 06, 2024
UK Regulators Back Nationwide's £2.9B Deal For Virgin Money
Two U.K. financial regulators have given their consent for Nationwide Building Society's £2.9 billion ($3.8 billion) acquisition of Virgin Money UK PLC, the lenders said Friday.
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September 06, 2024
City Task Force Calls For Shake-Up Of UK Capital Markets
The U.K. must encourage risk-taking in its capital markets in order to remain competitive in the global stage and help fund £1 trillion ($1.32 trillion) of fresh investment needed to hit economic targets, a task force of City heavyweights said on Friday.
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September 06, 2024
Companies Failing To Oversee Reps Properly, FCA Finds
The Financial Conduct Authority warned Friday that firms are failing to properly oversee the agents that carry on regulated activities for them without having to be individually authorized.
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September 06, 2024
Pensions Campaigners Say Gov't Meeting 'Start Of Something'
The chair of a campaign group working to secure compensation for women after the government failed to tell them that their retirement age had changed said Friday that its first meeting with the pensions minister was "the start of something."
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September 06, 2024
British Savers Urged To Track Down Lost Pension Pots
British insurers urged U.K. savers on Friday to take action and track down their lost pension pots in a new campaign aimed at raising awareness about planning for retirement.
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September 05, 2024
Investors Claim £12.6M Bank Investment Started With A Lie
An investment company and its owner have sued two business partners for more than £12.6 million ($16.6 million) paid to set up a specialist bank, accusing the pair of lying by saying less than half that amount would be needed to get the bank off the ground.
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September 05, 2024
FCA Boasts Accelerated Authorizations For Firms
The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday in its 2023-2024 annual report that it has significantly improved its authorization process, but has missed some targets in relation to processing applications of payments firms.
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September 05, 2024
'Act Now' On Dashboard Prep, Pensions Watchdog Warns
Pension scheme trustees should "act now" to be ready for the long-awaited government project designed to connect workers with lost pots and avoid enforcement action for failing to meet their duties, The Pensions Regulator warned Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Gov't Consults On Plans For Pension Market Consolidation
The U.K. government is seeking feedback on the potential benefits and risks for pension savers and the economy if the pension market becomes more consolidated with larger schemes managing more assets.
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September 05, 2024
Surge In Pension Deal Demand Expected In 2nd Half Of 2024
There is likely to be a record number of transactions in the U.K. pensions market in 2024, according to a study published Thursday by accounting giant PwC, despite what many have described as a slower start to the year.
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September 05, 2024
Visa Boosts Consumer Protection In Bank Transfers
Visa Inc. said Thursday that it is launching a new U.K. service that will provide a safer and more user-friendly way for consumers to make payments directly from their bank accounts.
Editor's Picks
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UK Draft Pay Fraud Rules Open Tricky Legal Liabilities
The government's new draft legislation, which will give banks longer to investigate suspicions of fraud before they send payments instructed by customers, will create a wave of new legal liabilities and lead to regulatory hurdles, according to lawyers.
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FCA Fires Warning Shot Over City's Consumer Duty Failings
The Financial Conduct Authority has sent out a fresh warning to financial services companies highlighting how some of them are failing to comply with its Consumer Duty regime. But experts have told Law360 that the expectations are unclear.
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5 Questions for Osborne Clarke Partner Nick Price
The Payment Systems Regulator is due to start forcing payment firms to reimburse victims of scams who have been tricked by a fraudster into transferring them money. Here, Law360 talks to Osborne Clarke partner Nick Price about how this new regime could mean uncertainty about compliance.
Expert Analysis
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£43M Legal Bill Case Shows Courts' View On Exchange Rates
A recent Court of Appeal decision declined to change the currency used for payment of the Nigerian government's legal bill, aligning with British courts' consensus that they should not be concerned with how fluctuating exchange rates might benefit one party over another, says Francis Kendall at Kain Knight.
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Examining The EU's New Payments Services Package
Following recent European Parliament elections, the spotlight is turning to the highly anticipated payments services package expected in September, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative process that will reshape the payment services ecosystem in the European Union, says Kristýna Tupá and Karolína Hlavinková at Schoenherr.
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Examining The State Of Paccar Fixes After General Election
Following the U.K. Supreme Court's Paccar decision last year, which made many litigation funding agreements for opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal unenforceable, the judiciary will likely take charge in implementing any fixes — but the general election has created uncertainty, says Ben Knowles at Clyde & Co.
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EU Reports Signal Greenwashing Focus For Financial Sector
Reports from the European Supervisory Authorities on enforcement of sustainability information, plus related guidance issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority, represent a fundamental change in how businesses must operate to maintain integrity and public trust, say Amilcare Sada and Matteo Fanton at A&O Shearman.
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Opinion
Without Change, Fighting Fraud Is A Losing Battle For The UK
To successfully fight fraud cases in the U.K. — like the Russian Coms scam recently shut down by the National Crime Agency — it is clear there needs to be significant investment in recruiting and training expert investigators, and meaningful engagement between the country’s intelligence platforms, says Anthony Hanratty at Howard Kennedy.
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Embedding Consumer Duty: 6 Areas Firms Should Prioritize
The Financial Conduct Authority has repeatedly emphasized that complying with the Consumer Duty is not a tick-box exercise but an ongoing responsibility, so firms need to show that the duty is at the heart of their practices by staying compliant in areas from cultural change to customer vulnerability, say Nicola Higgs and Becky Critchley at Latham.
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2 UK Rulings Highlight Persistent Push Payment Fraud Issues
Two recent High Court decisions, Larsson v. Revolut and Terna DOO v. Revolut, demonstrate that authorized push payment fraud continues to cause headaches for consumers and financial institutions alike, and with forthcoming mandatory reimbursement requirements, more APP fraud litigation can be expected, say lawyers at Charles Russell.
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Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling
The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.
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Key Points From UK Prospectus Regime Reform Consultation
The Financial Conduct Authority's current consultation on U.K. prospectus regime reform proposals, including when a prospectus will be required and the requirements concerning content, is designed to enhance the attractiveness of the U.K.'s capital markets, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.
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Why NCA's 1st Seizure Of Sanctioned Funds Is Significant
The National Crime Agency’s recently secured forfeiture of a Russian oligarch's sanctioned funds was a landmark achievement, and is particularly notable because it was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act, illustrating how U.K. authorities can coordinate their respective powers to confiscate assets, says Lindsey Cullen at WilmerHale.
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Takeaways From New FCA Rules On Research Payments
The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules on payment optionality for investment research, which involve a client disclosure obligation option, will be welcome news for U.K. managers who buy investment research from U.S. brokers, and for global asset management groups, says Anna Maleva-Otto at Schulte Roth.
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What To Expect From Labour's Pension Schemes Bill
The Labour government’s recently announced Pension Schemes Bill, outlining key policy areas affecting the retirement savings sector, represents a positive step forward for both defined contribution scheme members and defined benefit superfunds, but there are some missing features, says Sonya Fraser at Arc Pensions.
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Int'l Treaties May Aid Investors Amid UK Rail Renationalization
The recently introduced Passenger Railway Services Bill seeks to return British railways to public ownership without compensating affected investors, a move that could trigger international investment treaty protections for obligation breaches, says Philipp Kurek at Signature Litigation.
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What EU Opinion May Mean For ESG Product Classification
The recently issued European Supervisory Authority opinion on the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation offers key recommendations, including revising the definition of sustainable investments and making principal adverse impacts consideration mandatory, that could sway the European Commission’s final approach to product classification, say lawyers at Debevoise.
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What New UK Listing Rules Mean For Distressed Companies
The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published overhaul of U.K. listing rules makes it easier for advisers to restructure distressed listed companies, and in moving to a more disclosure-based approach, simplifies timelines and increases opportunities for investors, say Kate Stephenson and Sarah Ullathorne at Kirkland & Ellis.