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Financial Services UK
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July 22, 2024
HMRC Wins Appeal Over Taxation Of Partnership Rewards
Financial rewards from a partnership were taxable as income even though they were made at the partnership's total discretion and the partners had no legally enforceable right to receive them, a London court ruled, siding with HM Revenue & Customs.
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July 22, 2024
Derivatives Co. Bids To Reinstate Freeze In Global Fraud Case
International derivatives provider Multibank urged a London appeals court Monday to reimpose an asset freezing order on a German financial services company and its director, arguing that the judge applied the wrong legal tests when deciding whether to lift the restrictions.
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July 22, 2024
NatWest Fends Off Bid To Revive Design School Fraud Case
The Court of Appeal on Monday ruled that the founders of an interior design school could not revive a fraud claim against NatWest because a settlement they penned with the bank prevented the pair from bringing any further claims.
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July 22, 2024
Lending Biz CEO Says Director Forced Him To Transfer Shares
A solicitor has asked a court to unwind a share transfer that he allegedly made under duress to an ex-director and a lawyer with whom he was business, claiming that he had to make the transfer to quash a false fraud allegation.
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July 22, 2024
Barclays Bids To Cut £330M From 'Dark Pool' Securities Claim
Barclays urged a London court on Monday to cut claims worth £330 million ($426 million) from securities fraud litigation, arguing that some institutional investors were unaware of a regulatory announcement issued by the bank about its "dark pool" trading platform.
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July 22, 2024
EU Renews Russian Financial Sanctions For 6 Months
The Council of the European Union said Monday that it has extended financial sanctions against Russia for an additional six months in response to the Kremlin's "unprovoked, unjustified and illegal" war against Ukraine.
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July 22, 2024
UK Eases Reporting Rules For Investment Stewardship
Britain's accounting watchdog unveiled changes to the U.K.'s stewardship code for investment on Monday that it said would help reduce the reporting burden for investors.
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July 22, 2024
Gov't Plans 'Big Bang' Pensions Reform To Fuel UK Growth
The government has launched the first stage of its review into pensions as it focuses on generating more investment from the £800 billion ($10.3 billion) defined contribution sector into the economy.
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July 29, 2024
White & Case Hires Secondaries Pro From Ropes & Gray
White & Case LLP has hired an expert in U.S. and European secondaries transactions from Ropes & Gray LLP in London as it continues to expand its global investment funds practice.
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July 19, 2024
Ex-Lib Dem Leader Swinson Grilled Over Horizon Scandal
Former Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson told an inquiry on Friday into the Post Office accounting scandal that she was reassured when she was the minister responsible for the organization that its systems were robust.
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July 19, 2024
Staveley Drops Fight Over £3.4M Payment In Loan Dispute
A London judge ended Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley's legal battle over a debt to a Greek shipping magnate after her lawyers said Friday that she had made the over £3.4 million ($4.4 million) payment she had been expected to challenge.
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July 19, 2024
Cifas Justifies Marking Bank Activity For Suspected Fraud
The operator of the U.K.'s national fraud database has hit back at a £144,000 ($186,000) data protection claim in a London court, saying it was justified in marking a London resident's bank activity for suspected fraud.
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July 19, 2024
Lawyers Test New Routes For Redress For APP Fraud Victims
A year after the decision by Britain's Supreme Court that curbed the liability owed by lenders to customers tricked into transferring money to fraudsters, victims are now looking to use the courts to test novel routes for redress.
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July 19, 2024
Gov't Floats Draft Proposal For OBR 'Fiscal Lock' Powers
HM Treasury proposals for a new "fiscal lock" in a draft Budget Responsibility Bill will allow the Office for Budget Responsibility to scrutinize any tax-and-spend decisions with a cost factor of 1% of gross domestic product or more.
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July 19, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen a libel clash between comedian Paul Currie and the Soho Theatre Company over allegations of anti-semitism, technology giant Huawei face a patents claim by Mediatek, Westfield Europe pursue action against Clearpay Finance for contract breaches and tour operating company Carnival hit chartered airline Maleth Aero for significant flight delays. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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July 19, 2024
UK Clears Nationwide's £2.9B Purchase Of Virgin Money
The competition regulator of the U.K. said Friday that it has cleared Nationwide Building Society's acquisition of Virgin Money UK PLC for £2.9 billion ($3.7 billion), which the companies say would create a combined group with assets of approximately £366 billion.
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July 19, 2024
Businessman Found Guilty Of Fraud For COVID Loan Abuse
A British businessman accused of dishonestly obtaining a COVID-19 small business loan was convicted of fraud on Friday after prosecutors accused him of scamming the system to repay an associate embroiled in a fight with the Serious Fraud Office.
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July 19, 2024
Casino Group Faces French Price-Fixing Probe
Casino Group, the French retail giant that has recently undergone a restructuring, said it is being investigated by France's financial crime agency for possible price manipulation and corruption.
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July 18, 2024
Ukraine Businessman Looks To Arbitrate $1B Gramercy Suit
A Ukrainian businessman is urging a Wyoming federal court to force Gramercy Funds Management to arbitrate in London its racketeering lawsuit accusing him of fraudulently transferring more than a billion dollars from his agricultural business, a debtor of the Connecticut-based hedge fund.
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July 18, 2024
Law Firm Did Not Think SRA Alerts Applied To Former Client
Matthew & Matthew Solicitors has told liquidators for a now-defunct group of companies that it did not believe that warnings about investment schemes by the English solicitors' regulator applied to its client, arguing that the businessman's care home scheme appeared legitimate.
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July 18, 2024
GE Can't Claim Credit For £189M In Double Tax, Court Says
A U.K.-registered subsidiary of General Electric does not qualify for at least £189 million ($245 million) in double tax relief under a U.S.-U.K. treaty because it lacks a U.S. presence akin to a domicile, a London appellate court ruled.
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July 18, 2024
PE Firm's £432M Deal Awaiting NSIA Clearance Pushed Back
Wealth management firm Mattioli Woods said Thursday that its approximately £432 million ($546 million) acquisition by London private equity firm Pollen Street Capital that is awaiting national security clearance is now likely to close a month later than expected.
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July 18, 2024
Pension Experts Urge 'Gateway Tests' For Public Consolidator
More than half of pension professionals believe that any public sector consolidator must have tough "gateway tests" similar to those employed by commercial superfunds, if the project gets off the ground.
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July 18, 2024
Treat Politically Exposed People Better, FCA Tells Firms
The Financial Conduct Authority told all financial services companies on Thursday to do more to ensure that high-profile individuals and their families are not treated unfairly after it found widespread deficiencies in a review of the sector.
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July 18, 2024
Faegre Drinker Hires Ex-Northern Trust Legal Chief
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has recruited a senior lawyer at Northern Trust Asset Management to join its office in London as it continues to build its investment management practice in the English capital.
Expert Analysis
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Investors Should Prepare For Possible EU Energy Treaty Exit
Following the European Commission’s recent call for the European Union and Euratom to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, investors in the energy sector should assess the legal structure of their existing investments and consider restructuring to ensure adequate protections, says Philipp Kurek at Kirkland.
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EU Raw Materials Initiative Vital For Sustainable Value Chains
The European Commission’s recent steps toward developing partnerships with the U.S. and Argentina to ensure a secure supply of critical raw materials are a welcome recognition of the importance of mining to the European Union's sustainable transition, say lawyers at Watson Farley.
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UK Top Court Ruling Spells Uncertainty For Litigation Funders
The U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision in Paccar Inc. v. Competition Appeal Tribunal has called litigation funding agreements impermissible, causing astonishment in the legal industry and raising questions over how funders should now approach litigation, say Mohsin Patel at Factor Risk Management and Imran Benson at Hailsham Chambers.
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Gender Diverse Boards May Reduce Corporate Fraud Risk
Following the recently proposed "failure to prevent fraud" offense, companies should focus on diversity in leadership as research shows that an increase in women's representation on boards is associated with a decreased probability of fraud, say Anoushka Warlow and Suzanne Gallagher at BCL Solicitors.
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Trustees Should Take Caution After UK Pension Tap Plan
The U.K. government's recent plan to boost technology startups by tapping into pension sector funds may risk the hard-earned savings of members, so trustees need to be mindful of the proposals in light of their fiduciary duties, say Beth Brown and Riccardo Bruno at Arc Pensions.
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Factors Driving Increased Litigation Against European Cos.
European government regulation and enforcement, economic inflation and litigation funding are driving an increase in litigation, especially class actions, against corporations in Europe, a trend that seems to be here to stay, says Henning Schaloske at Clyde & Co.
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New UK Offense Will Help Law Firms Tighten AML Compliance
By allowing for larger fines and introducing a failure to prevent fraud offense, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will further motivate law firms to improve their anti-money laundering compliance process, says Richard Simms at AMLCC.
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What Venezuelan Gold Fight Means For UK One Voice Doctrine
The Court of Appeal's judgment in Deutsche Bank v. Central Bank of Venezuela clarifies the application of the "one voice" doctrine to foreign court judgments, highlighting that the reasoning depends on the recognition or nonrecognition of a head of state or government that is contrary to the U.K. government's position, say lawyers at Latham.
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Report On UK Investment Act Offers Welcome Insights
The U.K. government's recent report on the National Security and Investment Act's first full year of operation is to be applauded for disclosing more information on the act's notification system than was required, enabling a better understanding of what has taken place and what the next year may hold, say Andrea Hamilton and Ajal Notowicz at Milbank.
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Preparing For M&A Under The Foreign Subsidies Regulation
The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation introduces requirements that companies operating in the region must consider in M&A transactions, and any foreign financial contributions received by a target should be checked during the due diligence stage, with specific provisions for commission approval if a notification requirement is triggered, say Hendrik Viaene and Stéphane Dionnet at McDermott.
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Important Generative AI Considerations In M&A
The recent surge of interest in generative artificial intelligence and its use of machine learning algorithms means there are novel concerns as well as inherent risks for those engaging in M&A activity, and acquirers should pay careful attention to a target’s scope of ownership and licensing rights, say attorneys at Davis Polk.
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Pension Trustee Case Could Lead To Fossil Fuels Divestment
While the recent Court of Appeal case McGaughey v. Universities Superannuation Scheme attempts to link fossil fuel investment by trustees to significant risk of financial detriment, it is concerning that two out of 470,000 scheme members could be permitted to bring a claim without ensuring that other members are represented, says Anna Metadjer at Kingsley Napley.
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Outbound Screening May Be Next EU Investment Control Step
Following the European Commission’s recent commitment to reduce dependence on third countries by developing an outbound investment review mechanism, it will be interesting to see whether member states will take a united stand or whether national security interests will trump such an approach, say Christoph Barth and Neil Hoolihan at Linklaters.
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Barclays Ruling Narrows Banks' Fraud Recovery Duty
The U.K. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Philipp v. Barclays decided against the so-called Quincecare duty's application in authorized push payment fraud, shining light on how banks should balance their responsibility to follow customers' instructions against making reasonable inquiries, say lawyers at Ontier.
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Green Loans May Be Hungary's Path To Sustainable Financing
Fueled by a rising trend in the use of green loans, Hungary is making impressive progress in its journey toward achieving a net-zero future, although the development of social and sustainability-linked loans is still a work in progress, say Gergely Szalóki and Bálint Bodó at Schönherr.