Financial Services UK

  • 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.

  • August 22, 2024

    Fidelis Denies Liability For $238M Over Stranded Planes

    Fidelis has argued it should not be liable for paying out claims totaling more than $238 million over planes stranded in Russia, arguing the lessors had not been irretrievably deprived of the aircraft under the terms of the policies.

  • August 22, 2024

    Barclays Denies Losing Trader £6.7M On Investor Platform

    Barclays has denied costing a customer £6.7 million ($8.7 million) after he was blocked from trading on the bank's investor platform, claiming the market trader was aware of the uncertain situation of his shares and any loss was his own.

  • August 22, 2024

    Mike Lynch's Path From Tech Founder To DOJ Target

    Friends and colleagues paid tribute to Mike Lynch following his death in a yachting accident on Thursday, hailing the British tech entrepreneur for the decades he spent furthering the industry despite the legal troubles that threatened to overshadow his career.

  • August 22, 2024

    EU Decision Keeps Tax Relief For UK Investment Schemes

    The European Commission will allow U.K. government-backed programs that encourage private investment in small companies to continue offering favorable tax terms for investors, according to a decision published Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ukrainian Man Hits Cyprus Companies For £1.2M Loan Debt

    A Ukrainian man has sued two banks in a London court for allegedly defaulting on a £1 million ($1.3 million) loan.

  • August 22, 2024

    'Beloved By Everyone': Attys Recall Clifford Chance's Morvillo

    Clifford Chance LLP partner Christopher Morvillo, who died this week after a luxury yacht he was on sank off the coast of Sicily, is being remembered not only as a lion of the legal community but also as an "extraordinary human being" and a "Renaissance man" who was devoted to his family.

  • August 22, 2024

    Over 3M UK Pensioners To Be Dragged Into Higher Tax Rates

    Government data shows 3.1 million U.K. pensioners will be dragged into paying higher taxes in the next four years due to the freeze on income thresholds, financial firm Quilter PLC said Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    UK Pension Deal Market Likely To Hit £40B In 2024

    The value of pension insurance transactions in 2024 is likely to drop to £40 billion ($52.4 billion), an insurer has said, bucking expectations of another record-breaking year for the market.

  • August 22, 2024

    Mike Lynch's Body Recovered From Yacht Wreck

    Mike Lynch, founder of technology company Autonomy, died when a yacht he was aboard sank off the Sicilian coast, his family confirmed Friday, after a trip the entrepreneur had reportedly chartered with his legal team to celebrate their victory in a U.S. fraud case.

  • August 22, 2024

    Bank Of Georgia To Buy Back Shares Worth $27M

    Bank of Georgia Group PLC said on Thursday that it will launch a share buyback program worth 73.4 million Georgian lari ($27 million) aimed at cutting its outstanding share capital, as it reported increased profit.

  • August 21, 2024

    Top Commercial Disputes To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2024

    A claim against BHP from victims of Brazil's deadliest environmental disaster, a $10 billion insurance megatrial over planes stranded in Russia and a legal challenge to the response by the U.K. financial regulator to the mis-selling scandal are just some of the trials to look out for in the second half of 2024.

  • August 21, 2024

    Sporting Co.'s Ex-Director Sentenced For COVID Loan Misuse

    The former director of a Sussex-based sporting services company has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and 150 hours of unpaid work for exploiting a government COVID-19 business loan, the U.K.'s Insolvency Service announced Wednesday.

  • August 21, 2024

    Ex-Barclays VP Loses Bias Case Over Potential Promotion

    Barclays Execution Center defeated dozens of discrimination and unfair dismissal claims from a former vice president, after an employment tribunal ruled that she was bringing up personal qualms against a manager who hadn't treated her badly.

  • August 21, 2024

    VAT Fraudster Loses Bid To Escape Repaying £1.4M

    A man involved in a £40 million ($52 million) criminal tax fraud scheme has lost a bid to avoid repaying £1.4 million as a London court ruled on Wednesday that he had failed to prove he no longer had hidden assets.

  • August 21, 2024

    Pension Bodies Call For Investment Consultants Regulation

    The government should urgently move forward with delayed plans to bring investment consultants under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority, pension bodies and climate groups warned.

  • August 28, 2024

    Paul Weiss Hires TDR Capital's GC For Private Equity Team

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP said Wednesday that it has recruited a partner from private equity firm TDR Capital as it continues its expansion in London.

  • August 21, 2024

    PE Firm's £432M Deal Wins UK Security Clearance

    Wealth management firm Mattioli Woods said Wednesday that the U.K. government has granted national security clearance to its acquisition for approximately £432 million ($564 million) by private equity firm Pollen Street, clearing the way after some delay for the completion of the deal.

  • August 21, 2024

    Broker SRG Eyes UK Rival Amid 2024 Shopping Spree

    Specialist Risk Group has said it hopes to make its fifth acquisition for 2024 after it offered to buy Anthony James Insurance Brokers Ltd., which it expects will boost its retail division across the U.K.

  • August 21, 2024

    Insurers Failing To Give Customers Good Value, FCA Warns

    The Financial Conduct Authority called on insurers and brokers on Wednesday to remedy failures to demonstrate that they offer fair value to customers with good outcomes.

  • August 20, 2024

    Insider Trading Won't Impact Pilot's Tax Sentencing Guidelines

    A Manhattan federal judge found Tuesday that insider trading allegations won't bump up the guidelines sentencing range for a pilot for U.K. billionaire Joe Lewis who pled guilty to tax evasion.

  • August 20, 2024

    Imprisoned Oligarch Bids For ID Linked To $20M Transfer

    An imprisoned Russian oligarch pursuing a $13.8 billion conspiracy claim urged a London judge Tuesday to order a group of wealth management companies to disclose the identity of a person who requested a $20 million transfer that he alleges was a bribe.

  • August 20, 2024

    Barclays Told To Reassess Promotion Process After Bias Case

    A former vice president of Barclays was not passed over for a promotion because she was an Asian Muslim woman, but a split employment tribunal urged the bank to look at its promotion process.

  • August 27, 2024

    Linklaters Taps White & Case For Finance Head In Sweden

    Linklaters LLP said Tuesday that it has recruited a leveraged finance expert from White & Case LLP to lead its banking practice in Sweden and to boost its support to clients including banks and private equity firms.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Know About 'Prior Obligations' Sanctions Exemption

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    The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation recently issued a "prior obligations" general license authorizing U.K. persons to receive funds or economic resources owed to them by any person targeted by U.K. asset freeze sanctions, and it is novel for its scope but by no means a panacea, say Jane Shvets and Konstantin Bureiko at Debevoise.

  • Recent Cases Mark Maturation Of CAT Class Cert. Approach

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    The Competition Appeal Tribunal's recent refusal to grant collective proceedings applications against Visa and MasterCard in the Commercial and Interregional Card Claims case shows that the tribunal takes its role as a gatekeeper seriously, and that it will likely continue to be difficult for defendants to defeat certification first time around, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Why The UK Needs Tougher Fraud Enforcement

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    The Crown Court's recent conviction of Anthony Constantinou for running a Ponzi scheme is a rare success for prosecutors, highlighting the legal system's painfully slow course when it comes to complex fraud, and the need for significant funds and resources in the fight against financial crime, says James Clark at Quillon Law.

  • What New FCA Management Will Mean For Enforcement

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    Therese Chambers’ first speech since becoming the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s joint executive director provided insightful observations about the expected behaviors of firms and their legal advisers during investigations, indicating the advent of a proactive, prosecution-minded enforcement agency trying to do the right thing, says Richard Burger at WilmerHale.

  • Global M&A Outlook: Slow But Moving Along

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    Global merger and acquisition markets had a tough start to the year, with inflation, rising interest rates and the Ukraine conflict knocking sentiment, but in the macroeconomic, deal makers have continued to unearth pockets of activity to keep deal volumes ticking over, say lawyers at White & Case.

  • Why Int'l Investors Should Keep An Eye On German M&A Regs

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    While German reform proposals will digitize corporate law formalities that have long been immune to change, international limitations remain, particularly for countries outside the European Union, as Germany moves to tighten regulatory hurdles to control inbound investment, say Marcus Geiss and Sonja Ruttmann at Gibson Dunn.

  • How B2B Data Sharing Could Unlock Untapped Value

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    B2B data sharing offers organizations an opportunity to extract greater value from an existing asset, and although it is essential to consider the legal and regulatory framework and maintain a sound governance structure, with strong support businesses that share data are likely to grow more than those that do not, say Jocelyn Paulley and Helen Davenport at Gowling WLG.

  • Why Coordinated UK Crypto Regulation Is Needed

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    The slew of recently published crypto-sector consultations and reports differ in their treatment of the currency, so the industry must coordinate to establish regulations that can weather the proliferation of fraud while supporting the U.K.'s race to become a world leader in digital assets, says Nicola McKinney at Quillon Law.

  • 5 Code Of Ethics Recommendations For FTSE 350 Companies

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    In light of the U.K. Institute of Business Ethics' recent report on the FTSE 350, companies should regularly update their code of ethics in order to emphasize to employees and business partners the importance they place on following good practice, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Examining The Effects Of Increased Construction Insolvency

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    With a significant rise in construction firm insolvencies, proactive monitoring of key counterparties is paramount, and if early warning signs such as failure to pay suppliers or a turnover in key management are triggered, parties should take steps to minimize exposure and potential losses, say lawyers at Reynolds Porter.

  • What TPR's Guidance On DEI Means For Pensions Industry

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    The Pension Regulator is one of the first regulators to issue guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion, and employers and trustees should incorporate its advice by developing policies and monitoring progress to ensure that improvements are made regularly, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • The Many Challenges Of Post-Brexit Regulatory Divergence

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    As the regulatory effects of the U.K.'s departure from the EU emerge and the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, firms must monitor compliance with fast-changing trade sanctions and the foreign investment screening regime that continues to add cost and complexity to the cross-border acquisitions market, say lawyers at Shepherd & Wedderburn.

  • Economic Issues To Watch In The Libor Transition

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    With the London Interbank Offered Rate officially retiring June 30, market participants and their counsel should consider how the economic questions presented by outstanding contracts and the pros and cons of different alternative reference rates may lead to litigation around Libor cessation, say analysts at The Brattle Group.

  • Reserved Investor Fund Would Plug Gap In UK Finance Market

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    The reserved investor fund recently proposed by HM Treasury has the potential to be a welcome tax-efficient addition to the U.K.’s canon of products for real estate investments, with attractive features for companies and, in particular, large asset managers, say lawyers at Herbert Smith.

  • What Firms Need To Know About The FCA Consumer Duty

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    The Financial Conduct Authority's new consumer duty, in force from July 31, presents an opportunity for manufacturers and distributors of financial services to understand the importance of fair value for consumers, and the regulator will be taking a close interest in this, say Julie Patient, Mark Aengenheister and Virginia Montgomery at Hogan Lovells.

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