Financial Services UK

  • June 24, 2024

    Charity Urges Better Ways To Fight Investment Greenwashing

    A legal environmental charity on Monday called for stronger measures to address the practice of misrepresenting financial products as environmentally friendly when they do not meet the necessary sustainability criteria.

  • June 24, 2024

    Prudential Launches First Tranche Of $2B Buyback Program

    Insurer and asset manager Prudential PLC has commenced an initial $700 million share buyback program, the first phase of a wider up to $2 billion repurchase scheme, advised by Slaughter and May.

  • June 24, 2024

    FCA Takes Action Against 3 Fund Mngrs On Risky Investments

    The financial watchdog said Monday that it has decided to ban and fine three individuals who ran fund manager SVS Securities PLC after it invested clients' pension money into high-risk bonds that have defaulted, threatening their retirement security.

  • June 24, 2024

    CMS-Led Aareal Bank To Sell Unit To TPG For €3.9B

    German lender Aareal Bank AG and investment company Advent International said Monday that they have agreed to sell a property management and maintenance software company to U.S. private equity firm TPG and Canada's CDPQ for approximately €3.9 billion ($4.2 billion).

  • June 21, 2024

    UK Tax Fraud Cases Rose 49% Over One-Year Period

    The U.K. tax authority launched more criminal cases for tax fraud for the year ended June 30, 2023, increasing 49% from 63 cases for the previous year to 94, Pinsent Masons LLP said Monday.

  • June 21, 2024

    Russian Bank Founder Hit With Asset Freeze In $850M Claim

    A London judge froze the assets of the co-founder of a Russian bank in a hearing Friday, in the latest development of an $850 million fraud claim in which two Russian lenders are seeking to claw back allegedly embezzled funds.

  • June 21, 2024

    OECD Official Sees Amount B Deal Helping With Amount A

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is close to a final deal on a key part of its efforts to establish new international taxing rights under Amounts A and B of its Pillar One plans, according to the organization's tax chief.

  • June 21, 2024

    Austrian Bank Beats Challenge To 'Easybank' TM

    Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo lost its challenge to an Austrian bank's "easybank" trademark, after the Austrian bank persuaded the European Union's intellectual property office that it had put its direct banking brand to good use.

  • June 21, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen JD Wetherspoon sue a Welsh pub over its name in the Intellectual Property Court, ex-professional boxer Amir Khan and his wife file libel action against an influencer, the Performing Right Society hit with a competition claim over music licensing, and Manolete Partners bring action against the directors of a bust investment firm. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 21, 2024

    European Funds Want Laxer Rules On Derivatives Calls

    A European investment fund industry trade body has called for a reduction in proposed global rules to manage calls for extra money supporting derivatives positions intended to reduce the risk of a market crisis.

  • June 21, 2024

    Axiom Stays £65M Action As Directors Claim Bankruptcy

    A London judge ruled on Friday that shuttered firm Axiom Ince can stay its almost £65 million ($82 million) claim against its ex-director and several of his companies for allegedly misappropriating client funds, saying the main defendant has been declared bankrupt.

  • June 20, 2024

    Pensioners Still Taxed With 'Triple Lock Plus,' LCP Says

    The ruling Conservative Party's pledge to add a tax break to the anti-inflation "triple lock" on pensions would still mean that 2.5 million U.K. pensioners will be taxed, consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock LLP said Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    WTW Says Professional Trustee Appointments Up 11%

    Professional trustee appointments have surged by 11% over the past year, with corporate sole trustee appointments rising at 14%, according to WTW's 2024 professional trustee survey published Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    Mastercard Settles Retailers' Swipe Fees Group Litigation

    Mastercard has settled a class action claim brought by more than 1,900 businesses in ongoing litigation over allegations it imposed excessively high credit card fees on merchants, a person familiar with the case has confirmed.

  • June 20, 2024

    Aegon Plans ESG Shakeup Of £12B Workplace Pension Fund

    Pensions provider Aegon on Thursday announced a raft of measures to overhaul its £12 billion ($15.2 billion) workplace retirement fund, as it plots to reduce its carbon emissions and invest more in unlisted assets.

  • June 20, 2024

    Financial Watchdog Launches First-Ever ESG Probe Into Biz

    The Financial Conduct Authority has opened its first-ever enforcement investigation into a company over climate-related issues, lawyers from an environmental legal campaign group said on Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    A&O Shearman-Led Bridgepoint Makes £626M Offer For Rival

    Alpha Financial Markets Consulting Ltd. said Thursday that a company controlled by asset fund manager Bridgepoint Advisers is weighing a £578 million ($734 million) takeover and that it would recommend that to shareholders if it makes a formal bid.

  • June 20, 2024

    FCA Backs Police In Illegal £1B Crypto-Scheme Arrests

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that it worked with the Metropolitan Police on an operation that resulted in the arrest of two individuals suspected of running an illegal £1 billion ($1.3 billion) crypto-asset business.

  • June 20, 2024

    Sainsbury's To Pay NatWest £125M To Exit Bank Unit

    Sainsbury's will pay NatWest approximately £125 million ($159 million) to take on most of the personal banking assets of the U.K. retail giant, the companies said Thursday, as grocers look to exit the consumer banking market.

  • June 19, 2024

    Stripe Seeks To Revoke ATM Network's TMs

    Stripe has urged a court to revoke trademarks owned by the main ATM network in the U.K., which accused the online payment processor of infringement and hijacking its reputation by using the "Link" name for a payment service.

  • June 19, 2024

    Mastercard Cuts Time-Barred Claims From £10B Class Action

    A London tribunal has wiped out a swathe of claims from a £10 billion ($12.7 billion) class action against Mastercard for being time-barred, dismissing allegations on Wednesday that the credit card giant had hidden information about its interchange fees from consumers.

  • June 19, 2024

    EU Gov'ts Agree Position On Simpler Data-Sharing Rules

    European Union governments agreed where they stand on new rules on Wednesday to help most financial regulators in the bloc to share data, with more efficient reporting by watchdogs and companies.

  • June 19, 2024

    Coinbase Loses Bid For EU Trademark Resembling Letter 'C'

    Cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase failed to persuade a European court to upend an intellectual property office ruling that rejected its figurative trademark for a shape resembling the letter "C" as the court backed the ruling that the application lacked distinctive character.

  • June 19, 2024

    Plane Not 'Lost' In $15M Stranded Jet Row, Chubb Says

    Chubb European Group SE has said it is not liable for $14.7 million claimed by the Irish wing of a U.S. aircraft leasing company to cover the claimed loss of a plane stranded in Russia because the insurer says it is not actually lost.

  • June 19, 2024

    New UK Gov't 'Should Push EU' For Extended Tax Relief Deal

    A trade body for investment companies has said that whichever political parties forms the new government on July 5 should make it a priority to ensure that the European Union ratifies the U.K.'s recent decision to extend existing tax relief for venture capital trusts.

Expert Analysis

  • Technology And AI: 2024's Legal And Regulatory Landscape

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    Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith discusses what businesses and their lawyers can expect in the year ahead in terms of regulation, policies and associated risks related to advancing technologies and artificial intelligence, including the need for increased internal governance and workforce engagement.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

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    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • A Look At 2023's Landmark Insolvency Developments

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    The insolvency landscape in 2023 witnessed pivotal court decisions that will continue to shape the industry in 2024, with a focus on refining director and administrator duties and obligations, and addressing emerging challenges, says Kerri Wilson at Ontier.

  • Pension Industry Should Monitor Evolving ESG Issues In 2024

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    ESG thinking in the pensions industry has substantially evolved from focusing on climate change and net-zero to including nature and social considerations, and formalizing governance processes — illustrating that, in 2024, continually monitoring ESG issues sits squarely within trustee fiduciary duties, says Liz Ramsaran at DWF.

  • What 2024 Has In Store For White Collar Crime Enforcement

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    Changes in Serious Fraud Office leadership and corporate crime laws in the U.K. signal a chance to kickstart enforcement in 2024, and companies need to stay alive to risks within their business, preparing in particular for the new offense of failure to prevent fraud, say lawyers at Latham.

  • Emerging Trends From A Busy Climate Litigation Year

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    Although many environmental cases brought in the U.K. were unsuccessful in 2023, they arguably clarified several relevant issues, such as climate rights, director and trustee obligations, and the extent to which claimants can hold the government accountable, illustrating what 2024 may have in store for climate litigation, say Simon Bishop and Patrick Kenny at Hausfeld.

  • Regulating Digital Platforms: What's Changing In EU And UK

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    Lawyers at Mayer Brown assess the status of recently enacted EU and U.K. antitrust regulation governing gatekeeper platforms, noting that the effects are already being felt, and that companies will need to avoid anti-competitive self-preferencing and ensure a higher degree of interoperability than has been required to date.

  • How Boards Can Mitigate Privacy, Cybersecurity And AI Risks

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    In 2023, data privacy, cybersecurity and AI persist as prominent C-suite concerns as regulators stepped up enforcement, and organizations must develop a plan for handling these risks, in particular those with a global footprint, say lawyers at Latham.

  • The Outlook For UK Restructuring Plans At Home And Abroad

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    The U.K. continues to be a center for large-cap, cross-border restructurings, though its competitive edge over the EU in this regard may narrow, while small and medium-sized enterprises are already likely to avoid costly formal processes by reaching out to their secured lenders for restructuring solutions, say Paul Keddie and Timothy Bromley-White at Macfarlanes.

  • Foreign Assets Ruling Suggests New Tax Avoidance Approach

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    The U.K. Supreme Court's recent ruling in His Majesty's Revenue & Customs v. Fisher, which found that the scope of the transfer of foreign assets is narrow, highlights that the days of rampant tax avoidance have been left behind, and that the need for wide-ranging and uncertain tax legislation is lessening, says James Austen at Collyer Bristow.

  • Lessons To Be Learned From 2023's Bank Failures

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    This year’s banking collapses, coupled with interest rate rises, inflation and geopolitical instability have highlighted the need for more robust governance, and banks and regulators have learned that they must adequately monitor and control liquidity risk to protect against another financial crisis, say Juliette Mills and Alix Prentice at Cadwalader.

  • An Overview Of European Private Investments in Public Equity

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    Although still fairly rare, private investments in public equity may continue to be an attractive option for some European issuers seeking to secure equity financing, and advisers planning such an investment should consider the various local options, requirements and norms, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Cos. Must Monitor Sanctions Regime As Law Remains Unclear

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    While recent U.K. government guidance and an English High Court's decision in Litasco v. Der Mond Oil, finding that a company is sanctioned when a designated individual is exercising control over it, both address sanctions control issues, disarray in the law remains, highlighting that practitioners should keep reviewing their exposure to the sanctions regime, say lawyers at K&L Gates.

  • Unpacking The UK's Proposals To Regulate Crypto-Assets

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    Recent proposals for crypto-asset regulation in the U.K. demonstrate support for crypto's potential, but there is concern around the authorization process for organizations undertaking crypto-asset activities, and new regulations will require a more detailed assessment of firms' compliance not previously addressed, say Jessica Lee and Menelaos Karampetsos at Brown Rudnick.

  • The Top 7 Global ESG Litigation Trends In 2023

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    To date, ESG litigation across the world can largely be divided into seven forms, but these patterns will continue developing, including a rise in cases against private and state actors, a more complex regulatory environment affecting multinational companies, and an increase in nongovernmental organization activity, say Sophie Lamb and Aleksandra Dulska at Latham.

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