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Financial Services UK

  • August 04, 2025

    UBS To Pay DOJ $300M To Settle Inherited Credit Suisse Case

    Swiss bank UBS said Monday it has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Justice $300 million to settle outstanding obligations inherited from the mortgage-backed securities business of Credit Suisse, the lender it acquired in 2023.

  • August 04, 2025

    Motor Finance Redress Scheme Could Reach £18B, FCA Says

    The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed a compensation program for motor finance customers after a landmark U.K. Supreme Court decision on Friday found signs that consumers were being treated unfairly, as the watchdog estimated that the cost could reach £18 billion ($24 billion).

  • August 02, 2025

    Supreme Court Car Finance Verdict Slashes Lender Exposure

    The U.K. Supreme Court's landmark decision Friday to reverse most of the Court of Appeal's judgment on hidden motor finance commissions has sharply narrowed the scope of any future redress scheme from the Financial Conduct Authority — an outcome critics said favored lenders and car dealers over consumer protection.

  • August 01, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Skadden, Wachtell, Latham

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. announce megamerger plans, Palo Alto Networks acquires identity security company CyberArk, Brookfield buys British life insurer Just Group, and Duke Energy sells its Piedmont Natural Gas Tennessee local distribution business to Spire Inc.

  • August 01, 2025

    Ex-AllSaints Chair In Contempt Over Share Sale Fraud Claims

    A London court ruled Friday that the former chairman of AllSaints was in contempt of court for breaching an order to stop claiming an interest in shares in the high street fashion chain after his fraud allegations were rejected.

  • August 01, 2025

    Gov't Fines UK Biz For Russia Sanctions Breach

    The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has fined U.K.‑based business support services provider Markom Management Ltd. for violating financial sanctions tied to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

  • August 01, 2025

    Barclays Adviser Wrongly Fired Over Sexual Remarks

    A former Barclays employee was unfairly dismissed for making sexual comments to female colleagues, but he could have been fairly dismissed for the same conduct, according to a Glasgow tribunal ruling.

  • August 01, 2025

    Top Court Hands Banks Partial Win Over Motor Finance Fees

    Car finance providers won a partial victory in a landmark case over commission payments on Friday when the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that they did not owe a duty to provide customers with information about the fees, potentially avoiding a multibillion-pound compensation scheme. 

  • August 01, 2025

    FCA Widens Crypto ETN Access To Boost Competitiveness

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday it will lift its ban on retail access to cryptocurrency exchange‑traded notes from Oct. 8, allowing individual investors to buy these products through U.K.‑listed trading venues.

  • August 01, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen several telco giants hit with a trademark claim, a collapsed hotel company sue a property investor in an ongoing dispute over a decades-old hotel sale, and two litigation funders square off against each other.

  • August 01, 2025

    Ogilvy & Wachtel-Led Investors Oppose Hedge Fund Merger

    A group of investors in Third Point told fellow shareholders in the hedge fund on Friday that the proposed merger with Malibu Life Reinsurance will establish "a dangerous precedent for the U.K. stock market" of not safeguarding interests of the minority.

  • August 01, 2025

    FCA Hits Brokerage With £1M Fine For Deal Report Failures

    The City watchdog said Friday that it has hit a global brokerage with a fine of more than £1 million ($1.3 million) for the "particularly serious" failure to submit complete and accurate transaction reports over a five-year period.

  • July 31, 2025

    Asset Freeze Sticks In Billionaire's $415M Fraud Case

    A London appeals court on Thursday upheld an asset freeze against a man accused of defrauding Ricardo Salinas Pliego out of more than $415 million, finding no reason to doubt the Mexican billionaire is "exceedingly wealthy" and able to compensate the other side if he ultimately loses his claim.

  • July 31, 2025

    Developer Denies Misusing Victims' Funds In £226M Fraud

    A developer convicted for running a £226 million ($299 million) Ponzi scheme denied treating overseas properties bought with his victims' money as his "pension fund" as he gave evidence in court Thursday.

  • July 31, 2025

    SocGen, ING Win €212M EuroChem Bonds Sanctions Fight

    A Russian subsidiary of EuroChem lost its fight Thursday to force European banks to pay out on €212 million ($242 million) worth of bonds, after a court ruled that the payouts are blocked because the Swiss agricultural chemicals company is owned by a sanctioned oligarch.

  • July 31, 2025

    Asset Manager Denies Breaching NDA For €118M Deals

    A London-based investment manager has sued two companies of the Italian asset manager giant Azimut for millions over deals related to an investment in a machinery manufacturer, but Azimut has denied breaching the deal saying it had been released from its obligations.

  • July 31, 2025

    FCA Finds Failings In Digital Loan Application Processes

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that some companies are designing digital loan application processes badly, slowing decision-making and excluding cost information that consumers need.

  • July 31, 2025

    SRA Warns Law Firms Over Handling Of Motor Finance Claims

    The solicitors' watchdog warned law firms Thursday that they must tell prospective clients about possible cost-free ways to pursue their motor finance commission claims before agreeing to act on a case for a fee.

  • July 31, 2025

    Pensions Ombudsman Says Caseload Is Outpacing Funding

    The Pensions Ombudsman said that its funding has failed to keep pace with the rising caseload of complaints, forcing it to look at artificial intelligence to help reduce waiting times.

  • July 31, 2025

    FCA Probe Target Gets 12 Months In Jail For Contempt

    An exiled businessman suspected of offering unregulated debt counseling has been handed a 12-month prison sentence for deliberately breaching restrictions on his assets by spending $84,000 on luxury items, travel and hotels.

  • July 31, 2025

    Lion Finance Eyes Purchase Of HSBC Unit's Malta Operation

    Lion Finance Group PLC, the owner of banks in Caucasia, expressed an interest on Thursday in buying the Malta operations of an HSBC subsidiary. 

  • July 31, 2025

    Euronext Offers To Buy Athens Stock Exchange For €413M

    Euronext NV said Thursday that it has offered to buy the Athens Stock Exchange SA for €412.8 million ($472.1 million) in an all-share transaction, as the bourse looks to expand its presence in southeast Europe.

  • July 31, 2025

    Squire Patton-Led JTC To Buy Swiss Bank Unit For £20M

    JTC PLC said Thursday it plans to acquire a finance services company that caters to ultra-rich clients from Swiss private bank Union Bancaire Privée SA for £20 million ($26.5 million), as the Jersey-based fund administrator seeks to increase its global presence.

  • July 31, 2025

    Freshfields Steers LSE Operator On £1B Buyback Plan

    London Stock Exchange Group PLC said on Thursday said it will launch further share buybacks worth up to £1 billion ($1.3 billion), as the financial markets operator reported strong growth and profits.

  • July 31, 2025

    A&O Shearman Guides Brookfield On £2.4B Just Group Buy

    Investment giant Brookfield said Thursday that it plans to buy Just Group, a British life insurer, for £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) in a deal steered by A&O Shearman and Slaughter and May.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Why Timing Makes UK Libor Judgments Controversial

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    The recent U.K. Court of Appeal decision in the R v. Hayes and Palombo appeal against Libor convictions demonstrates that had U.K. regulators probed with the facts known today, civil claims in all jurisdictions would be dismissed and a decadelong wasted investigation should be put to rest, says Charles Kuhn at Clyde & Co.

  • Tips For Orgs Using NDAs In Light Of New UK Legislation

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    The recent passage of the Victims and Prisoners Act follows a crackdown on the misuse of nondisclosure agreements, but although NDAs are not prohibited and regulators recognize their legitimate justification, organizations relying on them must be able to clearly explain that justification if challenged, say attorneys at Macfarlanes.

  • What Alternative Fuel Proposals Mean For EU Infrastructure

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    The European Union’s proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, covering activities in the transport sectors supporting the decarbonization process, sets ambitious standards regarding the deployment of adequate supply infrastructure and offers new funding opportunities for port operators and shipowners, says Christian Bauer at Watson Farley.

  • Continuation Funds: What You Need To Know

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    As the continuation fund market matures, the structure and terms of these transactions have become increasingly complex, presenting challenges that should be carefully navigated by participants to ensure a successful transaction process, say lawyers at Skadden.

  • EU Anti-Greenwashing Guide Analyzed For Fund Managers

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    Anna Maleva-Otto and Matthew Dow at Schulte Roth explain how the European Securities and Markets Authority’s new guidelines on sustainability-related terms in fund names aim to protect European Union investors from unsubstantiated claims, and how they provide quantifiable criteria for determining which terms can be used to promote their funds.

  • FCA 'Finfluencer' Trial Exposes Social Media Promo Risks

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    The upcoming Financial Conduct Authority prosecution of nine individuals for Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 violations is the first time an online influencer will be tried for using social media to promote investments, demonstrating the need to be wary of the specific legal requirements surrounding financial product promotion, says David Claxton at Red Lion.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • FCA Doubles Down On New Priorities With Target ID Plan

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    Respondents to the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent consultation on its plan to publicly name subjects under investigation are concerned that the regulator’s cost-benefit analysis has not adequately considered the risks, but the FCA is holding firm, and it seems likely the changes will be implemented, says James Tyler at Peters & Peters.

  • Examining Senior Managers' Accountability For AI Use

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    With the Financial Conduct Authority's artificial intelligence update and the Prudential Regulation Authority’s letter to the government offering key guidance on the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, Senior Managers in these organizations need to show they have taken steps to prevent breaching requirements in order not to be held personally accountable, says Jennifer Holyoake at DLA Piper.

  • FCA Brokerage Changes Offer Asset Managers Wider Options

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s fast-tracked plan to lift its controversial ban on joint payments to broker-dealers for third-party services will be welcomed by many asset managers wishing to return to a soft commission structure, say Richard Frase and Simon Wright at Dechert.

  • What Cos. Should Know About The EU Greenwashing Rules

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    The EU's recently proposed Green Claims Directive introduces new rules to improve the transparency and honesty of environmental claims in advertising, which will help ensure that consumers receive accurate and reliable information to make informed purchasing decisions, says Daja Apetz-Dreier at Morgan Lewis.

  • Sanctions Ruling Opens Door For Enforcer To Clear Up Rules

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    In Vneshprombank v. Bedzhamov, the High Court recently argued against a broader interpretation of the test on reasonable suspicion for asset freezes, offering the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation an opportunity to clarify when freezes should be applied and respond to judicial criticism of its guidance on financial sanctions, says Tasha Benkhadra at Corker Binning.

  • 'Debanking' Complaints Highlight Need For Flexibility In AML

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    The House of Commons' Treasury Committee's concerns about bank account closures have highlighted certain counterproductive features of anti-money laundering laws, and the review offers the opportunity for a more flexible approach, says John Binns at BCL Solicitors.

  • Mitigating Incarceration's Impacts On Foreign Nationals

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    Sentencing arguments that highlighted the disparate impact incarceration would have on a British national recently sentenced for insider training by a New York district court, when compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens, provide an example of the advocacy needed to avoid or mitigate problems unique to noncitizen defendants, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

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