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Financial Services UK
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April 29, 2025
FCA Set To Get Enforcement Boost From New Fraud Offense
The new "failure to prevent" fraud offense that comes into force in September will indirectly boost the Financial Conduct Authority's opportunities for enforcement against corporate senior managers, countering its recent retreat from plans to "name and shame" companies it is investigating, lawyers say.Â
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April 29, 2025
EU Prosecutors Accuse Audit Body Of Blocking Fraud Probe
European Union prosecutors have sued the European Court of Auditors for blocking a request for several of the court's members of staff to testify in a criminal investigation launched in the wake of allegations of fraud at the top of the audit institution.
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April 28, 2025
Watchdog Warns Of Significant Errors In Digital Reporting
The accounting watchdog warned Monday that some companies listed on the London Stock Exchange are making significant errors in their digital annual reports through incorrect tagging.
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April 28, 2025
Gov't Urged To Act On Critical Pension Switching Delays
The government must step in to mandate faster retirement saving transfers, a pensions provider warned Monday, saying that in some cases customers have been left waiting three years for the process to complete.
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April 28, 2025
Court Compels Disclosure In £500K Phone Crypto-Theft Case
The victim of a phone-snatching in London has secured a court order compelling four companies offering digital asset exchange services to disclose documents tied to an alleged fraud perpetrated against them after £500,000 ($667,000) in cryptocurrency was drained from his account.
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April 28, 2025
Investment Services Biz Denies Swiss Bank Deal Breach
Investment services company Otala.Markets has hit back at a €1.5 million ($1.7 million) claim brought by Swiss bank Credinvest, telling the High Court that it did not breach its contract with the lender when it accidentally tried to terminate the deal.
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April 28, 2025
Lender Sues Auditor For £1.8M Over Faulty Car Reports
A provider of business finance has alleged that an auditor inaccurately recorded the assets of a London car dealership, leading the lender to lose more than £1.8 million ($2.4 million) that it handed over to the motor sales company based on the faulty assessment.
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April 28, 2025
Compensation Program Declares Pensions Adviser In Default
A pensions adviser has been declared in default after receiving five claims against it, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme confirmed Monday.
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April 28, 2025
Italy's Mediobanca Offers €6.3B For Rival Banca Generali
Italian investment bank Mediobanca SpA said Monday that it plans to buy a domestic rival, Banca Generali SpA, for €6.3 billion ($7.1 billion), heating up consolidation in the country's banking sector.
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April 25, 2025
Belgian Data Watchdog Blocks FATCA Transfers To US
Belgium's data privacy watchdog ruled that a government agency's transfers of personal data to the U.S. tax authority as part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is prohibited under European law.
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April 25, 2025
Tycoon's Son Loses Challenge To £3M Howard Kennedy Bill
The son of a diamond tycoon accused of swindling $1 billion from banks lost his bid for a court-ordered review of his legal bills from Howard Kennedy on Friday as the High Court said he knew of the climbing costs linked to his international fraud case.
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April 25, 2025
UK Law, Accounting Bodies Queried On Poor SAR Records
The anti-money laundering unit of the Financial Conduct Authority has told legal and accounting professional bodies to justify their failure to check the quality of suspicious activity reports by their member firms.
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April 25, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen pub operator Stonegate sue insurance broker Marsh, a human rights lawyer sued for defamation by Russian businessman Ovik Mkrtchyan, and British toy-maker The Character Group reignite an employment dispute with a former finance director. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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April 25, 2025
Gov't Repaid £1.4B In Pension 'Overtaxation' Since 2015
The U.K. government was forced to pay back £44 million ($58.6 million) in the first quarter to people who have been charged too much tax on pension withdrawals, bringing the total repaid to date to £1.4 billion.
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April 25, 2025
Crypto Firm Denies Joint Venture Claim From Tether Unit
A crypto trading firm has hit back against a claim by a unit of the blockchain company Tether over a soured bitcoin mining joint venture, arguing it owns any trade secrets or proprietary information generated by its investments.
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April 25, 2025
Argentex CEO Exits As Stricken FX Firm Mulls £3M Bid
Argentex Group PLC said Friday it has replaced its head and named its chief operating officer as interim CEO, as the U.K. foreign exchange service provider navigates a financial crisis and a possible sale of the company.
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April 25, 2025
Aegon Defeats Worker's Contract Claim After Work Transfer
Aegon has beaten an unfair dismissal claim brought by a former Nationwide employee who resigned after his job transferred to the insurer, arguing that changes to his work conditions left him no choice but to quit.
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April 24, 2025
Ex-EY, PwC Execs' New Venture Backed By $300M PE Funding
Private equity giant Warburg Pincus has agreed to plug up to $300 million into a new accounting and consulting firm led by former leaders of two of the Big Four accounting firms.
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April 24, 2025
SocGen Blames Clifford Chance For Failed $483M Gold Claim
SocGen has told the High Court that Clifford Chance LLP was negligent in its advice to the bank over a gold bullion dispute worth $483 million, saying the poor advice caused the lender's claim to be struck out as an abuse of process.
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April 24, 2025
Marine Co. Claims Axis Bank Misled It Into $21M Loan Scheme
A marine energy company has sued the Dubai branch of India's Axis Bank for $41.7 million, alleging that the lender misled it into participating in a loan to a shipping company secured against ships that were later sold without its knowledge.
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April 24, 2025
Digital Pharma Biz Sues Lender Over CEO Loan Collusion
A digital pharmacy company has accused a small business lender of knowingly working with its former CEO to funnel huge unauthorized loans into the firm, ignoring clear signs that the executive was acting dishonestly and beyond his powers.
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April 24, 2025
Shareholders Back Miami's £70M Bid For European Exchange
The International Stock Exchange said Thursday that its shareholders have backed an approximately £70.4 million ($94 million) takeover offer from the owner of the Bermuda Stock Exchange.
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April 24, 2025
Pensions Watchdog Admits Lessons On Superfund Approvals
The Pensions Regulator admitted on Thursday that it could have done better in its approval process for new superfunds, and has vowed to better support innovation in the market.
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April 24, 2025
FCA To Simplify Capital Rules For Investment Firms
The Financial Conduct Authority set out proposals on Thursday to simplify rules on the types of funds that investment firms must hold to cover their losses, as the watchdog seeks to support U.K. growth after Brexit.
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April 24, 2025
Walker Morris Steers £28M Pension Deal For Metals Trader
A U.K. stainless steel and alloy metal trader's pension plan has agreed a £28 million ($37.3 million) buy-in with Just Group, the financial services firm said Thursday, securing the benefits of almost 100 deferred members and about 80 retirees.
Expert Analysis
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Testing The Limits Of English Courts' Pro-Arbitration Stance
Although the Court of Appeal recently upheld a $64 million arbitration award in Eternity Sky v. Zhang, the judgment offers rare insight into when the English courts’ general inclination to enforce arbitral awards may be outweighed by competing policy interests such as consumer rights, say Declan Gallivan and Peter Morton at K&L Gates.
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What Green Claims Directive Proposal Means For Businesses
With the European Union’s recent adoption of a general approach to the proposed Green Claims Directive, which will regulate certain environmental claims and likely be finalized next year, companies keen to publicize their green credentials have even more reason to tread carefully, say Marcus Navin-Jones and Juge Gregg at Crowell & Moring.
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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 KarolÃna 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.