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Financial Services UK

  • July 09, 2025

    Mastercard Unit Fined £12M Over Compliance Failures

    The Bank of England said Wednesday that it has slapped an £11.9 million ($16.2 million) fine on Mastercard's U.K. payment systems operator Vocalink, in what the central bank called a first for a financial infrastructure company.

  • July 16, 2025

    Forsters Debuts Real Estate Funds Practice With New Hire

    Forsters LLP has recruited an investment funds partner from Shoosmiths LLP to establish a new real estate funds practice in the U.K. to tap into rising client demand.

  • July 09, 2025

    Nigerian Bank Owner Guaranty Trust Debuts In London

    Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC, the parent of Nigerian lender GTBank PLC, said Wednesday that it has started trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities, after raising $105 million through a share sale.

  • July 09, 2025

    LSE Needs Global Reach To Revive Floats, Industry Warns

    The London Stock Exchange needs to work at attracting secondary listings from overseas issuers to offset a thinning flow of domestic flotations, a leading British industry group said Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2025

    Ex-BofA Exec Sues For Bias Over Workplace Affair Fallout

    A former Merrill Lynch director has failed to keep his name out of tribunal proceedings against the bank in his claim alleging he was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against following a workplace relationship that ended in acrimony.

  • July 08, 2025

    EU Markets Regulator Unveils Plan To Cut Emissions By 2030

    Europe's financial markets watchdog published Tuesday its first climate transition plan as a step toward meeting the European Union's climate objectives.

  • July 08, 2025

    Underwriters Back FCA Move To Pare Back Insurance Rules

    A trade group representing underwriters in London has backed plans floated by the Financial Conduct Authority to ax unnecessary requirements from its insurance rule book, but said areas of the proposals require clarification.

  • July 08, 2025

    Insurance Consultancy BW Acquires Cybersecurity Firm

    Barnett Waddingham said Tuesday it has acquired advisory business Risk Evolves, a move the insurance consultancy expects will strengthen its offering for clients.

  • July 08, 2025

    Monzo Bank Fined £21M For Financial Crime Failings

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday that it has fined Monzo Bank £21 million ($28.6 million) for failings in financial crime controls between October 2018 and August 2020.

  • July 14, 2025

    Gide Hires Restructuring Partner From HSF Kramer In Paris

    Gide Loyrette Nouel has strengthened its restructuring team in Paris with the hire of a new partner from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP.

  • July 07, 2025

    Law Firm Gets 'Vague' £4.6M Negligence Case Struck Out

    A London court struck out on Monday an energy company's £4.6 million ($6.3 million) claim against Benson Mazure LLP, because the law firm would have unreasonable difficulty understanding and responding to the "vague and confused" case.

  • July 07, 2025

    PRA Flags Risks In Pension Deals Over Solvency Clauses

    The regulatory arm of the Bank of England has warned the insurance industry that certain clauses in the terms of bulk purchase annuity transactions could expose them to risks totaling approximately £50 billion ($68 billion).

  • July 07, 2025

    Pension Regulator Teams With Industry On Net-Zero Transition

    The Pensions Regulator said Monday it will work with workplace pension schemes and financial advisers to develop a format for occupational pension schemes to develop voluntary transition plans in line with the government's aim to reach net-zero by 2050.

  • July 07, 2025

    First Valuation Submitted Under New Pension Funding Code

    Barnett Waddingham said Monday it had filed the first pension valuation of a retirement scheme under the new defined benefit funding code introduced by The Pensions Regulator last year.

  • July 07, 2025

    US Payments Biz Gets Extension To Bid For UK Fintech

    U.K. financial services provider Alpha Group International PLC said Monday that it has extended the deadline for potential buyer Corpay Inc., to weigh making a firm offer, following "constructive discussions" with the U.S. business payments company.

  • July 07, 2025

    FCA Amends Exposed-Persons Definition In AML Guidance

    The City watchdog published amended guidance on Monday on politically exposed persons that loosen the rules for holders of prominent public positions in the U.K., in a bid to make the safeguards more proportionate.

  • July 07, 2025

    Actuaries Warn Over Safeguards In Pension Surplus Rules

    Most consulting actuaries do not believe that there should be a level at which pension plan trustees are required to release surplus funds tied up in their plans, in line with measures announced by the government, a trade body said Monday.

  • July 07, 2025

    Gov't Pension Reforms Could Add £29K To Workers' Savings

    Millions of U.K. savers on average salaries could see their pension pots rise by up to £29,000 ($39,400) by their retirement date once proposed reforms that aim to "revolutionize" the sector are enacted, the government revealed on Monday.

  • July 04, 2025

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

    The past week in London has seen the owner of Crystal Palace and the troubled Olympique Lyonnais football clubs sue its current chief executive John Textor, Fieldfisher faces a claim by Georgian businessman Zaza Okusahvili, and a dispute partner at Travers Smith file a personal injury claim against the firm.

  • July 04, 2025

    Ex-Janus Analyst, Sister Given 11 Years For Insider Trading

    A former City hedge fund analyst and his sister were sentenced by a London judge on Friday to a combined 11 years in prison for insider dealing and money laundering after they traded using confidential information to earn almost £1 million ($1.36 million) illegally.

  • July 04, 2025

    Financial Trade Body Sets Out Proposals For Growth To Gov't

    A trade body for financial institutions published on Friday its recommendations on HM Treasury's plans to support growth and reinforce Britain's position as a global financial center, including reconsideration of the Consumer Duty.

  • July 04, 2025

    Ankle Tag Investors Deny £320M Conspiracy With Sacked CEO

    Investors in a company which makes ankle tags have denied a £320 million ($437 million) claim that they conspired with the business's ousted chief executive to unlawfully profit from share sales.

  • July 04, 2025

    Pair Gets 12 Years In Prison For £1.5M Crypto-Investment Fraud

    A London judge sentenced two men convicted of fraud to almost 12 years imprisonment on Friday for their involvement in a £1.5 million ($1.9 million) crypto-investment scam that spanned more than two years.

  • July 04, 2025

    UK Pensions Body Warns Over £15M Lifeboat Scheme Levy

    The U.K. government should abolish an administration levy for the pension compensation scheme, a trade body has warned, after it emerged that retirement savings plans faced an unexpected £15 million ($20.5 million) bill.

  • July 04, 2025

    UK Pension Funds Braced For Further Trump Tariff Volatility

    The U.K. pensions sector could face further market volatility in the second half of 2025 because of renewed trade tariffs or geopolitical conflicts, a consultancy warned Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • FCA's Broad Proposals Aim To Protect Customer Funds

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed changes to payments firms’ safeguarding requirements, with enhanced recordkeeping and fund segregation, seek to bolster existing regulatory provisions, but by introducing a statutory trust concept to cover customers’ assets, represent a set of onerous rules, says Matt Hancock at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Takeaways From Upcoming Payment Fraud Delay Legislation

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    Lawyers at Hogan Lovells discuss what to know about new legislation that will allow payment service providers to delay payments when third-party fraud is suspected, and share pointers for providers to consider ahead of the Oct. 30 effective date.

  • Modernizing UK Trade Settlement Standard: The Road Ahead

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    Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP consider the rationale and challenges of a potential U.K. trade settlement acceleration, part of an initiative to modernize the financial market infrastructure, and suggest that incorporating distributed ledger technology as a synchronized recording system would facilitate the move.

  • Analyzing The Implications Of 1st FCA Crypto ATM Crackdown

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent criminal prosecution of Olumide Osunkoya, its first enforcement action against a crypto-asset trading firm's owner, is an unambiguous sign of the regulator’s commitment to actively pursue transgressors, but may be a hindrance to the U.K. crypto industry, says Asim Arshad at Lawrence Stephens.

  • Draft Merger Control Guidance Allows CMA To Cast Wide Net

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    The Competition and Markets Authority's recent draft merger control guidance, reflecting the regulator's strengthened powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act, introduces extensive change and potential procedural improvements, specifically concerning reviews of private equity firms, say lawyers at Travers Smith.

  • Key Points From Cayman's Beneficial Ownership Regime

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    While recent expansion of the Cayman Islands Beneficial Ownership Act's scope means it now encompasses many entities with previously minimal obligations, the changes ensure a welcome level playing field with workable alternative routes to compliance, says Lucy Frew at Walkers Global.

  • HMRC Transfer Pricing Guide A Vital Resource For Businesses

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    HM Revenue & Customs' recent guidelines on common transfer pricing compliance risks should be required reading for affected businesses in indicating HMRC's expected benchmark for documents and policies, say Tomoko Ikawa and Kapisha Vyas at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Insights From FRC's Report On Good Corporate Governance

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    Although the Financial Reporting Council’s recent report on private companies opting to follow the Wates principles has identified improvements, it is important for organizations to provide transparent disclosures and avoid boilerplate, tickbox filings, says Tessa Hastie at BCLP.

  • What To Know About The UK Overseas Funds Regime

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    The U.K.’s overseas funds regime is now open for applications, providing a simplified way of offering a foreign fund to U.K. retail investors, and the Financial Conduct Authority's clear policy statement on implementation should ease the transition process from the existing scheme, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Takeaways From SRA Consumer Protection Review

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    While the Solicitors Regulation Authority prepares to announce its findings later this year following its consumer protection consultation, the topic of handling client funds is very much alive in the legal industry, with polarizing views on what should happen as a result of the review, says Claire Van Der Zant at Shieldpay.

  • Reflecting On 12 Months Of The EU Foreign Subsidy Regime

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    New European Commission guidance, addressing procedural questions and finally providing clarity on “distortion” in merger control and public procurement, offers an opportunity to reflect on the year since foreign subsidy notification obligations were introduced, say lawyers at Fried Frank.

  • What Updated Guide Means For Jersey's Private Funds

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    The Jersey Financial Services Commission's recent updates to the Jersey Private Fund Guide clarify existing provisions and introduce new requirements for fund managers, service providers and investors, demonstrating a clear commitment to maintaining Jersey's reputation as an attractive jurisdiction for investment, say lawyers at Walkers Global.

  • The Road Ahead For Tokenized Investment Funds In The UK

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    With an HM Treasury working group expected to release the final phase of a road map for tokenized investment funds by the end of the year, Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP discuss the advantages for investors and fund administrators, the proposed model for implementation, and what the regulatory landscape may look like.

  • Review Of EU Cross-Border Merger Regs' Impact On Irish Cos.

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    Looking back on the year since the European Union Mobility Directive was transposed into Irish law, enabling Irish and European Economic Area limited liability companies to participate in cross-border deals, it is clear that restructuring options available to Irish companies with EU operations have significantly expanded, say lawyers at Matheson.

  • A Look At UK, EU And US Cartel Enforcement Trends

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    The European Union, U.K. and U.S. competition agencies' recently issued joint statement on competition risks in generative artificial intelligence demonstrates increased cross-border collaboration on cartel investigations, meaning companies facing investigations in one jurisdiction should anticipate related investigations in other jurisdictions, say lawyers at Latham & Watkins.

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