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Financial Services UK

  • July 01, 2025

    Traders Banned And Fined For 'Spoofing' Market Manipulation

    A London tribunal has approved fines and bans for three traders totaling £381,000 ($523,000) for market abuse after upholding claims from the Financial Conduct Authority that they dishonestly placed bogus bond orders to manipulate the market.

  • July 01, 2025

    Swedbank To Buy Digital Mortgage Biz Stabelo For $37M

    Swedish multinational banking group Swedbank AB said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire mortgage lender Stabelo to reach more prospective homeowners for an initial price of 350 million Swedish krona ($37 million) from Avanza Bank AB and other owners.

  • July 01, 2025

    Gov't Structural Reform Urged To Boost Participation In LSE

    The government must unify the fragmented departments involved in oversight of retail participation in public markets in order to encourage Britons to invest in companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, City experts said Tuesday.

  • July 01, 2025

    Barclays Car Finance Appeal Must Wait For Top Court Ruling

    Barclays' bid to overturn a ruling by the Financial Ombudsman on motor finance commissions was delayed on Tuesday, as the Court of Appeal adjourned the case to await a high-stakes judgment from the U.K. Supreme Court.

  • July 01, 2025

    British-Russian Man Charged With Paying Bitcoin To Militia

    A British-Russian national alleged to have funded pro-Russian militia groups in occupied eastern Ukraine through bitcoin payments made his first appearance at a London court on Tuesday accused of breaching the U.K. sanctions regime.

  • July 01, 2025

    SIX Finalizes Aquis Deal, Boosts European Market Reach

    SIX Exchange Group AG said on Tuesday it has successfully closed its acquisition of London's challenger stock exchange Aquis, which the Swiss bourse group believes will boost its position in European trading.

  • July 01, 2025

    BNP Paribas Seals €5.1B Axa Investment Management Buy

    BNP Paribas Cardif said on Tuesday that it has finalized its purchase of the investment management business of French insurer Axa for an estimated €5.1 billion ($6 billion).

  • June 30, 2025

    UK Supreme Court Denies Russia Immunity In $63B Yukos Case

    Russia has been denied permission to challenge an appellate court ruling in Britain dismissing its attempt to use state immunity to block former investors in Yukos Oil Co. from enforcing more than $63 billion in arbitral awards they won nearly 11 years ago, the investors said Monday.

  • June 30, 2025

    HMRC Investigated Avoidance Scheme Enough, Court Rules

    HM Revenue & Customs didn't need to investigate further before determining that nearly 50 consultants owed taxes on income routed through offshore entities on the Isle of Man, the High Court of Justice said in declining to review the British tax authority's decision.

  • June 30, 2025

    Software Startup Says Ideagen Trademark Use Not Deceptive

    A software startup founded by the former directors of a company acquired by Ideagen has hit back at claims it lured customers away through deception, telling a court that it has every right to compete with Ideagen.

  • June 30, 2025

    UBS Launches $2B Buyback To Trim Share Capital

    UBS Group AG revealed on Monday the imminent launch of a $2 billion share repurchase program, a move expected to lower the Swiss banking giant's outstanding share capital.

  • June 30, 2025

    EU Watchdog Pushes For Stronger Greenwashing Controls

    The European Union's markets watchdog warned national regulators Monday to supervise better how investment managers disclose sustainability-related factors of funds.

  • June 30, 2025

    Finance Gender Gap Progress Too Slow, Gov't Report Warns

    A body set up by HM Treasury to increase the representation of women at senior levels in finance warned Monday that improving gender parity in the sector remains too slow and urged companies to "accelerate" their efforts.

  • June 30, 2025

    Ex-Stobart Boss Loses Latest Conspiracy Case Over Sacking

    Stobart Group's former chief executive has lost his latest battle to prove an alleged conspiracy to remove him as chair of the logistics company, as a judge ruled that his case against some of its shareholders was an unlawful attempt to re-open earlier claims.

  • June 30, 2025

    EU Eyes Adding ESG Risk In Stress Tests For Banks, Insurers

    Three European Union finance watchdogs have proposed rules to ensure that national banking and insurance regulators integrate environmental, social and governance risks into supervisory stress-testing in a more harmonized way.

  • June 30, 2025

    FCA's New Enforcement Regime Threatens Firms, Individuals

    The Financial Conduct Authority could damage the reputations of businesses and individuals under investigation in cases that it publicizes anonymously as an unintended consequence of a new enforcement policy, lawyers have warned.

  • June 30, 2025

    CPS Drops Bribery Case Against Oil Entrepreneur Over Errors

    Prosecutors have dropped bribery charges against a Nigerian-born U.S. oil entrepreneur accused of making illegal payments to a banker, admitting at a court hearing in London on Monday to substantial errors in disclosing evidence.

  • June 29, 2025

    FCA Presents Targeted Support Rules For Finance Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Monday it has set out a fast-track plan to allow financial services firms to provide a new type of "targeted support" to unadvised customers about pensions and investments.

  • June 27, 2025

    Senior MPs Urge Reform Of Complex Lifetime ISA Rules

    Senior MPs warned Monday that the dual-purpose and inflexible rules of Lifetime ISAs might be pushing consumers toward less suitable financial products and risking their cash reserves.

  • June 27, 2025

    UK Tribunal Says Visa, Mastercard Fees Infringe Antitrust Law

    A U.K. tribunal issued a judgment Friday siding with merchants seeking damages from Visa and Mastercard for claims they were charged excessively high transaction fees, finding the interchange fees merchants pay to banks violate competition law.

  • June 27, 2025

    How Staley's Legal Bid To Save His Reputation Backfired

    Former Barclays boss James "Jes" Staley's bid to salvage his reputation has backfired in the face of a London tribunal's findings he "lacked credibility" due to the "overwhelming" evidence of his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

  • June 27, 2025

    FCA Launches Investigation Into John Wood Group

    The U.K.'s financial watchdog said Friday that it has opened a probe into the Scottish multinational engineering consultancy John Wood Group PLC after the company revealed the probe in a statement to markets.

  • June 27, 2025

    Law Firm Fails To Ax Vanquis Bank's £4.5M Complaints Case

    A London judge has refused to throw out Vanquis Bank's £4.5 million ($6.1 million) claim against a law firm it alleges inundated it with thousands of meritless complaints over loans, ruling that although the facts underpinning the claim were "novel," it was based on "well-established" principles.

  • June 27, 2025

    EU Watchdog Floats Allowing Funds Some Riskier Investing

    The European Union's market watchdog has recommended that the European Commission should reform the rule book governing the bloc's retail investors, calling for a more relaxed stance on alternative assets investments and improved regulatory harmonization across member states.

  • June 27, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen the British Basketball Federation sued by members of the men's professional basketball league for alleged competition breaches, songwriter Coco Star file an intellectual property claim against Universal Music Publishing, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the Post Office amid ongoing investigations into law firms linked to the Horizon IT Scandal. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

Expert Analysis

  • Focus On Private Funds Will Boost Ireland's Global Standing

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    As the market increasingly pivots to private funds, Ireland's recent introduction of particular products — such as an updated, flexible European long-term investment fund — provides more structuring opportunities and paves the way for a brighter outlook in the country, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Cum-Ex Prosecutions Storm Shows No Sign Of Abating

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    The ongoing trial of Sanjay Shah in Denmark is a clear indicator that efforts remain focused on holding to account the alleged architects and beneficiaries of cum-ex trading, and with these prosecutions making their way across Europe, it is a more turbulent time now than ever, says Niall Hearty at Rahman Ravelli.

  • Traversing The Web Of Nonjudicial Grievance Mechanisms

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    Attorneys at Covington provide an overview of how companies can best align their environmental and human rights compliance with "hard-law" requirements like the EU's recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while also navigating the complex global network of existing nonjudicial grievance mechanisms.

  • Opinion

    FCA Greenwashing Rules Need To Be Stronger To Be Effective

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    The Financial Conduct Authority's forthcoming anti-greenwashing measures, aimed at ensuring the veracity of regulated entities’ statements about sustainability credentials, need external scrutiny and an effective definition of "corporate social responsibility" to give them bite, says Jingchen Zhao at Nottingham Trent University.

  • EU Ruling Exposes Sovereignty Fissures In Int'l Arbitration

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    The European Court of Justice's recent ruling that the U.K. had breached EU law by allowing an arbitral award to proceed underscores the diminished influence of EU jurisprudence in the U.K., hinting at the EU courts' increasingly nominal sway in international arbitration within jurisdictions that prize legal autonomy, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

  • Companies House False Filings Raise Issues Of Integrity

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    A recent spate of unauthorized company filings with Companies House raises specific concerns for secured lenders, but also highlights the potential for false filings to be used to facilitate fraudulent schemes, says Daniel Sullivan at Charles Russell.

  • UK Courts Continue To Struggle With Crypto-Asset Cases

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    Although the common law has proved capable of applying established principles to crypto-assets, recent cases highlight persistent challenges in identifying defendants, locating assets and determining jurisdiction, suggesting that any meaningful development will likely come from legislative or regulatory change, say Emily Saunderson and Sam Mitchell at Quadrant Chambers.

  • Comparing The UK And EU Approaches To AI Regulation

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    While there are significant points of convergence between the recently published U.K. approach to artificial intelligence regulation and the EU AI Act, there is also notable divergence between them, and it appears that the U.K. will remain a less regulatory environment for AI in the foreseeable future, say lawyers at Steptoe.

  • Lessons On Using 3rd-Party Disclosure Orders In Fraud Cases

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    The expansion of the gateway for service out of jurisdiction regarding third-party information orders has proven to be an effective tool against fraud since it was introduced in 2022, and recent case law offers practical tips on what applicants should be aware of when submitting such orders, says Rosie Wild at Cooke Young.

  • A Look At The Latest EU Alternative Investment Regulation

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    Recent amendments to the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive governing a range of alternative investment funds reflect a growing regulatory focus on nonbanking financial institutions, which expand credit to support economic growth but carry a commensurate risk, say Juliette Mills and Alix Prentice at Cadwalader.

  • Unpacking The Law Commission's Digital Assets Consultation

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    The Law Commission recently published a consultation on recognizing a third personal property category to accommodate the development of digital assets, highlighting difficulties with current models of property rights and the potential consequences of considering digital assets as personal property, say Andrew Tsang and Tom Bacon at BCLP.

  • Unpacking The FCA's Approach To AML Compliance Failures

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    In light of the upward trend of skilled-person reviews by the Financial Conduct Authority, including the latest investigation into Lloyds' anti-money laundering controls, financial firms should familiarize themselves with the mechanisms of FCA supervision and enforcement investigations, says Kathryn Westmore at RUSI.

  • New Russia Sanctions Reveal Int'l Enforcement Capabilities

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    Significant new U.K., U.S. and EU sanctions imposed on Russia notably target Europe-based individuals and entities accused of sanctions evasion, and with an apparent political will to enhance capabilities, the rhetoric is translating into international enforcement activity, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • What COVID Payout Ruling Means For Lockdown Loss Claims

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    While the High Court's recent COVID-19 payout decision in Gatwick v. Liberty Mutual, holding that pandemic-related regulations trigger prevention of access clauses, will likely lead to insurers accepting more business interruption claims, there are still evidentiary challenges and issues regarding policy limits and furlough, say Josianne El Antoury and Greg Lascelles at Covington.

  • Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents

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    Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.

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