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Financial Services UK

  • July 15, 2025

    Banks To Nudge Savers Toward Stocks Under Gov't Reforms

    Banks will be encouraged to push savers toward gambling their cash on the stock market, the government said on Tuesday, as it looks to revitalize the landscape for retail investors in the U.K.

  • July 15, 2025

    UK To Ease Senior Manager Rules Amid Regulatory Overhaul

    The government unveiled a raft of reforms to financial services regulation on Tuesday as it seeks to encourage investment in the economy, a package that includes streamlined rules for senior managers and easier capital requirements for lenders.

  • July 14, 2025

    FCA To Loosen Prospectus Rules For Firms Raising Cash

    The Financial Conduct Authority set out rules on Tuesday that it said will make it easier and cheaper for listed companies to raise cash as the regulator makes another attempt to rebalance risk and help resuscitate U.K. capital markets.

  • July 14, 2025

    Insurance Co. Accuses Ex-CEO Of Siphoning £19M At Trial

    An insurance company accused its former chief executive and a director at the start of a London trial on Monday of misappropriating millions of pounds by siphoning money from the business for his own financial benefit.

  • July 14, 2025

    Audit Watchdog Proposes Changes To Digital Reporting Guide

    The Financial Reporting Council on Monday revealed plans to update its taxonomy suite to reflect changed accounting rules and other regulatory requirements.

  • July 14, 2025

    SFO Still Yet To Use Power To Freeze Crypto Wallets

    The Serious Fraud Office has not pursued any crypto wallet freezing or forfeiture orders since their introduction over a year ago, according to an information request disclosed Monday, a month after the government pledged more in funds for the agency to invest in its investigatory capabilities.

  • July 14, 2025

    Financial Standard-Setter Says Work Needed On Climate Risks

    A global standards-setter said Monday there has been good progress on a number of areas it mapped out in 2021 to tackle climate-related financial risks, but that work still needs to be done.

  • July 14, 2025

    Clifford Chance Denies Blame For SocGen's $483M Gold Loss

    Clifford Chance LLP has denied breaching any duty to Société Générale SA with its advice on a $483 million gold bullion dispute, telling a London court that the blame for the French bank's failed claim lies elsewhere.

  • July 14, 2025

    Lender Denies Helping Pharma Boss Secure Secret £6M Loan

    A business lender has denied working with the now-former chief executive officer of an online pharmacy to take out about £6.1 million ($8.2 million) in unauthorized loans under the company's name without the knowledge of investors or board members.

  • July 14, 2025

    Wealth Manager Sues For £4.5M Over Failed Investment Deal

    A Swiss wealth manager has sued a U.K. company for 5 million Swiss francs ($6.3 million), saying that it failed to return its investment after a share purchase deal went sideways.

  • July 14, 2025

    HSBC Becomes Latest Bank To Quit Net Zero Finance Group

    HSBC has become the latest bank to quit a global banking coalition focused on mitigating climate change in alignment with the Paris Agreement, following multiple recent departures by lenders.

  • July 14, 2025

    Investment Association Urges Better Support For UK Retirees

    The Investment Association has said Britain can do more to help its savers use their money more wisely once they retire, mapping out a string of proposals it said would support better outcomes in later life.

  • July 14, 2025

    Gov't Reforms Needed To Unlock FCA's Targeted Support Plan

    The financial watchdog's planned "targeted support" program for consumers requires government legislation or guidance to remove legal obstacles to direct marketing — and regulatory experts expect the first step to come at the Mansion House address by Chancellor Rachel Reeves late on Tuesday.

  • July 14, 2025

    Crédit Agricole Seeks ECB Approval To Buy 20% BPM Stake

    French lender Crédit Agricole said Monday that it is seeking approval from the European Central Bank to increase its stake in Italian rival Banco BPM to more than 20%.

  • July 11, 2025

    Deceased Financiers' Assets Tapped To Cover Thai Bank Debt

    The liquidators of a collapsed Thai lender can be paid from the English assets of two deceased financiers convicted over an embezzlement scheme, after a judge held Friday the funds can go to partially cover a judgment debt totaling £60 million ($81 million).

  • July 11, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen HS2 hit with a defamation claim by two ex-employees who blew the whistle on alleged under-reporting of costs, Craig Wright and nChain face legal action brought by its former chief financial officer over a fraud scheme, and pro-footballer Axel Tuanzebe bring a clinical negligence claim against his former club Manchester United F.C. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • July 11, 2025

    City Group Asks Gov't For Light-Touch Carbon Market Regs

    A financial services trade body said Friday it has asked the government for light-touch regulation of voluntary carbon and nature markets in the U.K., using existing watchdogs.

  • July 11, 2025

    ESMA Warns Crypto Firms To Clarify Unregulated Products

    The European Union's financial markets watchdog said Friday that regulated crypto-asset service providers must make it clear to consumers which of the products and services they offer are unregulated. 

  • July 11, 2025

    Ex-Insurance CEO's Wife Can't Ax £15M Asset Freeze

    A London appeals court upheld a £15 million ($20.3 million) asset freeze on Friday against the wife of a former insurance company executive who is accused of cashing in on money her husband siphoned off from the business.

  • July 11, 2025

    Staley Tribunal Decision Could Fuel Challenges To FCA Fines

    A landmark tribunal ruling that upheld the Financial Conduct Authority's ban of ex-Barclays CEO James "Jes" Staley from banking — but slashed his fine — could ultimately lead other executives with back-loaded pay packages to fight the watchdog's decisions, lawyers say.

  • July 10, 2025

    Rusal Can Serve Claim On Abramovich Via Oligarch's Lawyers

    A London judge on Thursday approved Russian aluminum giant Rusal to serve a claim on Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich via his lawyers over alleged breaches of an agreement setting out the governance of a Russian mining company.

  • July 10, 2025

    UK Watchdog Investigating Deloitte, Azets Over Stenn Audits

    The U.K. accounting watchdog said Thursday it has started investigations into accounting firms Azets Audit Services Ltd. and Deloitte LLP over their audit of U.K. invoice financing firm Stenn Assets, which collapsed in 2024 after a lender found suspicious transactions.

  • July 10, 2025

    Swiss PE Group To Buy Stake In Indian Lender For $228M

    Swiss private equity shop Partners Group said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire a "significant majority stake" in Infinity Fincorp Solutions, a non-bank lender in India, for 19.5 billion Indian rupees ($228 million).

  • July 10, 2025

    Aegon Urges Bold Pension Reforms In Anticipated UK Review

    The U.K. government should launch its pensions adequacy review as part of its annual financial services strategy announcement next week, an insurer said Thursday.

  • July 10, 2025

    FCA Plans Investor Rule Overhaul To Boost Capital Markets

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Thursday that it will amend its client categorization rules in a bid to encourage wealthy and experienced investors to plow more cash into London's ailing equity capital markets.

Expert Analysis

  • FCA Savings Update Focuses On Good Customer Outcomes

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent cash savings update emphasizes its expectations of firms to deliver fair value to consumers by documenting the rationale for actions at each stage, considering customer communications and demonstrating that potential harms are acted upon, say Matt Handfield, Charlotte Rendle and Caroline Hunter-Yeats at Simmons & Simmons.

  • 5 Takeaways From UK Justices' Arbitration Jurisdiction Ruling

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    The U.K. Supreme Court's recent judgment in UniCredit Bank v. RusChemAlliance, upholding an injunction against a lawsuit that attempted to shift arbitration away from a contractually designated venue, provides helpful guidance on when such injunctions may be available, say attorneys at Fladgate.

  • 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.

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