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Corporate Crime & Compliance UK

  • 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

    Dubai Man Banned From Doing Biz In UK Over £1.1M Tax Debt

    A Dubai-based businessman is banned from directing companies in the U.K. after running up £1.1 million ($1.5 million) in tax debts and unpaid penalties with HM Revenue & Customs, including £400,000 in falsely claimed value-added tax refunds, the government's business authority said.

  • June 27, 2025

    SRA Requests Post Office Files In Horizon IT Scandal Probe

    The English solicitors' watchdog has asked a London court to compel the Post Office to hand over documents to the regulator's investigation into lawyers who worked for the company, following the Horizon IT scandal. 

  • 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, ¼«ËÙÈü³µ looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ex-NASA Scientist Pleads Guilty To £1M Investment Fraud

    A former NASA scientist has admitted a £1 million ($1.4 million) fraud that "fleeced unwitting investors" while he operated an investment business without authorization, the Financial Conduct Authority said on Friday.

  • June 27, 2025

    ICO Secures Guilty Verdicts In Massive Data Misuse Case

    The director of a legal funding company and seven other men have been convicted over a personal injury data conspiracy at an English court, the U.K.'s data regulator has said.

  • June 27, 2025

    HMRC Beats Dentist's Appeal Over Tax Avoidance Scheme

    A dental practice has failed to overturn a finding that it engaged in tax avoidance by making loan payments to its owner through a trust, after an appeals court Friday found that the payments fall to be taxed as income.

  • June 27, 2025

    FCA Flags Poor Risk Management Practices At Payment Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority has revealed that payment services companies displayed inadequate risk management in every case it examined in a multi-company review.

  • June 26, 2025

    Microsoft Can Appeal IP Ruling In £270M Antitrust Case

    The Competition Appeal Tribunal on Thursday allowed Microsoft to challenge the tribunal's jurisdiction over copyright law issues that arose out of a £270 million ($370 million) antitrust claim against the technology titan.

  • June 26, 2025

    Law Firm Settles Crypto Fraud Victim's Negligence Claim

    A boutique investment fraud law firm and a cryptocurrency fraud victim have inked a settlement to end a claim accusing the firm of providing negligent advice to recover £500,000 ($687,600) in stolen funds.

  • June 26, 2025

    BHP Fails To Block Contempt Bid In £36B Dam Disaster Battle

    BHP lost its bid on Thursday to block Brazilian municipalities from bringing criminal contempt proceedings in a £36 billion ($50 billion) case over Brazil's worst environmental disaster, with a London court ruling there were reasonable grounds to argue the mining giant was in contempt.

  • June 26, 2025

    SFO Joins Global Anti-Corruption Alliance To Combat Bribery

    The Serious Fraud Office said Thursday it has joined an international and multi-agency team that investigates major corruption to bolster the U.K.'s ability to fight white collar crime and illicit cross-border finance.

  • June 26, 2025

    Businessman To Stand Trial In Malawi Bribery Case In 2027

    A British businessman accused of making corrupt payments to the former vice-president of Malawi, the country's former solicitor general and other high-ranking officials appeared before a London judge on Thursday to be told he won't stand trial for two years. 

  • June 26, 2025

    SRA Taps FRC Exec To Lead Regulator Past Controversies

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Thursday that it has appointed a senior executive from the U.K. accounting watchdog as its new chief executive, as the regulator navigates a turbulent period marked by high-profile scandals and increased scrutiny.

  • June 26, 2025

    Audit Watchdog Sets New Guidance For 'Black Box' AI

    Britain's accounting watchdog warned Thursday in new guidance on using artificial intelligence in audits that the opacity of AI models makes it crucial for firms to document how they are controlled.

  • June 26, 2025

    Staley Fails To Overturn FCA Ban Over Epstein Ties

    Former Barclays boss James "Jes" Staley lost his bid to overturn the Financial Conduct Authority's ban for allegedly lying about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday as a London tribunal found he intentionally misled the watchdog's inquiry into their relationship.

  • June 25, 2025

    Class Certified In Suit Over Oil Market's Historic Price Crash

    A Chicago federal judge has certified a class of futures traders who claim Vega Capital London Ltd. and 12 of its traders caused a historic oil crash with an aggressive price manipulation scheme that resulted in oil futures going negative for the first time, saying the plaintiffs have met all the requirements for certification.

  • June 25, 2025

    Sanctioned Co. Director Convicted Of Failing To Give Info

    A sanctioned company director was convicted in a criminal court in London on Wednesday of failing to adequately respond to a request for information by the U.K.'s sanctions agency.

  • June 25, 2025

    Solicitor Hit With £30K Court Bill Over Fake Car Claims

    A solicitor has been handed an eight-month suspended sentence and a £30,874 ($40,871) bill for filing false claims that city potholes in Stoke-on-Trent were damaging cars, following an investigation that uncovered anomalies in his invoices.

  • June 25, 2025

    Ex-Trowers Pro Loses Disability Claim Over SRA Referral

    An employment tribunal has barred a former employee of Trowers & Hamlins LLP from bringing part of a legal claim against the firm after it reported her to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

  • June 25, 2025

    Businessman Jailed For Laundering £1.9M For Romance Scam

    A businessman who laundered £1.9 million ($2.6 million) in romance scam proceeds through his textiles business has been imprisoned for more than four years, the Crown Prosecution Service said Wednesday.

  • June 25, 2025

    Sweden Fines Diagnostics Co. $1.25M For Market Abuse

    Sweden's financial watchdog has fined a medical diagnostics company 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.25 million) for breaching European Union regulations on market abuse following an investigation into its handling of insider information, the company revealed on Wednesday.

  • June 25, 2025

    Steptoe Chastised For Breaching Russian Sanctions

    The solicitors' regulator has rebuked the U.K. arm of Steptoe International after it breached the terms of its license to act for two clients under the Russian sanctions regime.

  • June 25, 2025

    Funeral Director In Court Charged With Fraud, Theft

    A funeral director appeared at an English criminal court on Wednesday charged with fraud, theft and burial offenses following a police investigation into his business.

  • June 24, 2025

    Irwin Mitchell Can't Ax Pension Fraud Negligence Claim

    A London court on Tuesday denied Irwin Mitchell's bid to scrap a professional negligence suit against a firm it merged with in 2015, but ruled Irwin Mitchell itself is not liable for the advice given to a pensioner in the wake of alleged fraud.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways On Freezing Injunctions After Dos Santos Ruling

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    The Court of Appeal's recent decision in dos Santos v. Unitel moved the needle in favor of applicants for freezing injunctions in two ways, say lawyers at Cooke Young.

  • What To Know About New Art Market Reporting Obligations

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    Recent U.K. sanctions reporting obligations on art market participants and high value dealers come into effect in May 2025, and businesses should review risk assessments and compliance controls to identify areas that may require strengthening, say lawyers at Steptoe.

  • Businesses Should Expect A Role In Tackling Fraud Next Year

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    If one word sums up a key trend in financial crime enforcement in 2024, it would be fraud, as enforcement agencies clamped down on consumer-focused crime — and businesses will need to be prepared to play a part in 2025 with the coming of the "failure to prevent fraud" offense, says Jessica Parker at Corker Binning.

  • What FCA's 2024 Changes Suggest For Enforcement In 2025

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    Though the Financial Conduct Authority is likely to enter 2025 hungry for enforcement wins after fielding intense criticism in 2024 over proposed policy amendments, firms can glean ideas for mitigating their risk from heightened scrutiny by studying the regulator's changing behavior from the year just past, says Imogen Makin at WilmerHale.

  • How The Wirecard Judge Addressed Unreliability Of Memory

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    In a case brought by the administrator of Wirecard against Greybull Capital, High Court Judge Sara Cockerill took a multipronged and thoughtful approach to a common problem with fraudulent misrepresentation claims — how to assess the evidence of what was said at a meeting where recollections differ and where contemporaneous documentation is limited, says Andrew Head at Forsters.

  • Practical Considerations For Private Fund Side Letters

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    Side letters are a common way of formalizing negotiated arrangements between a private fund and a particular investor — and as the number and length of side letters per fundraise steadily climb, managers must consider the material legal risks carefully, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Planning For UK And EU Crypto-Asset Regulations In 2025

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    Fims should expect to devote the rest of 2024 and much of 2025 to fine-tuning their compliance frameworks to align with European Union crypto-asset regulations taking effect soon and U.K. regulators' plans for updating their own crypto-asset regime in the coming year, says Steven Lightstone at Morgan Lewis.

  • What To Know About Plans For A UK Green Taxonomy

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    Rachel Richardson at Macfarlanes discusses the purpose of HM Treasury’s recent consultation on a U.K. green taxonomy, explains why the tool — which would define what economic activities support climate objectives — is necessary, and considers drafting challenges the U.K. government may face.

  • Key Takeaways From EU's Coming Digital Act

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    The European Union's impending Digital Operational Resilience Act will necessitate closer collaboration on resilience, risk management and compliance, and crucial challenges include ensuring IT third-party service providers meet the requirements on or before January 2025, says Susie MacKenzie at Coralytics.

  • Takeaways From EU's Draft AI Code Of Practice

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    The European Union AI Office’s recently published first draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice sheds some welcome light on which Artificial Intelligence Act compliance issues the office finds particularly knotty and, importantly, acknowledges where further guidance will be necessary, say lawyers at Akin.

  • The Rising Tide Of EU Antitrust Enforcement In Pharma

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    The European Commission’s recent record-breaking €463 million fine of Teva for abusing its dominant position confirms that European Union competition law enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector remains a priority, with infringements drawing serious financial exposure, say lawyers at Cooley.

  • Looking Back On 2024's Competition Law Issues For GenAI

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    With inherent uncertainties in generative artificial intelligence raising antitrust issues that attract competition authorities' attention, the 2024 uptick in transaction reviews demonstrates that regulators are vigilant about the possibility that markets may tip in favor of large existing players, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • UK Bill Aims To Make Better Use Of Data Across Economy

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    The new Data Bill’s practical improvements to data schemes and certification systems will be welcomed by online service providers, but organizations need to consider the conditions and whether compliance will entail technical operational changes, say lawyers at Osborne Clarke.

  • The EU AI Act's Impact On Global Financial Regulation

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    The European Union’s new Artificial Intelligence Act, representing lawmakers’ first comprehensive attempt to regulate AI and giving special attention to the financial services sector, hopes to influence global legal and regulatory frameworks to maintain access to the EU market, say lawyers at Goodwin.

  • Cross Market Drill Highlights Operational Resilience Priorities

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    The U.K.’s recent cross-market major infrastructure failure simulation exercise, demonstrates that operational resilience of the financial sector is high on the regulatory agenda, and the findings should ensure that the sector develops collective capabilities to deliver improvements, say lawyers at Taylor Wessing.

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