EU Advocate General considers interpretation of Prospectus Directive in relation to an issuer’s liability for a prospectus marketed to both retail and qualified investors

29 March, 2021
The Advocate General (AG) of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has handed down an unsurprising opinion on the interpretation of Directive 2003/71/EC (the Prospectus Directive), considering the liability of issuers to qualified investors in respect of inaccuracies in a prospectus: Bankia SA v UMAS (Case C-910/19) EU:C:2021:119 (11 February 2021), (Advocate … Read more

Climate-related disclosures for issuers: further steps towards mandatory requirements?

26 March, 2021
In November 2020, the UK Joint Government Regulator TCFD Taskforce published its “roadmap towards mandatory climate-related disclosures”, which set out a vision for the next five years. As an initial step towards fulfilling that vision, in January 2021, the new Listing Rule 9.8.6(8) (LR) came into force. The LR requires premium-listed issuers, in their periodic … Read more

High Court strikes out s.90A FSMA claims for failure to comply with pre-service joinder rules following expiration of arguable limitation period

10 March, 2021
The High Court has struck out certain of the claims brought against G4S under section 90A Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), in a judgment which emphasises the risks inherent in issuing complex group litigation shortly before the expiry of an arguable limitation period: Various Claimants v G4S plc [2021] EWHC 524 (Ch). The … Read more

Climate-related disclosures for issuers: FCA publishes final rules

11 January, 2021
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a Policy Statement (PS20/17) and final rules and guidance in relation to climate-related financial disclosures for UK premium listed companies. Companies will be required to include a statement in their annual financial report which sets out whether their disclosures are consistent with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) June … Read more

High Court strikes out “paradigm” claim for reflective loss in the context of allegedly negligent advice on an IPO

16 December, 2020
The High Court has struck out the most recent claim to engage the so-called “reflective loss” principle, in proceedings brought by a parent company and its subsidiary against advisers that prepared the parent company for its IPO on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM): Naibu Global International Company plc & Anor v Daniel Stewart & Company … Read more

Climate-related disclosures for issuers: next steps from UK financial regulators outlined

25 November, 2020
This month, there have been some significant regulatory announcements in relation to climate-related disclosures. These announcements are a result of the increasing focus on climate change and sustainability risks across governments, regulators and industry and a continued move towards corporate compliance with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures’ (TCFD) recommendations. While not launching new … Read more

Capital Raisings and Opportunistic M&A in a Covid-19 Environment—Lessons Learned from the Global Financial Crisis

20 October, 2020
The Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation (JIBLR) has published an article written by members of our securities class action practice: Capital Raisings and Opportunistic M&A in a Covid-19 Environment—Lessons Learned from the Global Financial Crisis. Covid-19 will make it inevitable that some companies will need to bolster their capital positions, which will lead … Read more

Costs recovery when you win – guidance from recent cases

19 October, 2020
One of the key features of the commercial litigation landscape in England and Wales is that costs generally follow the event, creating a disincentive for claimants to commence unmeritorious claims given their exposure to the defendant’s legal costs if the claim ultimately fails. This is also true (indeed, potentially even more so) if, as is … Read more