On 18 February, the FCA published its Sector Views for 2020.  Described as its view of how the markets it regulates are performing, this “performance” is inevitably framed by its role as the UK’s conduct regulator.  Sector Views also looks at how the financial environment is changing, through a range of different lenses – the … Read more

Welcome to the Winter 2020 edition of our corporate crime update - our round up of developments in relation to corruption, money laundering, fraud, sanctions and related matters. Our update now covers a number of jurisdictions. Read more

On 12 February, the FCA’s Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, Mark Steward, delivered the keynote address at the City & Financial Global Investigations and Enforcement Conference in London. This latest speech focused more broadly on the FCA’s approach to enforcement. In this article, we explore the implications for firms of some of the key messages of the speech. Read more

On 6 February, Mark Steward, Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the FCA, delivered a speech on market integrity and the FCA’s strategic approach to market regulation. We digest some of the key messages and the implications for firms. Read more

In this blog post, we round-up forthcoming developments in the UK and at EU and International levels in financial services regulation which are expected for February 2020. Read more

On 20 December 2019, we received a festive treat: the publication of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (the "Regulations").  The Regulations, which will come into force on 10 January 2020, implement the Fifth EU Money Laundering Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/843, "5MLD")) in the UK, and follow a high level consultation in summer 2019. In this briefing we review the changes and new obligations. Read more

The FCA has warned CEOs that how a firm handles non-financial misconduct is indicative of a firm's culture. It is the FCA's view that embedding healthy cultures includes, therefore, taking steps to address the discrimination, harassment and bullying that remains "prevalent" in firms. In a 'Dear CEO' letter (the Letter), which follows recent incidents in the wholesale general insurance sector, the FCA considers the need for fundamental change in firms' culture and calls on leaders to bring about that change. Read more

On 6 November 2019, Hong Kong's Security and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a position paper setting out a new regulatory framework for the licensing of centralised virtual asset trading platforms, following the SFC’s conceptual framework issued last year. Read more