Revolutionary changes to the UK listing regime proposed today

The post below was first published on our Corporate notes blog:   The FCA has today proposed a revolutionary restructuring of the UK listing regime. Its consultation paper (CP 23/10) sets out a blueprint for the new ‘UK listing’. While the genesis of the rule changes is the desire to attract more companies in London, … Read more

UK GOVERNMENT GIVES GROUND ON CONTROVERSIAL FOREIGN INFLUENCE REGISTRATION SCHEME

11th-hour reforms to the proposed foreign influence policy will be met with relief by businesses, NGOs and charities as Government makes significant changes. Some concerns remain, and many businesses will still require compliance policies to be put in place for benefits which many will remain sceptical about, but the scope of these will be limited … Read more

LOOMING UK FOREIGN INFLUENCE REGISTRATION SCHEME – BEWARE OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Concerns grow that foreign influence policy is misdirected, bureaucratic and risks deterring benign engagement and investment The UK’s proposed Foreign Influence Registration Scheme is part of a wider package of measures to revamp domestic espionage laws, in this instance via new obligations for a wide range of businesses, across all sectors, and others with international … Read more

Reform of Companies House

The post below was first published on our Corporate notes blog: The Government has today laid the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill (ECCT Bill) in Parliament which contains, among other things, draft amendments to the Companies Act 2006 to facilitate the reform of Companies House. The ECCT Bill follows an initial consultation in 2019, three follow-up consultations in … Read more

Retained EU law – Bill will sunset the majority of retained EU Law

The post below was first published on our Corporate notes blog: — The Government has also laid the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill in Parliament today. In order to avoid leaving gaps in the UK legal system when the UK withdrew from the EU, the body of EU law in force at the end of 2020 was … Read more

Government response on audit and corporate governance reform consultation

The post below was first published on our Corporate blog The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published the response to its March 2021 consultation on audit and corporate governance reform, Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance (for further details, see our corporate update from March 2021). Most of the proposals contained … Read more

FCA consultation on restructuring the UK listing regime

The post below was first published on our Corporate blog. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a discussion paper (DP22/2) in which it is seeking further views on the structure of the UK listing regime. In March 2021 the Government published the outcome of the Review of the UK listing regime undertaken by Lord … Read more

The UK’s LIBOR safe harbour legislation: a missed opportunity?

The post below was first published on our FSR and Corporate Crime blog. The Critical Benchmarks (References and Administrators’ Liability) Bill (Bill) was introduced to the UK Parliament and the first reading took place on 8 September 2021. The Bill introduces a legal ‘safe harbour’ within the primary legislative framework for the UK’s LIBOR legislative solution, the Financial … Read more