Authorised push payment (APP) fraud in the UK is the largest type of payment fraud, both in number of scams and value of losses. It involves a fraudster convincing someone to send a payment to a bank account that the...more
4/4/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
Payment Processors ,
Payment Systems ,
Reimbursements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
UK
1. Background to the Matching Adjustment -
“Where insurance and reinsurance undertakings hold bonds or other assets with similar cash flow characteristics to maturity, they are not exposed to the risk of changing spreads...more
As discussed in our previous updates, in June 2020 the UK government announced a wide-ranging review of the Solvency II framework in the UK, aimed at reforming the insurance regulatory framework inherited from the EU given...more
3/14/2024
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
EU ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services and Markets Act ,
Insurance Industry ,
Jurisdictional Thresholds ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Reinsurance ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Solvency II ,
UK ,
Underwriting
On 15 February 2024, Skadden partners Kenneth Burdon, Robert Chaplin, Eben Colby and Greg Norman presented the webinar “Investment Trusts and Activist Funds,” which outlined recent trends in shareholder activism in publicly...more
Group supervision regulates the impact that members of a Solvency II group may have on a UK Solvency II insurer. The rules governing Solvency II groups are contained in the PRA Rulebook (Group Supervision), the Solvency 2...more
In this alert we consider various reforms and proposals to the banking sector announced by UK regulators.
On 11 January 2024, HM Treasury published a consultation paper on enhancing the UK’s Special Resolution Regime for...more
“The Standard Formula” host Rob Chaplin is joined in this episode by colleague Theo Charalambous as they map out the intricacies of the U.K.’s matching adjustment regime for insurers, which will soon be reformed. The...more
In our fourth installment of “The Standard Formula” Back to Basics series, host Robert Chaplin is joined by Feargal Ryan for a detailed discussion on group supervision under Solvency II. Topics covered include circumstances...more
(Re)insurance is a global business. It is common for (re)insurance groups to operate in a range of jurisdictions via:
i. locally incorporated and authorised subsidiaries,
ii. local branches of third country...more
If Germany’s coalition government follows through on recommendations from a focus group convened by the Federal Finance Ministry for reforms to the country’s pension system, it could open the way for insurers and other...more
On 12 December 2023, the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published the first of two near-final policy statements on the implementation of revisions to the Basel 3 standards, known in the U.K. as Basel 3.1. This...more
1/18/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Basel III ,
Capital Markets ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Pillar 2 ,
Proposed Rules ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Risk Management ,
UK
In this episode of “The Standard Formula” podcast, which focuses on Solvency II developments, Skadden partner Rob Chaplin is joined by colleague Olivier Peeters to discuss the U.K.'s change in control regime for insurers and...more
UK regulators have recently announced a number of reforms for banks and other financial institutions.
- On 23 November 2023, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (together,...more
1/8/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hedge Funds ,
Holding Companies ,
Investment Firms ,
Investment Management ,
Limited Partnerships ,
New Guidance ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Remuneration ,
Sovereign Wealth Funds ,
UK
The primary function of an insurer is the assumption and management of insurance risk. Very commonly, this will involve an insurer passing (or ceding) risk to other (re)insurers or protection providers in the relevant market....more
Global M&A Activity Endures Headwinds in 2023 and Displays Resilience Going Into 2024 -
Despite market headwinds, dealmakers have looked to carveouts, spin-offs, joint ventures and other creative deal structures to engage...more
12/22/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Banking Sector ,
Capital Markets ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Commercial Real Estate Market ,
Competition ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cross-Border ,
EU ,
Exit Strategies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Geopolitical Risks ,
Global Dealmaking ,
HKEx ,
Insurance Industry ,
Joint Venture ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Risk Management ,
Securities ,
Short-Term Loans ,
Takeovers ,
Technology Sector ,
UK
Models that have historically been used by insurers to hedge risk were not designed to predict uncertain events such as natural disasters that may be exacerbated by climate change. This now leaves insurers overexposed to...more
“The Standard Formula” podcast continues its Back to Basics series — a deep dive into the Solvency II regime — discussing the regime’s provisions regarding third country branches and the cross-border provision of services. ...more
On 24 November 2023, the industry-led Technology Working Group of HM Treasury’s Asset Management Taskforce (Group) released an interim report (Report) outlining a strategic blueprint for the implementation of fund...more
12/5/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
HM Treasury ,
Innovative Technology ,
Investment Funds ,
Investment Management ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Technology ,
Tokenization ,
UK
Own funds is the Solvency II term for the items that constitute a (re)insurer’s regulatory capital. These are principally balance sheet items, with limited allowance for off-balance sheet items.
Own funds are items that...more
On 16 November 2023, the UK Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) released draft measures to address perceived risks in the market for funded reinsurance, which is widely used as part of transactions that shift pension scheme...more
On 6 November 2023, the Bank of England (the UK’s central bank) issued a discussion paper on the regulation on stablecoins, alongside another paper by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (DP23/4) and a “Dear CEO” letter...more
The United Kingdom has long been a target destination for activist investors. It is the venue for nearly half of all of recent activist campaigns in Europe. In previous articles, we have discussed how informed boards should...more
11/15/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist Investors ,
Asset Valuations ,
Capital Gains ,
Debt Securities ,
Equity Markets ,
Foreign Governments ,
Government Bonds ,
HMRC ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment Trust Companies ,
Mergers ,
NAV ,
Railroads ,
REIT ,
UK ,
Venture Capital
In the second episode of the Back to Basics series, “Standard Formula” podcast host and insurance partner Rob Chaplin is joined by colleague Imad Mohammed Nazar to discuss reinsurance and risk transfer, including how...more
In a speech at the Investment Association’s Annual Dinner on 11 October 2023, Ashley Alder, chair of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), expanded upon the FCA’s discussion paper, “Updating and Improving the UK Regime...more
The UK’s Metro Bank announced a landmark refinancing package on 8 October 2023, following a series of regulatory setbacks and concerns in the markets over the financial condition of the bank. The proposal now awaits...more