Brexit & Financial Services: Preparing for the End of the Transition Period
The UK Chancellor announces a growth-focused agenda for financial services. On 14 November 2024, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, delivered her first Mansion House speech....more
The Financial Action Taskforce has published a consultation paper on revisions to its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing standards relating to financial inclusion. The consultation is part of FATF's program...more
The European Commission, the European Central Bank and the European Securities and Markets Authority have published a joint statement on the next steps to support the preparations towards a transition to T+1. Under the EU...more
Many governments are grappling with the question of how to regulate artificial intelligence to ensure it is adopted safely and used responsibly without hampering innovation. Governments have generally indicated similar...more
From 1 August 2024, the UK changed its rules on how payments are made for investment research. UK firms may now use bundled payments for third-party research and trading commissions, subject to certain requirements being...more
This client memorandum concerns a highly technical point of considerable practical importance. It challenges aspects of the received wisdom that, for post-Brexit cross-border investment business conducted from the U.K....more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has opened a consultation setting out proposals for allowing firms to use joint (bundled) payments for third-party research and execution services, subject to certain requirements being...more
In July 2021, HM Treasury published the Wholesale Markets Review consultation (WMR), which included proposals to reform the U.K.’s secondary markets framework. There was broad support for reforms to (a) modify the ancillary...more
HM Treasury has published a response to its consultation on cryptoasset regulation, setting out its final proposals for the U.K.'s cryptoasset regulatory regime. The U.K. plans to make cryptoassets a new category of...more
The report and recommendations of the UK Investment Research Review were published on July 10, 2023. The recommendations have been accepted by the government and the Financial Conduct Authority has committed to prioritizing...more
In July 2023, the Investment Research Review (the Review) commissioned by the UK government published its findings into investment research in UK capital markets. The Review made the following seven recommendations, seeking...more
The issue of how firms should pay for investment research continues to be a controversial topic in the financial markets. The U.S. has maintained the approach it adopted before the mid-2000s, which is to permit investment...more
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Commodity Derivatives and Emission Allowances) Order 2023 was made on May 17, 2023. The Order, which enters into force on January 1, 2025, paves the way for the Financial Conduct...more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Regulator has published a statement on the results of its review of the investment platforms market. The FCA launched its Investment Platforms Market Study in 2017 to investigate whether competition...more
HM Treasury has published its consultation response to the Wholesale Markets Review, setting out summaries of responses received to its proposals and how changes will be progressed. There are certain areas that HM Treasury...more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a discussion paper on its proposed Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and sustainable investment labels. The FCA is seeking initial views on these proposals with the...more
FCA regulatory sandbox: new application guide and now always open The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a new guide to assist firms making a regulatory sandbox application. The FCA has also updated its webpage...more
A report from the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform provides recommendations for how the UK can “re-imagine” its approach to regulation post-Brexit. On 16 June 2021, the Taskforce on Innovation,...more
Future of UK financial services: Treasury Committee inquiry written evidence - The House of Commons Treasury Committee has published written evidence to the committee's inquiry into the future of financial services in the...more
29 September - The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published its perimeter report 2019/20, which provides an update on the issues raised in its 2018/19 report. A European Commission notice (2020/C 321/01) relating...more
On 23 July 2019, the FCA published a Dear CEO letter on its wealth management and stockbroking supervision strategy, which began in April 2019. The strategy includes work to identify, diagnose, and remedy the harm that wealth...more
The FCA and the PRA published their Business Plans for 2019/20 in April 2019. FCA Priorities - As expected, with Brexit remaining a key focus, there are few new initiatives for this year. The FCA’s Business Plan sets...more
The Financial Conduct Authority has published a statement on the delay to publication of final rules for contracts for difference products and CfD-like options. The FCA has consulted on its proposals to make European...more
Click here for an infographic timeline summarising the FCA, PRA and PSR business plans for 2019/20, together with key EU and UK financial services developments. The Financial Conduct Authority published its business plan on...more
The guidelines create new obligations for financial, payment, and electronic money institutions that will impact cloud outsourcing and deployment of FinTech. On 25 February 2019, the European Banking Authority (EBA)...more