The Financial Services and Markets Bill creates a Designated Activities Regime that will impact both authorised and unregulated firms. The Designated Activities Regime is intended to maintain the purview of the Financial...more
As highlighted in our recent article, the Chancellor has proposed an end to the bankers ‘bonus cap’ introduced in 2014. Set out here are some early thoughts on the challenges banks might face if this were to happen and the...more
This briefing is one in a series on the Financial Services and Markets Bill (FSMB). In this briefing we discuss the revocation of onshored EU law contained in the FSMB, focusing on some questions of relevance to firms.
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How A&O Consulting can help you meet the challenge of the wider ranging set of requirements and regulatory expectations for the Consumer Duty....more
On 20 July 2022, just before the UK Parliament’s summer recess, the long awaited Financial Services and Markets Bill (FSM Bill) was introduced to Parliament....more
Operational resilience is a priority for the regulators of financial services in the UK. It is prominent in both the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) business plans....more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) shift towards consumer protection is intensifying. At the same time, it is gearing up to become a more assertive regulator, intervening more frequently, following the example of its...more
Financial crime has been a key area of focus for the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for a number of years, attracting some of the highest financial penalties, and this looks set to continue. With improvements to FCA...more
The requirement for firms to collect and report quality data has never been more important, with the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) outcome driven strategy looking to rely on firm data to realise its plans. In this...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) recently published their Business Plans for 2022/23. The FCA also published a three-year strategy. But what does it really mean for firms? ...more
2022 looks set to be another year dominated by regulatory reform for financial services firms. This document considers a number of key wholesale market developments including the latest on the MiFID Review and other financial...more
The UK’s new Investment Firm Prudential Regime (the IFPR) for MiFID investment firms and Collective Portfolio Management investment firms (together MiFID Firms) took effect from 1 January 2022, and this includes new...more
The European Commission has finalised its proposed ESG-related changes to MiFID II. These are intended to fit together with SFDR, and are part of a suite of ESG related changes being made via amends to AIFMD, the UCITS...more
The long awaited AIFMD Review legislative proposal was finally released by the Commission on 25 November 2021.
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As part of the proposed Banking Package (CRDVI), the European Commission has proposed a harmonised EU regulatory framework for third country bank branches.
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Almost a year after the Brexit transition period ended and the UK government is beginning to refine its thinking on how the financial services framework should evolve in a post-Brexit world in order to ensure it is fit for...more
A high-level timeline summarising key dates and expected publications for the EU and UK MiFID Review.
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The PRA has published updates to its policy and a revised supervisory statement on ensuring operational continuity in resolution (PS 9/21 and SS4/21) following its consultation paper in October 2020 (CP 20/20). This bulletin...more
The first step in shaping the UK's financial services regime post-Brexit.
On 29 April 2021, the Financial Services Act 2021 (the Act) received Royal Assent. It is seen as the UK’s first step in control of the financial...more
Certain UK incorporated holding companies of banks and investments firms will, for the first time, be required to obtain PRA authorisation in 2021. The required applications for authorisation are detailed and will require...more
On 16 December 2020, the Council of the European Union published final compromise proposals for a package of measures dubbed the “Capital Markets Recovery Package”, these were adopted by the European Parliament’s Committee on...more
Following months of protracted negotiations and coming four and a half years after the UK voted to leave the EU, 24 December 2020 saw the EU and UK finally agree the shape of their future relationship. While the Trade and...more
On 22 October 2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the review of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (the AIFMD Review). The public consultation follows the European Commission’s...more
The UK government has announced a number of measures designed to respond to the economic shock arising from Covid-19 coronavirus – these include providing businesses of all sizes with access to a £330 billion package of...more
Following the Conservative Party’s victory in the UK’s general election in December 2019, the priority for both the UK and the EU27 in relation to Brexit was the approval, ratification and implementation of the deal agreed at...more