Legal firms call for reform of Serious Fraud Office after ex-Barclays execs acquitted February 28, 2020 Law firms have called for reform of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today after three former Barclays executives were cleared of financial crisis-era fraud to save the bank. Roger Jenkins, Thomas Kalaris and Richard Boath were all acquitted of charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation in connection with the 2008 Qatar fundraisings. [...]
Innovation boosts online retail sales August 5, 2019 Sales at the UK’s largest online retailers have risen 16 per cent to £8.2bn in a year as the popularity of e-commerce-only brands soared. Retailers that only trade online reported a 31 per cent increase in sales, rising to £3.4bn in the year to 30 June from £2.7bn the previous year. Read more: Westfield owner [...]
Retailers ramp up challenges to business rates as high street woes deepen August 18, 2019 The number of businesses challenging their rates bill has soared over the last quarter as retailers continue to feel the squeeze from tough conditions on the high street. Roughly 4,000 challenges were made in the first quarter this year, a 65 per cent increase on the previous three months, according to figures from City law [...]
Plans for internet regulation ‘could lead to censorship’ July 9, 2019 Government plans to crack down on internet firms over online harms could lead to the UK having the highest level of online censorship of all major democracies, a City law firm has warned. In its response to a recent government white paper, RPC said plans to hold businesses accountable for material posted to their platforms [...]
Data breach reports soar since GDPR, as firms fear mammoth watchdog fines July 15, 2019 The number of whistleblower reports to the information commissioner over data breaches have jumped 175 per cent since GDPR came in, according to research. People have become more vigilant about the handling of personal data, and more likely to report potential breaches, since the regulations were introduced in May 2018 according to law firm RPC. [...]
City watchdog ramps up enforcement as it faces political pressure to act July 1, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has ramped up its investigations in the face of political pressure to crackdown on wrongdoing in the financial services sector, according to research published today. FCA investigations into individuals doubled in 2018, with the number of individuals being referred to the watchdog’s regulatory decisions committee (RDC) rising to 27 from [...]
Premier League most active user of High Court in attempt to crackdown on copyright breaches June 17, 2019 Football and music bodies are the most active users of the UK High Court as they try to crack down on copyright breaches, research published today shows. The organisation that brought the most claims to the High Court last year was the Premier League, with 36 claims in the year to 31 March. The Performing [...]
Less than one per cent of cyber crimes lead to prosecution, report states May 28, 2019 Less than one per cent of cyber crimes result in prosecution, new figures have revealed, highlighting the difficulty of tracking down online hackers. There were 65 prosecutions for computer hacking in the UK last year, up 38 per cent on the 47 recorded in 2017, according to City law firm RPC. But the figures still [...]
HMRC demands professional services firms hand over information on clients suspected of tax evasion March 19, 2019 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued nearly 1,500 demands to professional service firms for more information on clients suspected of tax evasion, a law firm has found. The taxman issued 1,414 requests to accountants, lawyers and other professional services firms in the year up to 31 March last year for information on clients that [...]
Saracens could challenge legality of Premiership Rugby’s salary cap if review falls through November 7, 2019 Saracens could seek a legal challenge to Premiership Rugby’s salary cap if they fail in their bid to overturn a 35-point deduction and £5.4m fine, according to a leading sports lawyer. The English and European champions could argue that the salary cap framework is anti-competitive, says former World Rugby head of legal Darren Bailey. However, [...]