On 26 February 2025, the European Commission (the EC) adopted a new package of proposals aimed at simplifying the EU’s ESG reporting and compliance requirements. The EC published two separate proposals for directives to make...more
3/3/2025
/ Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability
In this article, we reflect on key trends in ESG over the second half of 2024 and look ahead at trends that may emerge in 2025. We analyze developments in the latter half of 2024, which were similar to those highlighted in...more
1/6/2025
/ Antitrust Division ,
Australia ,
Board of Directors ,
Climate Change ,
COP ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Green Loans ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Loan Market Association ,
Member State ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
Nasdaq ,
New Guidance ,
New Legislation ,
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Tax Reform ,
UK ,
United Nations
Since the announcement of the UK government’s Edinburgh reforms to financial services in December 2022, which set out a large number of proposals aimed at making London the “world’s most innovative and competitive global...more
12/12/2024
/ Capital Markets ,
Corporate Governance ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTSE ,
Investment ,
Listing Rules ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Stewardship Code ,
UK
On 14 November 2024, the UK government published a response to its consultation on creating a new regulated market to trade shares in private companies: the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System...more
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, and diverging opinions on approach, continued to dominate headlines across the globe in the first half of 2024. Companies and their stakeholders started the year navigating...more
7/29/2024
/ Activist ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Greenwashing ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Shareholders ,
UK
On 29 July 2024, the new UK Listing Rules came into force. The new rules institute a simpler, more flexible, disclosure-based listing regime and are designed to place London on a competitive footing with other major...more
7/29/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Capital Markets ,
Commercial Companies Law ,
Corporate Governance ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
FTSE ,
Listing Rules ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
UK
The UK government has proposed a number of measures — both legislative and regulatory — to restore trust in audit and corporate governance and maintain the UK’s reputation as a home of sound corporate governance. Some of...more
Following a series of consultations, and as part of its wider overhaul of the UK’s financial services regime, in November 2023, the UK government published a draft statutory instrument that will replace existing European...more
2/7/2024
/ EU ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment ,
Investment Management ,
New Regulations ,
Packaged Retail And Insurance-Based Investment Products (PRIIPS) ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UK
The Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Opinion Continues To Spawn Challenges to DEI Programs -
Businesses can expect continued challenges to DEI programs, as emboldened opponents to these programs seek to expand the reach...more
12/15/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
Key Points -
- Detailed rules governing some of the upcoming requirements for sustainability disclosures will help companies prepare to comply, but many requirements have still not been specified.
- The rules for...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
8/1/2023
/ Capital Markets ,
Equity Markets ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investors ,
Listing Rules ,
MiFID II ,
Retail Market ,
UK
As predicted in our February 1, 2023, client alert, “ESG in 2022 and Predictions for 2023,” a global economic slowdown and ongoing backlash in the U.S. have slowed the momentum of some aspects of the environmental, social and...more
7/18/2023
/ Activist Investors ,
Biodiversity ,
Competition ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Reporting ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Green Energy ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remuneration ,
Sustainability ,
UK
On 28 June 2023, the European Commission (EC) published its proposals for both a revised Payment Services Directive (PSD3) and a new accompanying Payment Services Regulation (EU PSR). This package of reforms addresses certain...more
On 7 June 2023, the UK Parliament passed the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023, which brings cryptoassets within the scope of rules that regulate the marketing of financial...more
In May 2023, the board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published its Policy Recommendations for Crypto and Digital Asset Markets Consultation Report, which proposes 18 policies it plans to...more
6/13/2023
/ CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Disclosure ,
EU ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
IOSCO ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
In February 2023, the UK Treasury (HMT) published its consultation and call for evidence on the future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets (Consultation Paper). This is part of Phase 2 of HMT’s effort to...more
3/30/2023
/ Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
FSMA ,
Market Abuse ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Securities ,
Stablecoins ,
UK
The Bank of England (BoE) has announced that Silicon Valley Bank UK Limited (SVB UK) will be sold to HSBC UK Bank Plc (HSBC). This is being carried out under the aegis of the Special Resolution Regime (SRR) — a bespoke...more
The UK government has issued draft legislation to regulate buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) providers. It has also settled its position on a number of other key aspects of its policy on both BNPL providers and providers of short-term...more