The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published a consultation paper (“CP 25/19”) on the ancillary activities exemption (the “AAE”) on 3 July 2025. The AAE enables commercial users and producers of commodities to undertake...more
HM Treasury (HMT) has published its consultation paper on cross-cutting reforms in the UK regulatory environment in relation to key performance indicators, principles and strategies to be applied by the UK Financial Conduct...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published final policy statement PS25/10, setting out the final rules for the new public offer platforms (POP) regime. This follows consultations in July 2024 and January of this...more
HM Treasury has published an updated version of the Banking Act 2009 Special Resolution Regime Code of Practice. The code sets out resolution tools and powers available under the Banking Act 2009 for authorities to use in...more
Since its inception in 2016, the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) has served as a cornerstone of the UK’s financial services regulatory landscape, designed to enhance individual accountability and raise...more
The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has delivered a speech at Mansion House, London which heralded a large number of UK regulatory reforms with significant impact on the financial services sector. These were announced...more
The UK statutory instrument (The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025) implementing the necessary legislative changes for progressing buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) regulation...more
The Senior Managers & Certification Regime ("SM&CR") has been a cornerstone of the UK’s individual accountability regulatory framework for banks, insurers and other regulated firms since its introduction in the wake of the...more
A number of responses to the Consultation and Call for Input: Future regulation of alternative fund managers published by HM Treasury and the FCA on 7 April have been recently published. These reveal a diversity of views...more
Following the publication by HM Treasury of the draft legislation establishing a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK, on 28 May 2025 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Consultation...more
The Treasury (HMT) launched a consultation and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a call for input in April 2025 kick-starting a review of the UK’s regulatory regime for Alternative Investment Fund Managers...more
HM Treasury published on 15 May 2025 the legal framework which will govern the establishment and operation of the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES), a new type of intermittent private...more
The Ninth Commencement Regulations–the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Commencement No. 9) Regulations 2025–under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (FSMA 2023) were made and have been published. The Ninth...more
On 19 May 2025, HM Treasury released a suite of publications as part of its ongoing efforts to modernise the UK’s consumer credit framework. These include the Consumer Credit Act Reform – Phase 1: May 2025 Consultation, the...more
The HM Treasury (HMT) has published a draft of The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Cryptoassets) Order 2025, together with an accompanying policy note... ...more
On 7 April 2025, the United Kingdom’s HM Treasury opened a consultation (the Consultation) on proposals to streamline the regulatory framework for alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs). Alongside the Consultation, the...more
Ahead of the commencement of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), key building blocks for its regulatory framework are moving into place. Following consultations in 2023 and 2024, draft legislation and a policy...more
While recent announcements have focussed on the government’s growth agenda, HM Treasury (HMT) has also now pressed ahead with publishing final draft regulations limiting the rights for banks and other payment service...more
The UK government has published long-awaited draft legislation setting out how the regulatory perimeter will be expanded to include cryptoassets, with the introduction of new regulated activities relating to cryptoassets,...more
On 29 April 2025, HM Treasury published near-final draft legislation establishing a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK, along with a policy note explaining the intended policy outcomes of the...more
Welcome to your weekly update from the A&O Shearman Pensions team, covering all the latest legal and regulatory developments in the world of workplace pensions....more
The Financial Services Regulatory Initiatives Forum (the Forum) has published the Regulatory Initiatives Forum Grid (the Grid), with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also updating its webpage. The previous Grid was...more
On 8 April, the Bank of England (BoE) has published its response to the discussion paper on reviewing access to Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) accounts for settlement. In the discussion paper, initially published on 8...more
The HM Treasury (HMT) has launched a consultation on proposals to revise the legislative regime applicable to Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs) and the depositories they use. The government intends to use the...more
On 7 April 2025, HM Treasury published a consultation to overhaul the UK Alternative Investment Fund Managers regime. That same day, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a call for input outlining its intended...more