FCA fines to companies drop by a third as banking scandals pass, while individual penalties rocket

New figures show while the total value of fines handed down by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has dropped by more than a third in the past year, new regulations relating to senior management has caused penalties to individuals to more than double over the same period.

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Big month for renewables as Linklaters acts on offshore windfarms with combined worth £3.9bn

Linklaters has advised on the development and financing of the first two UK offshore wind projects to obtain financing under the government’s new ‘Contract for Difference’ (CFD) regime, worth £2.6bn and £1.3bn respectively.

The Magic Circle firm advised on the construction and financing of the offshore windfarm Beatrice located in the Outer Moray Firth, worth £2.6bn, and advised the developers on the £1.3bn long-term financing for the development of one of the world’s largest offshore windfarms, the Dudgeon windfarm off the east coast of England.

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‘A landmark transaction’: Allen & Overy and Linklaters take roles on £1.3bn Dudgeon wind farm financing

Teams from Magic Circle firms Allen & Overy (A&O) and Linklaters have advised on the financing for the development of one of the world’s largest offshore windfarms, the Dudgeon windfarm off the east coast of England.

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Allen & Overy bolsters US securities offering with former Skadden partner hire in Australia

Allen & Overy (A&O) has added a three-strong US securities team to its Australian operations. The team joins the firm after leaving Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, which confirmed it was closing its Sydney office in February, reducing its presence to just one partner in the country.

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‘Growing confidence’: Linklaters and A&O lead on biggest post-crisis RMBS transaction

Magic Circle firms Linklaters and Allen & Overy were instructed on the £6.1bn securitisation of UK mortgages by private equity house Cerberus Capital Management in what is the largest residential mortgage-backed securitisation (RMBS) since misuse of the product brought about the financial crisis in 2007.

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Fit for purpose? Critics round on SFO as forex charges are dropped

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been criticised for shutting down its investigation into alleged rigging in the foreign exchange (forex) market after it could not find sufficient evidence to prosecute.

Despite some of the world’s largest banks being fined billions for forex rate manipulation, the UK’s fraud watchdog dropped the probe in March without bringing any charges.

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The finance view: Scaling up – GCs and finance partners get ready for the grind of ring-fencing reforms

Victoria Young assesses the approach to implementation of ring-fencing rules

Though the deadline for full implementation is over two years off, the looming threat of so-called ring-fencing reforms is already having a major impact on UK banking groups and their legal teams.

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