Sarah Hitchins

Publications: 04 DECEMBER 2019

IT and operational failures: financial services in the spotlight

There is unprecedented demand for and use of technology in the financial services sector.  However, greater reliance on technology brings with it increased levels of risk.  In particular, IT incidents and even brief disruptions to digital services may have a significant impact on clients and the markets.

Publications: 22 OCTOBER 2019

Fair corporate criminal liability trial despite absence of company's directing mind and will

The Court of Appeal has refused to grant a company leave to appeal its conviction for conspiracy to corrupt, notwithstanding that the directors who constituted the company's directing mind were not present at the trial and did not give oral evidence: Regina v Alstom Network UK Ltd [2019] EWCA Crim 1318

Publications: 19 FEBRUARY 2019

Australian Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry: Key Themes in the Final Report

The final report (the Report) of the Australian Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (the Royal Commission) was released on 4 February 2019. The Report provides 76 specific recommendations to the Government, the financial sector, and financial regulators to redress the misconduct revealed by the inquiry. These recommendations reflect the conclusions the Commissioner reached in respect of the questions he posed in the interim report published on 28 September 2018 and based on further work undertaken by the Royal Commission.

Publications: 05 FEBRUARY 2019

Extending the SMCR to FCA-only authorised firms: Our insights

Yesterday the FCA published its much-anticipated consultation paper on the extension of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) to FCA-only authorised firms. We have set out below our initial thoughts on and insights into the FCA’s proposals, which we hope that you will find useful.