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Structuring loan buybacks
In this article the authors consider the structure of loan buybacks with a consideration of the documentary changes made by the Loan Market Association (LMA) as well as some of the approaches that have evolved in the market to address buybacks.
13 June 2024Financial product mis-selling claims against banks: the increasing willingness of the English courts to strike out allegations of fraud in “appropriate” cases
Traditionally, in a financial product mis-selling context, claims against financial institutions involving allegations of fraud, LIBOR manipulation and unlawful means conspiracy have not been amenable to strike out or summary determination. However, the English courts are increasingly demonstrating a willingness to deal with opportunistic claims against banks (and other third parties) involving allegations of fraud without the need for a full trial, in “appropriate” cases. Two recent High Court judgments provide guidance on when the court will consider it appropriate to do so: Boyse (International) Limited v Natwest Markets plc & Anor3 and Elite Properties and Ors v BDO LLP.4
13 June 2024English schemes and the Cape Town Convention
The impact on the aviation sector of the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental restrictions on air travel and other movement controls has been severe and has resulted in a number of airline restructurings. This article examines the use by an airline of a scheme of arrangement under Pt 26 of the Companies Act 2006 (2006 Act), as a mechanism for effecting a compromise with certain of its creditors, and the interplay between a scheme and those creditors’ rights under the Cape Town Convention and associated Aircraft Protocol (CTC), as implemented in the UK by The International Interests in Aircraft Equipment (Cape Town Convention) Regulations 2015 (Regulations). These considerations arose in the decisions of the English court in MAB Leasing Limited.1
13 June 2024The Pensions Regulator’s new teeth: how might they bite lending transactions?
This article outlines how risks relating to defined benefit pension scheme liabilities affect financing transactions, the relevant provisions of the new Pension Schemes Act 2021 and the extent to which these provisions might result in changes in practice.
13 June 2024The issues with interest calculations in arbitration awards
There is often much angst about choosing the right method of calculating interest on an arbitral award and, indeed, which interest rate to use. There are no criteria that can be applied a priori to assist in the selection in a particular case. Rather, the key is to determine what monetary return the injured party might have earned had they had use of the arbitral award over the relevant period of time. This amount can then be readily translated into a method and interest rate to suit the arbitrator.
13 June 2024The impact of Brexit on the UK and European legal professions
This article explores the implications of Brexit for the practising rights of UK barristers, solicitors and advocates in the EU and for European lawyers in the UK, with a focus on England and Wales. Although the UK’s withdrawal from the EU has resulted in some challenges for European lawyers, England and Wales remains an open legal market. For UK lawyers in Europe the situation varies considerably by member state and it is incumbent on lawyers to carefully research practising rights and immigration rules ahead of travel.
13 June 2024Opening innovation or opening up to risk? The potential liability framework for Open Finance
This article summarises some of the key points in the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent Call for Input regarding Open Finance. Certain risks associated with Open Finance are highlighted and possible issues surrounding assigning legal liability in open finance models are addressed.
13 June 2024When is a duty to pay not a duty to pay?
Frauds may be unauthorised (credit card fraud, phishing, for example) or authorised. Authorised frauds may be “pull” frauds, where the fraudster is given the victim’s account details and authorised to pull the funds from their account, or “push” frauds (APP), where the victim instructs its bank to send money to the fraudster’s account. If society is serious about combatting fraud, the Quincecare duty should be recognised as incongruous. Where the threshold is crossed, transactions should be referred to the authorities, akin to a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) notification. The decision whether to comply with the customer’s instructions should be that of those best placed to investigate.
13 June 2024Out of scope: Scope Ratings’ appeal against ESMA fine fails
In a December 2020 decision published on 12 January 2021, the Joint Board of Appeal (BoA) of the European Banking Authority, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) (together the European Supervisory Authorities) dismissed an appeal1 brought by Scope Ratings GmbH (Scope) against ESMA’s May 2020 decision to impose a €640,000 fine.2 In this article the authors assess the implications of the decision.
13 June 2024Give us the money: how to bank Central Bank Digital Currencies and stablecoins
Banks and other payment service providers have a number of legal options in the way in which they structure the services which they provide to customers in respect of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins. These do not differ between privately originated or central-bank originated coins. However, product providers are unlikely to wish to create apparently similar products with different fee structures. We therefore expect an industry consensus to develop fairly rapidly around a particular legal structure that applies to both stablecoins and CBDCs. It remains to be seen whether this will be a bailment-based (e-wallet) structure or a deposit-based (debtor-creditor) structure.
13 June 2024
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