Skip to main content
  1. Financial services - Regulators and regu...

Our latest blog posts on regulators and regulatory framework

The future of open banking: UK, EU, and US perspectives

Open banking promises to unlock innovation and empower customers by enabling financial information to be shared between traditional banks and third-party service providers. However, it also creates…

Author(s): Claire Harrop, David Sewell, Daniel Klingenbrunn, Christopher Bernard, Katrina Paliukenas

  • europe
  • financial institutions
  • fintech
  • global
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • us
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

The FCA’s Consumer Duty rule review: a spring clean, but no overhaul

One oft-criticised feature of the UK financial services regime is the complexity and the volume of the FCA’s handbook of rules and guidance and a host of materials which often serve as informal…

Author(s): Michael Raffan, Christopher Bernard, Daniel Tichbi

  • consumer
  • regulatory
  • retail
  • financial services
  • governance
  • insurance
  • regulatory framework
  • the financial conduct authority

SEC Marketing Rule FAQs Provide Relief to Investment Advisers Presenting Extracted Performance and Investment Characteristics

Introduction On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) staff posted two Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) concerning the investment adviser Marketing Rule (Rule…

Author(s): Timothy Clark, Ivet Bell, David Nicolardi, Rosie Jiang

  • private capital
  • private funds and secondaries
  • regulatory framework
  • private equity

UK Government goes full throttle on its growth agenda:  New action plan targets financial services regulators

On 17 March 2025, the UK Government published a policy paper and accompanying press release outlining a new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth. The Government stated that the…

Author(s): Michael Raffan, Elisabeth Overland, Tricia Moffat, Christopher Bernard

  • fca
  • financial institutions
  • fintech
  • political change
  • pra
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

The FCA’s review of private market valuation practices: what it means for firms

On 5 March 2025, the FCA published the findings from its multi-firm review of valuation processes for private market assets. In this blog post, we look at the FCA’s findings and consider the…

Author(s): Emma Rachmaninov, Christopher Bernard, Jermaine Francis

  • fca
  • financial institutions
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • financial services
  • investment funds and managers
  • regulatory framework
  • the financial conduct authority

Risen from the Ashes: FIDA trilogue set to move forward

The EU is committed to bringing the wider financial sector into the digital age. To this end, it has proposed a new framework for secure and open access to customer data across a broader range of…

Author(s): Natalie Pettinger Kearney, Jimena Gonzalez, Elisabeth Schemmer, Daniel Klingenbrunn

  • data
  • eu digital markets act
  • eu digital strategy
  • european data spaces
  • financial services
  • fintech
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework

FCA sets out supervision priorities for asset managers and alternatives firms

On 26 February 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a portfolio letter addressed to CEOs of firms in the asset management and alternatives sector to explain its supervision…

Author(s): Emma Rachmaninov, Elisabeth Overland, Christopher Bernard, Shuke Wen

  • financial institutions
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

FCA review of ongoing advice services

On 24 February, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published the findings from its review of ongoing advice services provided by 22 of the largest financial advice firms, with a focus on the…

Author(s): Emma Rachmaninov, Elisabeth Overland, Sharon Tong, Eden Elder

  • financial institutions
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • regulatory framework
  • financial services

The rise of audits as a regulatory tool for tech

As technology evolves, so do challenges in effectively regulating it. In an era where there is increasing focus on effective oversight of digital platforms, legislators are turning to audits as a…

Author(s): Janet Kim, Matthew Bruce, Lutz Riede, Tristan Lockwood, Fiona McHugh, Florentine Schulte-Rudzio, Bhavya Sharma

  • data
  • eu ai act
  • uk
  • us
  • regulatory framework
  • regulatory
  • eu digital services act
  • eu nis2 directive
  • platforms

The FCA reports on climate change adaptation challenges for UK financial services firms

The FCA identifies climate adaptation challenges for financial services firms Every five years, the UK government produces an assessment of risks and opportunities from climate change and explains…

Author(s): James Smethurst, Elisabeth Overland, Sharon Tong

  • financial institutions
  • financial services
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • climate change
  • sustainable finance
  • regulatory framework

Data Act: Commission issues updated FAQ

To aid in the implementation of the EU Data Act, the European Commission has released a set of frequently asked questions (FAQ). For a concise overview of these FAQs, refer to our previous blog post.…

Author(s): Gernot Fritz, Estella Dannhausen

  • consumer
  • data
  • data protection
  • eu data act
  • europe
  • internet of things
  • manufacturing
  • eu digital strategy
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • tech media and telecoms

The UK Government’s Strategic Steer to the CMA: Impact on UK M&A (Part 2)

Today, the UK government issued its draft strategic steer to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) for consultation.  Our separate blog (The UK Government’s Strategic Steer to the CMA: resetting…

Author(s): Colin Raftery, Sharon Malhi, Karen Slaney

  • antitrust and competition
  • political change
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • latest political change
  • regulatory framework

The UK Government’s Strategic Steer to the CMA: Resetting the priorities (Part 1)

Today, the UK government issued its draft strategic steer to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) for consultation. Why does the strategic steer matter? The CMA is an independent authority but…

Author(s): Colin Raftery, Sharon Malhi, Cara Carr

  • antitrust and competition
  • regulatory
  • political change
  • uk
  • regulatory framework
  • regulatory structuring

Freshfields' geopolitical monitor

Geopolitical risks are a significant concern for businesses and investors in the current global landscape. Understanding these risks is crucial for adjusting the risk management system, making…

Author(s): Beth George, Christoph H. Seibt, Maximilian Lasson, Ilka Oberländer, Malte Symann, Christian Altenhofen

  • antitrust and competition
  • antitrust litigation
  • corporate governance
  • energy and natural resources
  • europe
  • foreign investment
  • global
  • governments and public sector
  • latest political change
  • manufacturing
  • merger control
  • mergers and acquisitions
  • middle east
  • political change
  • regulatory
  • sanctions
  • supplychain
  • trade
  • uk
  • de-risking
  • governance
  • investment trading and markets
  • markets and clearing
  • regulatory framework

The new UK regime for public offer platforms: the FCA consults on further proposals

An important element of the UK’s new public offers and admissions to trading regime is the introduction of the public offer platform (POP), which will enable companies to make large offerings of…

Author(s): Claire Harrop, Tom Godwin, Richard Ho, Christopher Bernard, Jennifer McCarthy, Eden Elder

  • ecm
  • financial institutions
  • financing and capital markets
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

10 Key MedTech Themes for 2025

Note: this article originally ran in MedCity News The MedTech industry is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. As AI reshapes the landscape, global collaborations are expanding, and the regulatory…

Author(s): Vinita Kailasanath, Shannon O'Hara

  • ai
  • antitrust and competition
  • cyber security
  • data
  • data protection
  • eu ai act
  • global
  • innovation
  • life sciences
  • mergers and acquisitions
  • regulatory framework
  • us

Life sciences – what to watch in 2025

We asked more than 200 Freshfields lawyers – across geographies and practice areas: what are the 1-2 issues top of mind for you and your clients going into 2025? Here are the ten topics most…

Author(s): Adam Golden, Kristen Riemenschneider, Madeleine Tavcar

  • 2024 elections
  • antitrust and competition
  • life sciences transactional
  • m&a
  • medtech
  • foreign investment
  • litigation
  • regulatory framework
  • life sciences
  • political change
  • us
  • uk
  • europe

The first significant overhaul of the UK clinical trials regime in two decades begins to take shape

In brief: On 12 December 2024, draft legislation to amend the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 was laid before Parliament, marking the start of the first significant…

Author(s): Andrew Austin, Rachel Duffy, Kyu-Won Kim, Honor May

  • life sciences
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • regulatory framework

The year ahead in financial services: 10 trends to watch in 2025

2024 was a momentous year for the financial services industry. Financial institutions had to deal with geopolitical risks arising from conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere, while…

Author(s): Sharon Grennan, Christopher Bernard

  • regulatory framework
  • financial services
  • political change
  • us
  • uk
  • europe

“Regulating for growth” – the UK’s vision for financial services in 2025 and beyond

The new Labour government has placed financial services at the centre of its plans to grow the UK economy, and UK regulators have an important role in facilitating this. But what does this actually…

Author(s): Michael Raffan, Emily Smith, Christopher Bernard, Ellis Brady

  • regulatory
  • uk
  • political change
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

MiCAR perimeter issues – tokenized deposits and payment services

As far as MiCAR is concerned, December 2024 was a busy month for both market participants and competent authorities. On 17 December 2024, the ESMA published the last remaining guidelines and other…

Author(s): Alexander Glos, Daniel Klingenbrunn

  • blockchain
  • cryptocurrency
  • financial institutions
  • fintech
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework

FCA publishes discussion paper on admissions and disclosures and the market abuse regime for cryptoassets

On 16 December 2024 the FCA published its much-anticipated Discussion Paper on (i) cryptoasset admissions and disclosures and (ii) the market abuse regime for cryptoassets (DP24/4). This is the first…

Author(s): Cyrus Pocha, Claire Harrop, Emma Probyn, Christine Simpson, Christopher Bernard, Noah Schmidt, Eden Elder

  • cryptocurrency
  • financial services
  • fintech
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework

Harnessing Smart Data in the UK as a National Asset: What businesses need to know

On 23 October 2024 the UK government introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill to Parliament (the DUAB). The DUAB is a wide-ranging and significant reform package with implications for all businesses…

Author(s): Giles Pratt, Rachael Annear, Tristan Lockwood, Adam Gillert, Hazel Ling

  • data
  • data protection
  • digital payment
  • e-commerce
  • energy and natural resources
  • financial institutions
  • fintech
  • gdpr
  • ico
  • innovation
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • telecommunications

Regulating cryptoassets in the UK: a guide to the road ahead

Finally! Avid readers of Freshfields blogs might remember from our post last autumn that the UK government and financial regulators in October 2023 announced plans for a phased approach to…

Author(s): Cyrus Pocha, Claire Harrop, Christopher Bernard

  • blockchain
  • cryptocurrency
  • digital payment
  • fintech
  • uk
  • regulatory
  • financial institutions
  • fca
  • regulatory framework
  • the financial conduct authority

The FCA/FOS Consultation – “Modernising the Redress System” A Chance for Reform?

At a Glance  On 15 November 2024, the FCA and FOS jointly published a call for input as to how the FOS might improve its redress framework (the CFI). The FCA and FOS consider the current redress…

Author(s): Christopher Robinson, Jack Helyar, Sharon Tong

  • financial institutions
  • regulatory
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework
  • the financial conduct authority

Your 3-month trial: Consultation on new UK rules for consumer subscriptions

For the next three months, the UK Government will consult on new rules for consumer subscription contracts, which are due to come into force in 2026 (see here). Addressing both cost-of-living issues…

Author(s): Daniel Wylde, Andrew Austin, Rikki Haria, Morag Elwis, Kate Collister

  • consumer
  • e-commerce
  • investigations
  • media
  • platforms
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • retail and consumer goods
  • social media
  • tech media and telecoms
  • political change
  • uk

Government set to bring Buy-Now, Pay-Later firms under FCA regulation

On 17 October 2024, HM Treasury launched its third consultation on the proposed regulation of Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) credit agreements, alongside the draft statutory instrument which will bring…

Author(s): Cyrus Pocha, Christine Simpson, Christopher Bernard, Curran Snell

  • fintech
  • uk
  • fca
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework

UK announces data reforms: what businesses need to know

On 23 October 2024 the UK government introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill to Parliament (the DUAB). The DUAB is a wide-ranging and significant reform package with implications for all businesses…

Author(s): Giles Pratt, Rachael Annear, Tristan Lockwood, Adam Gillert

  • ai
  • data
  • data protection
  • e-commerce
  • europe
  • gdpr
  • ico
  • internet of things
  • platforms
  • regulatory
  • regulatory framework
  • tech media and telecoms
  • onlinesafety

Leading the Change: 2025 Data Law Trends report

We’re excited to share our latest report, Leading the Change: 2025 Data Law Trends.  Data now impacts all aspects of businesses, from risk management and global operations to growth strategies. The…

Author(s): Christine Lyon, Giles Pratt, Christoph Werkmeister

  • data protection
  • cybersecurity
  • financial services
  • tmt
  • regulatory framework
  • compliance

Out of the shadows: the growing regulatory spotlight on private capital

In recent months, there has been significant media coverage on the growing regulatory scrutiny of the private capital sector. In this podcast, our team of senior lawyers from across the global…

Author(s): Matthew O'Callaghan, Nariné Atamian, Theresa Kreft, Greg King, Rania Kim

  • asia-pacific
  • europe
  • private capital
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • us
  • regulatory framework

The worldwide focus on operational resilience in financial services: what firms and service providers need to know

Regulators around the world have long been concerned about the operational resilience of banks and other financial institutions, and the impact that cybersecurity incidents and other operational…

Author(s): Claire Harrop, Matthew O'Callaghan, Nariné Atamian, Daphne van der Houwen, Christopher Bernard

  • asia-pacific
  • europe
  • financial institutions
  • regulatory
  • uk
  • us
  • financial services
  • regulatory framework
前进
后退

Explore more of our latest briefings, events and podcasts.

Load more

Explore more of our insights on the following topics:

全球分布

区域业务

欧洲

美洲

亚太

中东

非洲

国际语言网站