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The calm before the storm

14 September 2012 / Eleanor Mumford-Smith , John Bramhall
Issue: 7529 / Categories: Features , Regulatory , Profession
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Expect piggyback litigation in the wake of regulatory intervention warn John Bramhall & Eleanor Mumford-Smith

In a speech in 2005 in those halcyon days before the global financial crisis, Tony Blair (remember him?) described the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as being “hugely inhibiting of efficient business”. It was on the back of that sentiment that a light-touch regulatory regime took centre stage. However, the onset of the recession changed all that, as serious weaknesses in this approach to regulation were exposed. Regulators resolved to ensure transparency in the markets with a more interventionist approach, and a number of high-profile investigations have followed. Off the back of each new investigation, whether into PPI or CDS mis-selling, there has been a wave of litigation brought by disgruntled clients against financial institutions and related professionals.

LIBOR litigation

One of the most recent examples is the £290m fine imposed on Barclays for misconduct in relation to LIBOR, which has the potential to trigger a raft of litigation in the UK, as well

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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