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Staying afloat on the rising regulatory tide

18 April 2025 / Kerry Garcia , James Evison
Issue: 8113 / Categories: Features , Compliance , Regulatory , Fraud , Harassment , Employment , Company
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Failure to prevent fraud, sexual harassment & more: Kerry Garcia & James Evison unpack the increasing number of compliance measures facing UK businesses this year
  • The new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ duty coming into force in September 2025 as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, and the duty to prevent sexual harassment proposed in the Employment Rights Bill.
  • Practical steps employers can take to prepare for the introduction of these duties.
  • How the government is approaching this major shift in corporate governance, and how businesses have the potential to adopt a competitive advantage by being ahead of the legislation.

As 2025 progresses, UK businesses are facing an increasingly demanding regulatory landscape. The introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023) and its ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence, and the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 and corresponding employer duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, signify a major shift

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Quillon Law—Neil Dooley

Quillon Law—Neil Dooley

Disputes firm expands fraud and investigations practice with partner hire

Charles Russell Speechlys—Vadim Romanoff

Charles Russell Speechlys—Vadim Romanoff

Firm strengthens corporate tax and incentives team with partner hire

Burges Salmon—Gary Delderfield & Alec Bennett

Burges Salmon—Gary Delderfield & Alec Bennett

Partner and senior associate join pensions team

NEWS
In this week's NLJ, Sophie Houghton of LexisPSL distils the key lesson from recent costs cases: if you want to exceed guideline hourly rates (GHR), you must prove why
With chronic underfunding and rising demand leaving thousands without legal help, technology could transform access to justice—if handled wisely, writes Professor Sue Prince of the University of Exeter in this week's NLJ
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold dives into the quirks of civil practice, from the Court of Appeal’s fierce defence of form N510 to fresh reminders about compliance and interest claims, in this week's Civil Way
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) has restated a fundamental truth, writes John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, in this week's NLJ: only authorised persons can conduct litigation. The decision sparked alarm, but Gould stresses it merely confirms the Legal Services Act 2007
The government’s decision to make the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the Single Professional Services Supervisor marks a watershed in the UK’s fight against money laundering, says Rebecca Hughes of Corker Binning in this week's NLJ. The FCA will now oversee 60,000 firms across legal and accountancy sectors—a massive expansion of remit that raises questions over resources and readiness 
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