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On 31 October, in its latest consultation papers CP06/19 and 06/20, the FSA released its proposals to replace the existing COB rulebook with a new regime (NEWCOB); this will implement the COB requirements in MiFID and also FSA’s own review which is designed to simplify the conduct of business regime for designated investment business.

"This is a fascinating time in private capital markets," says James Shaw, a partner in Withers' London office and Global Head of Withers tech.

On 6 March 2014, the Financial Conduct Authority published Policy Statement 14/4 outlining the FCA's final rules on the regulation of crowdfunding.

Investors often discover during due diligence that startups do not fully own, control, or protect their most valuable assets. From missing assignment agreements to undisclosed open-source obligations, these common intellectual property pitfalls can delay transactions, reduce valuations, or derail funding rounds entirely. Understanding these five critical IP issues before a funding round begins can help both investors and founders reduce risk and preserve value.

Private equity and venture capital investors conduct rigorous due diligence to uncover hidden risks that could derail deals, with many of the biggest threats stemming from intellectual property, legal ownership, and governance issues rather than financial metrics. Understanding these potential deal killers and addressing them proactively can significantly improve a scaling business's chances of securing investment, acquisition offers, or international expansion opportunities.

As we approach the end of the 2025/26 tax year, now is the ideal time to review your personal tax position and assess whether you are making full use of the reliefs and allowances available.

Companies must guard against psychopaths eroding their ethics – and even destroying the business.

The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), the industry body for UK private equity and venture capital, has published updated model documents for early-stage capital investments...

This note is intended as a general guide to assist a company which may be considering an IPO on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, to identify what steps should be taken towards achieving that aim.

Private capital is flowing into defence at unprecedented levels, with institutional investors, pension funds and mainstream managers joining specialist defence funds. As dedicated defence funds raise...

Investing in smaller businesses can often be viewed as risky. But there can be significant tax incentives for investing in some companies.

You know that the best solution is out there somewhere but in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, it's not always obvious what combination of people, skills and technology you need.

Whether a business is preparing for a seed round, Series A fundraising, growth investment or a strategic partnership, investors will typically undertake some form of intellectual property (IP) due diligence before committing capital.

Each year, UK private equity firms supply billions of pounds of venture capital to form, develop and reshape ambitious UK companies with high growth prospects.

The European Venture Capital Funds Regulation [EU 2013/345] was adopted in 2013 with the aim of making it easier for venture capital managers to raise funds across Europe...

This is the first article in our two-part series examining private equity (PE) investment opportunities in the education sector. In part one, we explore the market landscape, insights across key verticals, and investment...

A briefing for entrepreneurs, growth companies and their advisers.

Budgets aren’t what they used to be: we now have pre-budget reports, draft legislation released in advance of the Budget, consultation processes and instant access via the internet to press releases as soon as the Chancellor sits down.