Banking Litigation Podcast Episode 61: Monthly Update – July/August 2026

This monthly bulletin provides a comprehensive overview of the latest regulatory developments affecting financial services across the UK, EU, and US. From new FCA guidance on high-growth firms and wealth management to SEC proposals on crypto asset frameworks and CFTC initiatives on prediction markets, the update covers critical changes impacting asset managers, banks, insurers, and securities firms.

The Financial Conduct Authority has released CP26/26, proposing a comprehensive transformation of how UK and third-country alternative asset managers report fund information through a new regime called FRAME (Fund Reporting for Asset Management Entities). The consultation introduces size-based thresholds, revised reporting frequencies, and tailored requirements for different fund categories including hedge funds, private market funds, and third-country managers.

The London Stock Exchange has implemented sweeping reforms to the AIM Rules, fundamentally reshaping admission requirements, transaction thresholds, and governance obligations for companies on the Alternative Investment Market. These changes eliminate longstanding requirements like working capital statements and corporate governance codes while introducing new features such as capital access windows and special voting shares, marking the most significant overhaul of AIM regulations in recent years.

London's AIM market has introduced a new Express Market route designed to streamline admission for established overseas companies. The reforms replace the previous Designated Market framework with a broader, more proportionate approach that recognises regulatory scrutiny and public company experience already demonstrated in qualifying international markets. Will this create a genuinely compelling pathway for international issuers seeking access to UK growth capital?

The FCA has published details of its turnaround times over Christmas and New Year for reviewing documents, giving guidance and processing listing applications.

The court emphasised the narrow scope of earlier cases where obligations were suspended due to unlawfulness, and granted the lender an order for possession against a property mortgaged by a designated borrower.

The UK real estate investment trust market has evolved significantly since its inception nearly twenty years ago, transitioning from a landscape dominated by major listed property companies to one embracing a new private REIT regime. This shift, implemented in 2022, has opened opportunities for parties to access REIT benefits without the burden of public listing requirements, fundamentally changing the market dynamics.

The UK venture capital market has rebounded from its 2022-2024 downturn, with funding activity recovering and larger rounds returning, particularly for AI and DeepTech businesses. However, despite improved market conditions, investors maintain strict deal terms focused on founder alignment, governance protections, and exit control. Analysis of proprietary deal data reveals how capital concentration, leaver provisions, liquidation preferences...

The London Stock Exchange's revised framework, in force immediately, cuts admission burdens and aims to assist fundraisings and acquisitions.

Collateralised fund obligations (CFOs) are emerging as a critical financing mechanism for private fund sponsors seeking to access institutional capital markets. This analysis examines why the Channel Islands—specifically Guernsey and Jersey—have become preferred jurisdictions for structuring CFO vehicles targeting UK and European assets, combining regulatory credibility with tax efficiency and structural flexibility.

The High Court has held that it had no jurisdiction to permit an application for pre-action disclosure to be served on a respondent outside England and Wales in respect of documents held outside the jurisdiction...

In Part 2 of our latest episode of Inside IR, industrial relations partner Rohan Doyle and Melbourne Business School Professor Jennifer Overbeck continue their discussion on the evolving enterprise bargaining landscape...

The FCA has published details of its turnaround times over Christmas and New Year for reviewing documents, giving guidance and processing listing applications.

In a recent decision, Judge Phillip Bentley resolved an open question for the Southern District of New York that has divided other districts: Does Section 506(b)’s requirement that an oversecured creditor’s fees...

The proposals being considered by the Government could radically reform the reporting landscape for UK incorporated companies, particularly small and medium‑sized companies (SMEs) and group companies.

Companies House has announced that a GOV.UK One Login is now the main sign-in option for users when accessing the Find and update company information service through their Companies House account.

The court emphasised the narrow scope of earlier cases where obligations were suspended due to unlawfulness, and granted the lender an order for possession against a property mortgaged by a designated borrower.

We are delighted to launch our new podcast series, Insuring AI, which explores the broad range of questions that AI is throwing up for the insurance world.

In her 2026 Bathurst Lecture at the Supreme Court of NSW, Honey, I Shrunk the Director Pool, Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, Chair and Senior Partner at HSF Kramer, explores a critical question for Australia's public markets...

The London Stock Exchange's revised framework, in force immediately, cuts admission burdens and aims to assist fundraisings and acquisitions.