The UK's Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") has
recently successfully applied to the Court of Appeal to uphold an
earlier decision to impose requirements for redress in relation to
conflicts of interest. This decision serves as a timely reminder to
firms to review, and if necessary refresh, conflicts of interest
policies and procedures.
Regulatory Background
Principle 8 of the FCA's Principles for Business requires
that a firm must manage conflicts of interest fairly, between
itself and its customers and between a customer and another client.
Firms are obliged to take all reasonable steps to identify
conflicts and have effective organisational arrangements that are
aimed at preventing conflicts from constituting or giving rise to a
material risk of damage to the interests of clients. When those
arrangements are not sufficient to ensure, with a reasonable degree
of confidence, that the risks can be prevented, firms must give
sufficient disclosure to their clients.