Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 27 FEBRUARY 2018

FCA Imposes First Fine On AIM Company For Late Disclosure Under MAR

A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Contributor

A&O Shearman

Introducing A&O Shearman Unparalleled global depth for a changing world. Today more than ever,...

View firm profile
Explore more from A&O Shearman

On 14 December 2017, the FCA announced that it had fined an AIM company for failing to inform the market of inside information as required by Article 17(1) of MAR.

United KingdomFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Author LinkedIn connections

On 14 December 2017, the FCA announced that it had fined an AIM company for failing to inform the market of inside information as required by Article 17(1) of MAR.

The company in question failed to inform the public as soon as possible after being notified that there was a reasonable expectation that it would be required to sell one of its two material investments for no initial consideration, with only a possibility of receiving deferred consideration that was materially lower than the company's valuation of its investment. The failure to disclose inside information prevented investors from making fully informed investment decisions.

The breach arose because of a misunderstanding of the legal effect of a share purchase agreement. The FCA commented that issuers "must have regard to their disclosure obligations at all times and misunderstanding the commercial reality of a transaction is no excuse."

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

FCA Finalises Cryptoasset Perimeter Guidance Ahead Of The New UK Regime

The Financial Conduct Authority has released comprehensive perimeter guidance for the UK's new regulated cryptoasset activities regime, clarifying when firms will need authorization and how the regulatory framework applies to qualifying cryptoassets and stablecoins. The guidance addresses critical questions about scope, territorial application, and the narrower "by way of business" test that determines which entities fall under the new regulatory requirements.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Katten
Katten
Article

The Future Of Islamic Finance: Insights From IFN UK Forum 2026

Islamic finance is experiencing rapid global expansion, with assets approaching US$6tn and record sukuk issuance attracting non-traditional investors. The convergence of Shariah-compliant and sustainable investing is creating new opportunities, while AAOIFI Standard No. 62 and tokenisation developments are reshaping how Islamic finance structures are designed and implemented across international markets.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Walkers
Walkers
Article

Investment Management Update - September 2026

The Financial Conduct Authority has released a comprehensive package of regulatory updates and findings covering investment management, wealth management, and consumer protection. Key developments include reforms to MiFID costs and charges disclosures, remuneration code changes, AIFM regime overhauls, and detailed reviews of firms' Consumer Duty compliance, financial crime controls, and governance frameworks.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Macfarlanes LLP
Macfarlanes LLP
Article

New AIM Rules (August 2026)

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.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Shoosmiths LLP
Shoosmiths LLP
Article

Nearly Out Of PERG-atory – But Not Quite Yet: Good News As The FCA Finalises PERG 18 On Cryptoassets, But With Even More Legal Changes To Come

Cryptoasset firms face a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape as the FCA's authorisation gateway opens on 30 September 2026. With the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 laid before Parliament and the FCA's finalised PERG 18 guidance published within 24 hours, firms must navigate significant perimeter changes including new stablecoin payment exclusions.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Travers Smith LLP
Travers Smith LLP
Article

Modernising UK Payments: HM Treasury’s Proposed Overhaul Of The Payment Services Regime

On 14 July 2026, HM Treasury published its long-awaited consultation on modernising the UK’s payment services and electronic money regulatory framework. The consultation is part of the Government’s National Payments Vision agenda, which aims to ensure that the UK has a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, while preserving choice for consumers and businesses.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

SFDR 2.0 – European Parliament Negotiating Position: The Stage Is Set For Trilogue

The European Parliament has published its negotiating position on SFDR 2.0, setting the stage for trilogue negotiations between the Commission, Parliament and Council. With the asset management industry hoping for relief from the complexities of SFDR 1.0, the Parliament's proposals claim to simplify the regime while maintaining credibility of sustainability-related investments.
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Travers Smith LLP
Travers Smith LLP
Article

Financial Regulation Weekly Bulletin - 10 September 2026

This weekly bulletin examines critical developments in UK financial regulation, including the FCA's findings on systemic operational resilience from its Defence, Security, and Resilience Lab exercise, the government's comprehensive consultation on modernising corporate reporting frameworks, and progress on the Financial Services and Markets Bill through Parliament. The bulletin also covers international regulatory updates on cyber resilience for financial market infrastructures, sustainable finance disclosu
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Slaughter and May
Slaughter and May
Article

Amendments To The Act On The Protection Of Personal Information Promulgated

Japan has enacted sweeping amendments to its Act on the Protection of Personal Information, introducing an administrative surcharge regime with monetary penalties for data protection violations, new protections for children under 16 and biometric data, and expanded exceptions for data utilization in statistical analysis and AI development. The reforms, which take effect in stages through 2028, fundamentally reshape Japan's privacy enforcement landscape by granting the Personal Information Protection Commiss
JapanPrivacy
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

SEC Issues “Innovation Exemption” To Facilitate Trading Of Tokenized NMS Stock

The SEC has issued a groundbreaking Innovation Exemption allowing tokenized securities venues to facilitate trading of tokenized NMS stocks using automated market makers and liquidity pools. This temporary five-year exemption from exchange and dealer registration requirements establishes conditions for permissioned blockchain-based trading while granting public companies a 30-day window to object to third-party tokenization of their securities.
United StatesFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

The EU’s Proposed Industrial Accelerator Act: What The Battery Industry Needs To Know—and Do

The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act proposes to reshape battery supply chains by conditioning access to EU public procurement and support schemes on strict origin requirements. As China controls over 80% of global battery manufacturing capacity, the legislation introduces escalating component-count thresholds that could fundamentally alter market access, financing structures, and supplier eligibility across the battery value chain.
GlobalGovernment, Public Sector
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

EU Packaging And Packaging Waste Regulation—what International Corporate Groups Should Know

The European Union's new Regulation on packaging and packaging waste has fundamentally transformed compliance requirements for companies placing packaged goods on the EU market, replacing decades-old directive-based frameworks with directly applicable product-law rules. While promising regulatory harmonization across member states, the reality presents a complex dual-compliance landscape where businesses must navigate both EU-wide packaging standards and diverging national implementation approaches.
European UnionEnvironment
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

Delaware Chancery Invalidates Buyer Termination And Orders Specific Performance Of Obligations To Seek Regulatory Clearance For Merger

A Delaware Court of Chancery decision examines whether an acquiror can terminate a $2.35 billion merger agreement when antitrust approval is delayed beyond the outside date. The case centers on whether the acquiror's abandonment of discussions with a competitor—which triggered an FTC investigation—constitutes "willful conduct" that prevents the buyer from walking away from the deal.
United StatesCorporate/Commercial Law
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

How Spain’s Draft Data Center Rules Could Transform Digital Infrastructure Investment

Spain's draft Royal Decree introduces stringent energy sustainability, environmental, resilience and digital sovereignty requirements for data centers, including renewable additionality, hourly correlation, and efficiency standards. The regulation applies to all access and connection permits obtained after entry into force, with specific compliance deadlines for projects in progress and those with granted permits not yet connected to the grid.
SpainEnergy and Natural Resources
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

Court Of Chancery Imposes Sanctions For Spoliation Of Signal Messages

The Delaware Court of Chancery imposed significant sanctions in a merger litigation case after finding that the company's controlling stockholder and senior officers recklessly destroyed Signal messages following legal hold notices. The court shifted the burden of proof by presuming certain facts favorable to plaintiffs, requiring defendants to rebut these presumptions with clear and convincing evidence rather than a preponderance standard.
United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

SEC Proposes Regulation Crypto Assets: Tailored Pathways For Covered Investment Contracts

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, introducing two tailored exemptions from Securities Act registration requirements for certain offerings of covered investment contracts involving crypto assets. The proposal establishes a startup exemption allowing up to $5 million in offerings over four years and a two-tier fundraising exemption permitting offerings up to $75 million...
United StatesFinance and Banking
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman
Article

California Passes Suite Of Bills Advancing Child Online-safety Push

California has enacted a comprehensive package of four bills that fundamentally reshape online safety protections for minors, targeting addictive design features, data privacy practices, age verification systems, and platform liability. These new laws establish strict requirements for social media companies, including mandatory stripped-down interfaces for users under 16, enhanced privacy defaults, and potential damages up to $1 million for negligent harm to children. The legislation represents one of the m
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman