Millions spent, reputations battered: Fraud watchdog, Dechert and ENRC legal war reaches an end Lawsuit Years of bitter litigation, millions of pounds in legal fees, and severe reputational damage: the disastrous, decade-long feud between a Kazakh mining giant, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), and a heavy-hitting City law firm has finally ended with a confidential settlement. Mining firm Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) launched legal action against the law firm [...]
SFO drops former AIM London Mining bribery case after decade-long probe Legal The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) officially dropped all charges against the former executives of London Mining, a decade after launching its probe into alleged bribery and corruption. The SFO launched an investigation in 2016 into London Mining Plc regarding alleged bribery to secure favourable treatment in Sierra Leone between 2009 and 2014. Former CEO Graeme Hossie, CFO Rachel [...]
Nick Ephgrave announces surprise retirement from Serious Fraud Office Legal Nick Ephgrave will step down as director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) two and a half years before his first term was due to finish. The former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was appointed as the SFO’s director, taking over from Lisa Osofsky, who oversaw several errors during her tenure. Ephgrave was the [...]
‘Downfall’: Home REIT faces SFO probe into suspected bribery and fraud January 14, 2026 The UK’s top financial crime unit has unveiled a major probe into the past management of Home REIT after identifying as much as £300m in suspected fraud and bribery. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said it has carried out raids and arrests into the former London-listed social housing company, including searches at homes in Altrincham, [...]
Exclusive: Tory peer Lord Garnier joins Pillsbury amid London expansion November 4, 2025 Tory peer Lord Edward Garnier is joining US law firm Pillsbury as senior counsel, as it continues its expansion into the City, City AM can reveal. Lord Garnier KC, currently a member of the House of Lords, served as Solicitor General under David Cameron. He was MP for Harborough from 1992 to 2017. The barrister, [...]
Fraud prevention firm SEON raises $80m amid growing compliance demands September 16, 2025 SEON, an AI-driven fraud prevention and compliance platform, has closed an $80m (£58.7m) Series C funding round led by Sixth Street Growth, bringing total investment to $187m. The company, based in Budapest and Austin, analyses tens of millions of customer interactions daily for clients including Revolut, Plaid, Spotify, Afterpay, and Entain. Its platform, delivered via [...]
Businesses have one defence amid ‘seismic shift’ in UK fraud law September 1, 2025 Fraud laws have received a major shake up and businesses have been sent a stark warning to be weary of the “hidden danger”. New failure to prevent fraud offence, which came into effect today, mean firms could face prosecution from fraud committed by employees – even if management was unaware of it. Large firms will [...]
Large firms liable for fraud happening under their watch under new UK laws September 1, 2025 Businesses could be prosecuted if they profit from fraud committed by one of their employees even if managers do not know about it, under new UK laws. The new “failure to prevent fraud” offence, which came into effect on Monday, holds large firms to account over their internal anti-fraud measures. It says that businesses can [...]
UK businesses set to face tougher compliance over fraud August 26, 2025 British businesses need to prepare for a “sea change” as the new powers to tackle fraud come into effect next Monday. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director Nick Ephgrave told City AM last year that time was running short for businesses “to get their house in order” ahead of its new powers. From 1 September, [...]
Fraud crackdown helps stop the rise of online scams May 28, 2025 Over £1.1bn was stolen in 2024 as the financial services sector works to protect its customers; criminals find new ways to exploit people