Chris Webber

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Chris Webber specializes in resolving financial services disputes and regulatory investigations. He represents clients including banks, broker dealers, corporate trustees, bondholders, issuers, mortgage servicers, borrowers, insolvency office-holders, regulatory bodies, investment funds, and individuals. He also acts for corporate clients in contractual, investment, and shareholder disputes.

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Too soon to move on? Supreme Court changes limitation in secret commission cases

By Chris Webber on Posted in Banking, Mis-Selling
The Supreme Court has today provided important clarification on when “deliberate concealment” or “deliberate commission of a breach of duty” by a defendant will extend the limitation period for bringing claims. The decision is bad news for financial services firms affected by PPI mis-selling claims and other claims in which firms are accused of making … Continue Reading

Push-ed Back – Supreme Court Considers Quincecare Duty for Authorised Push Payment (“APP”) Fraud Victims

By Chris Webber, Katherine Wakeham and Assad Bishara on Posted in Banking, Dispute Resolution, Fraud and Financial Crime
On 12 July 2023, the Supreme Court delivered its widely anticipated judgment in Philipp v Barclays Bank UK PLC. In doing so, the Court has gone back to basics to explain the basis for and scope of a bank’s duty to its customers, and has brought the Quincecare duty back to a narrower footing. By … Continue Reading

Financial Promotions Data Analysed – An Increase in Intervention

By Chris Webber, Katherine Wakeham and Alex Villers on Posted in Investigations, Mis-Selling
Earlier this year, the Financial Conduct Authority published its analysis of its financial promotions data for 2022. That report sheds some interesting light on the FCA’s actions taken against authorised firms, and unauthorised entities and individuals, for breaches of financial promotion rules. The standout message is clear – the FCA has significantly increased its interventionist activity, in … Continue Reading

Financial Ombudsman Service compensation limit increased again – by more than 10%

By Chris Webber and Maria Shorter on Posted in Dispute Resolution
The Financial Conduct Authority confirmed last month that the limit for compensation that can be awarded by the Financial Ombudsman Service (“FOS”) will be raised from £375,000 to £415,000, for complaints made after 1 April 2023 relating to acts or omissions on or after 1 April 2019 – an increase of over 10%. A lower … Continue Reading

Ready or not, here comes the Consumer Duty

By Chris Webber and Ian Debbage on Posted in Banking, Insurance, Investment Management, Mis-Selling, Pensions, Regulation
Since July 2022 when the FCA published its rules and guidance to implement the Consumer Duty, much ink has been spilled on what it will mean for affected firms. Now, with the clock ticking down to implementation on 31 July 2023, the FCA has published the findings of its review of a number of larger … Continue Reading

FCA tightens appointed representative regime

By Chris Webber and Mariyam Harunah on Posted in Mis-Selling, Regulation
In August 2022, the FCA released a policy statement introducing improvements to the appointed representative (“AR“) regime. In its policy statement, the FCA provides feedback on its earlier consultation, and sets out new rules to make authorised financial firms more responsible for their ARs. In its press release, the FCA says that whilst some principal … Continue Reading

Is the FCA catching on to its AFrO and AFO powers?

By Chris Webber on Posted in Fraud and Financial Crime, Investigations, Regulation
My colleague Ben Ticehurst, a Director in our UK Government Investigations and White Collar team, recently shared a timely insight on increased use by the Financial Conduct Authority of Account Freezing Orders (“AFrOs”) and Account Forfeiture Orders (“AFOs”) on our Anticorruption Blog.  He reports on the recent decision for the FCA to secure its first … Continue Reading

Use it or lose it: FCA accelerates crack down on unused regulatory permissions

By Chris Webber and Mariyam Harunah on Posted in Regulation
The Financial Conduct Authority’s new powers to more swiftly cancel or change firms’ regulatory permissions have now come into effect. These powers are particularly aimed at firms that have permissions they are not using. Firms can be required to prove they are carrying out the regulated activities they have permissions for, or risk losing their … Continue Reading

Cryptoasset firms and sanctions

By Chris Webber and Michael Davar on Posted in Crypto-Assets
The FCA has stressed recently that it expects the cryptoasset sector to play its part in ensuring that Russian sanctions are complied with, and highlighted that the financial sanctions regulations do not differentiate between cryptoassets and other forms of assets. The use of cryptoassets to breach or circumvent economic sanctions is a criminal offence under … Continue Reading

A ‘Fundamental Shift’ in Financial Regulation – Further FCA Consultation on New Consumer Duty

By Chris Webber and Katherine Wakeham on Posted in Regulation
2022 looks set to be a busy year for regulated firms dealing with retail customers. Following its initial consultation in May 2021, on 7 December 2021 the FCA issued a further consultation (CP21/36), announcing its desire to “fundamentally shift” the mindset of regulated firms, by implementing a new consumer duty later this year.… Continue Reading

The FCA Perimeter Report 2020/21 – Key Points for Firms

By Chris Webber and Michael Davar on Posted in Regulation
The scope of the FCA’s powers and remit is not a simple matter, as the FCA readily acknowledges. The FCA’s regulatory “perimeter” derives primarily from from FSMA and the universe of secondary legislation surrounding it, particularly the Regulated Activities Order (“RAO”). However it also derives powers and responsibilities from various UK and on-shored EU-legislation in … Continue Reading

PRA increases pressure on firms to improve regulatory reporting processes

By Chris Webber on Posted in Banking, Regulation
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) recently a Dear CEO letter titled “Thematic Findings on the reliability of the regulatory reporting“, outlining the current inadequacy of finance firms’ regulatory reporting procedures and the importance of comprehensive processes. The letter summarizes the PRA’s findings following its investigations carried out since October 2019, and a number of s.166 … Continue Reading

LCF mini-bond holders withdraw appeal against FSCS

By Chris Webber and Maria Shorter on Posted in Investment Management, Regulation
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) confirmed on 23 August that London Capital and Finance (LCF) mini-bond holders have withdrawn their appeal against an important March 2021 High Court decision dismissing their judicial review claim.  FSCS confirmed that the litigation had been concluded without any change to any of its earlier decisions on LCF claims.… Continue Reading

FCA Business Plan 2021/22 – transformation, accountability, and regulatory priorities for the coming year

By Chris Webber and Jack Wood on Posted in Regulation
The FCA’s annual business plan is a closely watched indicator of what we can expect from the regulator in the coming year. The recently published Business Plan for 2021/22 indicates the FCA’s focus on continued transformation and greater accountability as a regulator. It also sets out key priorities for the FCA for  the coming years … Continue Reading

Bank did not breach duties in loan renegotiation

By Chris Webber and Daniel Ajuh on Posted in Banking
In December 2006, Mr Morley, a commercial property developer, entered into a £75m, three-year loan with Royal Bank of Scotland plc to refinance his property portfolio, add new properties to it and provide him with a “bonus payment” for his personal use. The bank secured the loan over his portfolio of 21 commercial properties in … Continue Reading
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