A £17K wake-up call: What one Northwich law firm’s AML failure teaches the rest of us
Sometimes the most telling compliance stories are not about scandal but about silence. That was the case in Northwich, where a small solicitors’ firm, Chambers Fletcher, has been fined nearly £17K by the SRA. There was no client complaint, no criminal activity, no missing funds. Just ten years of doing nothing. And that’s […]
AUSTRAC releases Tranche 2 guidance
AUSTRAC has just released its long-awaited guidance on Tranche 2 of Australia’s AML/CTF reforms marking a major shift that will bring thousands of professionals into the anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing (AML/CTF) regime for the first time. The guidance explains who will be regulated, when obligations start and what businesses need to do now. March […]
Australia’s AML reckoning: What the ANZ $240m penalty signals ahead of Tranche 2
Australia’s largest-ever corporate misconduct penalty has just landed and it’s a warning shot for every organisation about what’s coming under Tranche 2 of the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime. Last week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced a record A$240 million penalty against Australia and New Zealand Banking Group […]
Europe’s sustainability playbook is changing
After months of uncertainty, late-night negotiations in Brussels have reshaped the future of Europe’s sustainability framework. The European Parliament has now reached political agreement on the Omnibus package, setting the stage for a major recalibration of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The deal, struck on […]
Varengold Bank’s AML failures: A cautionary tale for Europe’s financial sector
Germany’s financial regulator BaFin announced a €3.3 million fine and an additional €500K coercive penalty against Varengold Bank AG, sending a clear message that weaknesses in anti-money laundering (AML) controls are no longer tolerable, most especially when they stem from systemic governance failures. Varengold’s case has rapidly become one of the most consequential AML […]
PCAs in the firing line: What law firms need to know about the Treasury’s AML reforms
The UK government is once again tightening the screws on anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. In its latest draft Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations 2025, HM Treasury has zeroed in on pooled client accounts (PCAs), a cornerstone of how many law firms operate. At the Law Society’s recent economic crime conference, delegates heard stark […]
When hackers target nurseries: Why cyber security has never mattered more
Recently, one of the most disturbing cyber incidents in the UK has emerged: Hackers have stolen and leaked highly sensitive data from Kido International, a global nursery chain with 18 UK sites and dozens more across the US, India and China. The attackers, who call themselves Radiant, claim to have stolen the personal information […]
The EU Data Act is here: What does it mean for businesses beyond GDPR?
On September 12, 2025, the EU Data Act came into force, marking the most significant piece of data regulation since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But this isn’t just another layer of privacy law. It’s a fundamental shift in how organisations must manage data from connected devices, digital services and cloud platforms across Europe. […]
The £200K+ question: Why are employers still getting maternity rights wrong?
By now, you would think it’s obvious that discriminating against someone because they are pregnant is not only unlawful but incredibly short-sighted. And yet, cases continue to make headlines, proving that some employers either haven’t read the law or worse, think they can get away with ignoring it. Take the recent case of Agnes […]