All articles by Ruth Prickett
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ArticleFrench investigators target anticompetitive practices in largest accounting firms
Major accountancy firms in France are under investigation for anti-competitive practices. The French competition watchdog embarked on a series of “unannounced inspections” and removed documents relating to audit and reporting on Jan. 13.
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ArticleExperts warn of increased global AML risks as criminals seek to launder Venezuelan money
The U.S. action to remove President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and reopen access to the country’s oil reserves will have a significant impact on geopolitics and organized crime activities – creating new challenges for global compliance teams.
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ArticleU.K. Employment Rights Act will lead to rise in tribunal claims
The number of U.K. employment tribunal cases could rise following reforms in the Employment Rights Act 2025. Several changes take effect this year, including shorter unfair dismissal qualifying periods, day-one worker rights, stronger protections for pregnant women, and an end to exploitative contracts.
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ArticleU.K. government scraps long-awaited audit reforms to prioritize growth
Long-awaited reforms to the U.K. audit regime have been “scrapped” from the government’s legislative plans. The decision has led to an outburst of disappointment and frustration from audit bodies and pension funds that argued the reforms would increase trust in companies and support growth.
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ArticleVenezuela military intervention highlights critical resources as a new compliance hotspot
President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela has sent a message across the world that he regards resources as critical to U.S. national security and will act to secure them. In Venezuela, this primarily means crude oil reserves. However, oil is not the only valuable resource in the U.S. sights.
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ArticleEU extends carbon border tax to 180 downstream products and targets ‘loopholes’
The EU is extending its ground-breaking carbon border adjustment mechanism, which imposes carbon pricing on raw materials imported from outside the EU, to 180 downstream products made from those materials.
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ArticleEU vows to reform financial single market rules to unlock growth and boost investment
Financial markets thrive on consistent rules across the widest markets. This is the thinking behind the European Commission’s package of measures intended to simplify and streamline the zone’s single market for financial services.
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ArticleFrom NATO to nature crime. A practitioner’s perspective on greenwashing
From NATO and the UN to wildlife crime and finance, Chris Jagger explains why banks need smarter, more agile compliance to stay ahead of criminals.
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ArticleCompliance must prepare for post-quantum cryptography requirements in contracts
While companies focus on the risks, opportunities, and regulations emerging around AI, the next tech challenge is already on the horizon. Quantum computers are here – and so are the associated crime risks, plus some encryption protections.
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ArticleTech and compliance 2026: What to watch for in AI, cybersecurity and quantum computing
What will be the critical tech issues for compliance in 2026? We asked experts what tech, digital, and cyber issues they believe compliance teams should be focusing on in the year ahead.
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ArticleTips for making AI tools more compliant in 2026
AI mistakes can lead to viral news stories and, sometimes, big legal bills. How can compliance managers learn from past mishaps and protect their organizations as AI becomes increasingly integrated into every part of our working lives? We asked experts what compliance should do to make sure AI toes the ...
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ArticleEU agrees rules to make payment providers and online platforms liable for customer fraud losses
Payment service providers operating in the EU will have to cover customers’ losses from fraud if their fraud protection regimes are inadequate or poorly implemented under new EU rules.
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ArticleFirst standard for EU AI Act targets quality management regime
The first EU standard to drive conformity and facilitate enforcement of the EU AI Act has been published in draft and circulated for feedback among the countries involved, and compliance managers should prepare for it to be finalized and published by the end of 2026.
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ArticleTop of mind compliance topics in 2026: Finance, immigration, supply chains and sustainability
What will you be doing in the coming year? We asked experts in a range of sectors to gaze into their crystal balls and highlight one legal development or compliance topic that will be critical for compliance teams in 2026. This is an edited version of what they told us.
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ArticleCompliance told to focus on reality as Euro courts brace for slew of greenwashing cases
In 2025, the regulatory focus on greenwashing intensified globally. This trend is set to accelerate in 2026, and compliance has a key part to play in ensuring corporate statements are honest.
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ArticleWhat 2025’s AI mishaps should teach compliance in 2026
If 2025 was the year generative AI took off in organizations in every sector, it was also the year we saw increasing examples of the risks of AI mishaps.
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ArticleRetail energy compliance must focus on resilience and reporting
Cybercrime and national critical infrastructure responsibilities are key concerns for retail energy sector compliance. Resilience is vital for companies that keep the lights on and power financial institutions and hospitals.
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PremiumEU financial firms must prepare now for new rules on critical third-party arrangements
European banks and financial institutions must prepare now for stringent new rules on third-party suppliers.
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ArticleFATF focus on criminal asset recovery points to a more investigatory role for compliance
Global organised crime is booming, and only 1 to 2 percent of the $4 trillion black economy is intercepted, according to figures from the Financial Action Task Force. Its new guidance suggests that countries should focus on rapid investigations, collaborative intelligence gathering, and confiscating the proceeds of criminal activity.
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ArticleFormer Credit Suisse compliance officer charged with money laundering
A compliance officer is facing charges for laundering $7 million in a complex legal case in Switzerland. Swiss prosecutors have charged Credit Suisse, and one of its former employees, with failing to maintain adequate controls.