Registration requirements meaning

This checklist outlines matters a potential buyer (and its advisers) ought to weigh up when acquiring the share capital or business assets of a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000), or authorised or registered by the FCA under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, SI 2017/752 (PSRs 2017). It is designed to help purchasers compile a due diligence questionnaire and to flag other central elements of the transaction. It is not exhaustive and additional considerations may arise. Due diligence Authorisations and licences Review the Financial Services Register for the target’s FCA or PRA authorisation under FSMA 2000 and the scope of permissions attached to that authorisation, or for FCA authorisation or registration under the PSRs 2017; also confirm the authorisations and permissions of any group entities. Verify that activities undertaken by the target (and any group members) align with the permissions recorded on the Financial Services Register... ...

What is form MR01 (Particulars of a charge) and when do you use one? A charge granted by a company registered in the UK must be filed at Companies House unless an exception in section 859A(6) of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) applies (see: Which company charges are registrable at Companies House?). Missing the filing window can have serious consequences, so it is essential to complete registration within the required period. Form MR01 (Particulars of a charge) is the Companies House document used to record a company charge where the charge is: created, or evidenced, by an instrument dated on or after 6 April 2013 made by a UK-registered company If a company charge is not created or evidenced by an instrument, you should instead use form MR08 (Particulars of a charge where there is no instrument) to register it at Companies House. For details of other Companies House forms for registering company charges, see: ...

Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) is the worldwide benchmark for routinely transmitting taxpayers’ financial details between jurisdictions to deter tax evasion. A trust resident in the UK is generally brought within the UK AEOI framework through the International Tax Compliance Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/878), as amended (the ‘ITC Regulations’). The ITC Regulations give domestic effect to the UK’s AEOI commitments under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the UK‑US FATCA Agreement (FATCA). Refer to Practice Notes: Automatic exchange of information-outline; Automatic exchange of information for UK trustees-key obligations; and FATCA and UK Trusts. HMRC’s guidance appears in the International Exchange of Information Manual (IEIM400000). This Checklist summarises the principal matters trustees must consider under the UK AEOI regime. Scope and Threshold Question: Does AEOI Apply? Has the trust’s UK tax residence position been determined for AEOI purposes? Has it been verified whether the ITC Regulations 2015 apply to the trust (CRS and/or FATCA)? Is the trust in scope of AEOI as a possible Financial...

Purpose of the CBTL flowchart The aim of this flowchart is to support firms in deciding whether they are required to register to carry on regulated activities in connection with consumer buy-to-let (CBTL) mortgages under the Mortgage Credit Directive Order 2015, SI 2015/910 (MCD Order 2015). That Order transposed the EU Mortgage Credit Directive (Directive 2014/17/EU) (the EU MCD) into the UK regulatory framework ahead of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. It should also be read alongside Practice Note: Regulation of consumer buy-to-let lending in the UK. The CBTL flowchart...

In this issue: Air emissions and climate change Energy efficiency of products Energy for environmental lawyers ESG and sustainability Hazardous substances and chemicals Marine Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Air emissions and climate change Defra opens consultation on industrial emissions permitting reforms The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has begun consulting on plans to modernise England’s environmental permitting regime for industrial emissions. The package aims to foster innovation, adopt agile standards, secure proportionate and coherent regulation, boost regulator effectiveness and efficiency, and deliver a transparent system. Suggested measures include a new registration route for low-risk installations, flexible site permits setting overall emissions caps, and faster approvals for time‑limited technology trials. The proposals reflect the Corry Review’s critique of regulatory inefficiency. The Environment Agency intends to roll out changes that could cut permit queues from months to days and lower...

In this issue: Company, disclosures, records and registers Takeovers of public companies Equity capital market updates News alerts: daily and weekly Key dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Company, disclosures, records and registers Companies House outlines new registration requirements for ACSPs Companies House has issued a blog post that sets out the new registration requirements for authorised corporate service providers (ACSPs). Established by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, ACSPs form part of a more robust framework designed to verify the identity of those submitting filings to Companies House on a company's behalf. The category will span third-party agents, such as solicitors' practices and company formation agents, and they will need to be registered with Companies House before making any submissions. The underlying purpose of mandating registration is to ensure Companies House can clearly and confidently identify who is acting for companies...

In this issue: Medical devices Data protection and life sciences Pharmaceuticals—regulatory framework Research and development Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Useful information UK medical devices regulation—where are we now? Life Sciences analysis: As expected, 2025 has become a pivotal year in the UK’s shift towards a new post‑Brexit medical devices regime (see our earlier updates here and here). The Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 (MMDA 2021) grants broad powers to the Secretary of State to set provisions that amend or supplement existing requirements. Although we are still awaiting the draft core regulations, some reforms are already in force. Freshfields’ Life Sciences team sets out recent highlights stemming from a series of consultations by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), indicating the direction of travel. See News Analysis: UK medical devices regulation—where are we now? MedTech Europe responds to European Commission call for evidence on Innovation Act...

Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and Money Laundering Regulations 2020 The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017), SI 2017/692, sit within the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework. They took effect on 26 June 2017 to implement the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, Directive (EU) 2015/849 (4MLD), and have subsequently been broadened significantly by the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (MLR 2020), SI 2020/991. Those 2020 amendments give effect to aspects of the EU’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, Directive (EU) 2018/843 (5MLD), concerning the registration of trusts. The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/1511, also transposed elements of 5MLD into UK law; however, they addressed areas other than trust registration and therefore fall outside the ambit of this Practice Note. Unless indicated otherwise, references in this Practice Note to MLR 2017, SI 2017/692, should be read as including the changes introduced by MLR 2020, SI 2020/991. The chief focus of...

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and no longer maintained. STOP PRESS: The UK’s prospectus regime, previously derived from the EU Prospectus Regulation, has been superseded by the Public Offers and Admission to Trading Regulations 2024 (POATRs), with all detailed admission to trading requirements now contained in the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) admission rules. The FCA published its final rules on 15 July 2025, which took effect on 19 January 2026. In October 2025, the FCA issued Primary Market Bulletin 58 which, among other matters, offered guidance on the timetable and approval of prospectuses (and supplementary prospectuses) and confirmed the removal of Listing Particulars as an admission document under the new framework. For more on the key aspects of the POATRs relevant to debt capital markets, see Practice Note: The UK Prospectus Regulation—essentials [Archived]—Reform of the UK prospectus regime. This Practice Note focuses on debt capital markets and summarises the required structure and contents of a prospectus prepared under the current UK prospectus regime. It covers:...

What design protection is available in the UK? Design rights safeguard the shape, configuration or appearance of the whole or any part of a product or article, rather than its functional features. The purpose of design law is to specifically deter others from making products that closely follow the design or otherwise produce the very same overall impression as the original design. The design rights currently available in the UK are as follows: namely UK registered designs (including re-registered designs and re-registered international designs) UK unregistered design right (also known as design right) Supplementary unregistered design right (SUD) Each of these rights differs in qualifying criteria, scope and the duration of protection. For more information, see Practice Note: Comparison tables for design protection available in the UK. Before Brexit, the UK designs regime was substantially harmonised with the EU regime then. The Designs Directive (Directive 98/71/EC) harmonised the requirements for national registered design protection across the EU. It was...

LR1. Date of the lease [ enter the date in full format DD-Month-Year ] LR2. Title Number[s] LR2.1 Landlord's title number [ s ] [ the title numbers from which this lease is granted. Leave blank if unregistered ] LR2.2 Other title numbers [ existing title number [ s ] against which entries relating to LR9, LR10, LR11 and LR13 are to be made ] LR3. Parties to this lease Landlord [ enter landlord's name and address ] Tenant [ enter tenant's name and address ] Other parties LR4. Property Where this clause conflicts with any other part of the lease, then, for registration purposes, this clause shall take precedence. [ enter details of the Property ] LR5. Prescribed statements etc LR5.1 Statements prescribed under rules 179 (dispositions in favour of a charity), 180 (dispositions by a charity) or 196 (leases under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban...

Precedent transfer A flexible Word edition of the TR1 precedent can be obtained via this link to download, save or print: Drafting notes to precedent transfer Panel 1—Title numbers If several properties are included, list each title number in alphanumeric sequence and, if desired, number them from one; then list the properties in the identical sequence with matching numbers. Use form TR5 if there is a large volume of registered titles. Panel 2—Property description The optional wording is intended for use where the Property is unregistered. For a transfer of the whole of unregistered land, a plan is normally unnecessary. It will usually be enough to cite the conveyance or instrument that contains the property description. A plan need only be added where the root conveyance or instrument does not allow the land to be identified fully or with certainty (for example, by containing a plan, by referring to a plan in an earlier deed, or by including or referring to a sufficiently clear...

Contents This Agreement is dated [ date ] Parties [ Insert name of Employer ] (Company Registration No. [ insert number ]), whose registered office is at [ insert address of Employer ] (the ‘Employer’, which term shall encompass all permitted assignees or other transferees under this Agreement); [ Insert name of Consultant ] (Company Registration No. [ insert number ]), whose registered office is at [ insert address of Consultant ] (the ‘Consultant’). background WHEREAS The Employer has entered into, or proposes to enter into, a contract with [ insert name of Contractor ] of [ insert address of Contractor ] (the ‘Contractor’) for the design and construction of [ insert brief description of the project ] at [ insert location of site ] (the ‘Building Contract’). The Employer seeks to appoint the Consultant to carry out, for the Employer, the services set out in Schedule 2 to this Agreement (the ‘Services’) on the terms...

Where a long residential lease is extended under section 56 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (LRHUDA 1993) and the freehold is subject to a Form N restriction in respect of a charge to the freeholder’s lenders, will the HM Land Registry require lender consent to be submitted in order for the lease extension to be registered notwithstanding that the lease extension is pursuant to statute? A restriction entered on the register indicates that the proprietor’s power to deal with the land is constrained in some manner. Its practical effect is either to bar registration of a disposition, or to oblige the applicant to satisfy specified requirements before registration can proceed, for example by producing evidence of consent from the person entitled to the benefit of the restriction. A restriction may apply to every disposition, or be confined to a defined class of disposition. It can prevent any entry from being made permanently, for a stated period, or until a stated...

What are the formality requirements for assigning a commercial lease? There are three principal formalities for assigning a lease. First, the agreement to assign must be in writing and signed, and it must contain all terms expressly agreed by the parties in a single document or, if contracts are exchanged, in each counterpart (section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 (LP(MP)A 1989)). Second, the assignment must be carried out by deed, even where the lease itself was originally granted orally (section 53 of the Law of Property Act 1925; Crago v Julian). Third, if the lease being transferred is a registered lease, the assignment only completes once it has been registered at HM Land Registry (section 27(1)(a) of the Land Registration Act 2002 (LRA 2002))...