Undertaking meaning

Introduction to freezing injunctions and scope of this checklist A freezing injunction (also known as a freezing order) is a temporary court order that prevents a respondent from disposing of or transferring its assets out of the relevant jurisdiction—namely England and Wales—or, in the case of a worldwide freezing order (WFO), from moving them anywhere in the world. The court’s principal aim in granting such relief is to preserve the respondent’s assets so that, if the applicant later obtains judgment against the respondent, there will be assets available for recovery by the applicant and, if necessary, enforcement action. This Checklist explains how to make an application for a freezing injunction where claims are contemplated or already underway in a corporate or personal insolvency context. As the precise circumstances of each matter must be assessed, this Checklist does not claim to be exhaustive; rather, it provides an overview of the key considerations at each stage when seeking an order of this kind. The focus throughout is asset preservation pending determination...

Regulated activities and exclusions Section 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) bars any individual or entity from undertaking, or holding themselves out as undertaking, a regulated activity in the UK unless they are authorised or exempt under FSMA 2000 (the General Prohibition). Usefully, most activities specified in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, SI 2001/544 (RAO) are carved out by exclusions. Where you conduct a given activity in a manner that fits an exclusion, you will not contravene the General Prohibition. For additional detail on the General Prohibition, see Practice Notes The general prohibition and implications of its breach and Carrying on unauthorised business and breaching the general prohibition. Most RAO regulated activities are subject to exclusions that can be used where applicable. Exclusions fall into two groupings: exclusions tailored to a specific regulated activity; and exclusions that, in defined situations, span several regulated activities...

Checklist This Checklist outlines essential compliance steps for law firms undertaking outsourcing, beginning when your firm initially contemplates entering an outsourcing agreement and continuing through to, and encompassing, all the post-agreement audit activities...

Aim of this flowchart Under section 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, anyone who carries on a regulated activity in the UK in the course of business, without an applicable exclusion or exemption, must hold authorisation from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and/or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This requirement is referred to as the general prohibition. For further detail on the general prohibition and the scope of regulated activities, consult the Practice Notes: The general prohibition and implications of its breach, and What are regulated activities? This flowchart is intended to assist in deciding whether a person is undertaking the regulated activities of effecting and carrying out contracts of insurance as principal, pursuant to article 10(1) and (2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (SI 2001/544) (RAO). Any references here to PERG are to the FCA’s Perimeter Guidance Manual, which provides regulatory guidance within the FCA Handbook. It serves as a guide to the FCA Handbook...

Background to and scope of this flowchart On 31 October 2004—often called ‘M Day’—providers and brokers involved in regulated mortgage contracts (RMCs) came within the regulatory perimeter. Any individual or firm undertaking a regulated activity in the UK in the course of business, where no relevant exclusion or exemption applies, is required to hold authorisation under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000)...

This Flowchart sets out the National Crime Agency (NCA) glossary codes most frequently used when completing a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) via the SAR Portal, together with the additional reporting avenues you ought to consider and assess. The complete list of SAR Glossary Codes appears in SAR Glossary Codes and Reporting Routes for reference. Note 1 SARs regime The SARs regime is not a vehicle for reporting crimes or issues involving immediate danger to others. It exists to enable disclosures of knowledge or suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing strictly under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA 2002) and the Terrorism Act 2000 (TA 2000). Alongside sending a SAR to the NCA, you may therefore need to notify the matter by alternative routes, eg if an offence is underway or there is an immediate risk to a person. We have indicated where this could be appropriate and relevant. Where feasible, make these additional notifications first, so any urgent concerns can be handled swiftly by the relevant...

Afshar and others v Addison Lee case numbers 3306435/2020, 2207566/2021, and 2203454/2021 to 2203455/2021. Approximately 700 drivers represented by Leigh Day are now able to seek compensation for backdated holiday pay and minimum wage payments. The sums will vary by each driver’s length of service, yet Leigh Day has projected that awards could surpass £20,000 per driver, reaching up to £14m overall. Judge Oliver Hyams, in a tribunal decision on 7 January 2025, also determined that drivers who own their cars qualify as workers, but they are working for Addison Lee only when undertaking a specific driving assignment. Addison Lee removed financial penalties for rejecting jobs in 2021; however, Judge Hyams found this ‘added nothing material’, since drivers had always been free to reject a job...

Putney Power Ltd and another v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2026] UKUT 105 (TCC) What are the practical implications of the case? This ruling confirms there is no definitive legal ‘test’ for pinpointing when a trade starts for EIS relief. The question set by statute is when a given taxpayer began carrying on its own trade, answered through a multi-factorial enquiry into the particular facts before the court, applying the legislation’s ordinary language. The judgment clarifies the proper approach whenever a statute calls for a multi-factorial assessment, with ramifications that extend far beyond the EIS sphere. It underscores that the enquiry is fact-sensitive, turns on the totality of the circumstances, and is steered by the legislation’s words, not any rigid checklist or bright-line rule. In undertaking such an exercise, the FTT may take account of relevant factors noted in earlier cases, but those points must not be treated as glosses on the statutory wording in issue. Further, when weighing the facts, the FTT should distinguish between decisions of...

The Net-Zero Insurance Alliance According to the United Nations group, the Net‑Zero Insurance Alliance, launched in 2021 under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is being wound up and superseded by the Forum for Insurance Transition to Net Zero (FIT), the UN said. UNEP will preside over the new body and says the forum will accelerate voluntary climate efforts across the insurance industry. Its agenda includes proposing optional net‑zero insurance indicators and goals, alongside developing transition plan frameworks to support net‑zero for organisations in the sector, among other priorities. Butch Bacani, who leads insurance at UNEP, described the forum as ‘an entirely new’ set‑up and undertaking too...

Governing legislation The process of transferring undertakings is regulated by SI No 131/2003 European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (Ireland) (SI No 131/2003 (IRL)), commonly known as the TUPE Regulations 2003 (IRL). These 2003 Regulations superseded SI No 306/1980 European Communities (Safeguarding of Employees’ Rights on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 1980 (Ireland), as later amended by SI No 487/2000 European Communities (Safeguarding of Employees’ Rights on Transfer of Undertakings) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (Ireland). The earlier regime gave effect to the EU Acquired Rights Directive 77/187/EEC in Ireland. Relevant transfers Numerous European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings have clarified what amounts to a transfer for the purposes of Directive 77/187/EEC and, in turn, the TUPE Regulations 2003 (IRL). A detailed review of that body of caselaw lies outside this Practice Note and is not attempted here. In essence, a transfer arises where the undertaking keeps its identity after the handover; in other words, where the undertaking is passed on as a going concern,...

Introduction to Musharaka—a profit and loss sharing instrument of Islamic finance At the heart of Islamic finance lies the maxim ‘no profit without risk’, ie no person should realise a gain unless they bear some degree of risk. This concept is most clearly shown through the application of profit and loss sharing instruments. For further detail on this principle, see Practice Note: Key principles of Islamic finance. This Practice Note examines Musharaka, an Islamic finance technique originally founded on profit and loss sharing and broadly analogous to a conventional partnership arrangement. In straightforward terms, a Musharaka is a partnership customarily entered into by two or more parties, not necessarily for a fixed term, and most commonly for the purpose of undertaking a business venture. In a typical Musharaka, each participant makes a capital contribution to the venture and profits and losses are shared between them. A comparable Islamic finance arrangement premised on the same profit and loss sharing rule is Mudaraba, a special form of partnership in which only...

Consumer protection legislation applies to businesses generally and to the regulated financial services sector This Practice Note explores the obligations on firms authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) (herein referred to as ‘firms’) to comply with a central element of consumer protection law, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA 2015), together with its predecessor, the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, SI 1999/2083 (UTCCRs). In addition to these statutory duties, firms must follow the FCA’s regulatory rules and take account of guidance relevant to unfair contract terms. Under the CRA 2015, the FCA may challenge firms regarding the fairness and/or transparency of contractual terms and notices in financial services consumer contracts (whether in standard form or individually negotiated) entered into from 1 October 2015. Under the UTCCRs, the FCA may challenge firms regarding the fairness or transparency of contractual terms in standard form financial services contracts entered into before 1 October 2015. ...

TO BE PRINTED ON THE BORROWER’S SOLICITORS’ HEADED PAPER To: [ insert details of the lender’s solicitors ] (the Lender’s Solicitors) and [ insert details of the lender ] (the Lender) Dear [ insert organisation name ] Completion undertaking This undertaking concerns the acquisition of [ insert property description ] (the Property) by [ insert borrower’s name ] (the Borrower) under a sale contract dated [ insert date ] between [ insert seller’s name ] (the Seller) and the Borrower (the Sale Contract), together with the grant of a first legal charge over the Property in favour of the Lender pursuant to a facility agreement dated [ insert date ] between [ insert details ] (the Facility Agreement). For the purposes of this letter, ‘completion’ means completion of the Transfer of the Property to the Borrower (the Transfer), and does not include registration of the Transfer at HM Land Registry. We are instructed by the Borrower. We enclose: ...

1 General information Person(s) carrying out the audit: [ Provide name(s) of the individual(s) undertaking the audit ] Auditor classification: ☐ Internal ☐ External Audit dates: From [ enter date ] to [ enter date ] Audit type: ☐ Organisation-wide ☐ Targeted—[ Specify exactly what was targeted, e.g. property transactions funded by cryptoassets ] Office(s) in scope: [ Provide details of the offices included in this audit ] 2 Executive summary [ Provide a concise overview of the report findings ] [ Summary of recommendations: ] Importance — Number of recommendations Critical: [ Insert number of recommendations classified as critical ] Important: [ Insert number of recommendations classified as important ] 'Housekeeping': [ Insert number of recommendations classified as ‘Housekeeping’ ] 3 Scope of audit 3.1 This audit has been undertaken to: 3.1.1 review and assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the organisation’s policies, controls...

The Directors [ insert offeror's name ] ([ Offeror ]) [ insert address ] [ and ] [ The Directors ] [ [ insert name of financial adviser ] (the Adviser ) [ insert address ] ] [ insert date ] Dear Directors Proposed acquisition of [ name of offeree ] ([ Offeree ]) It is our understanding that [ Offeror ] intends to acquire (the Acquisition ) [ all ] the issued [ and to be issued ] [ ordinary ] shares of [ insert nominal value ] each in [ Offeree ] (the Shares ) for the consideration, and otherwise substantially on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the draft press announcement enclosed with this letter (the Announcement ), subject to such modifications or additions to such terms and conditions as may be required by the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the Code ), the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the Panel ), the High Court of Justice in England and...

BREXIT At 11pm (GMT) on 31 December 2020—known as ‘IP completion day’—the transition/implementation period entered into following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU came to a close. From that point onwards, key transitional arrangements came to an end and wide‑ranging changes started to take effect across the UK’s legal regime. This document provides guidance on subjects affected by these changes. Before continuing your research, see: Brexit and financial services: materials on the post‑Brexit UK/EU regulatory regime [Archived]. This Q&A assesses the impact of Brexit on passporting in the insurance sector, outlines the options available to insurers to continue to access the European Economic Areas (EEA), and highlights the factors for insurers to take into account in their contingency planning. This Q&A is produced in partnership with Clare Swirski at Clifford Chance. What are the main aspects of passporting under Solvency II?...

A nil-rate band discretionary trust A nil-rate band discretionary trust is a common method for reducing inheritance tax. It typically concerns property held by two people (most often a husband and wife as co-owners). They must own the home as beneficial tenants in common, meaning that any existing beneficial joint tenancy has to be broken. Each then executes a Will so that their share of the property, up to the inheritance tax nil-rate band, is directed not to the spouse but into a discretionary trust. The usual discretionary beneficiaries are the surviving spouse and the children. Instead of the survivor taking outright the other’s share of the property (whether by survivorship where it was a beneficial joint tenancy or by a legacy), the trust retains that share and, on the death of the survivor, the portion within the trust does not fall into the estate for inheritance tax purposes...

Rule 5.1.7 of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Client Assets Sourcebook (CASS) (CASS 5.1.7) confirms that the provisions within CASS 5.1 to CASS 5.6 also give effect, as required, to article 4.4 of the (EU) Insurance Mediation Directive (Directive 2002/92/EC), requiring that all necessary measures be taken to protect clients against the inability of an insurance intermediary to transfer premiums to an insurance undertaking, or to transfer the proceeds of a claim or a premium refund to the insured...