LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
Growing scrutiny of regulatory oversight has reignited claims that small businesses were exposed to hidden liabilities through complex lending structures, raising significant legal questions around misrepresentation, regulatory accountability, and SME redress.
Thousands of UK businesses were mis-sold complex interest rate hedging products (IRHPs) by major banks between 2001 and 2012. While the FCA’s formal review scheme has closed, significant routes to redress remain open in 2026, particularly for victims of hidden swaps, LIBOR manipulation, and professional negligence. This article explains who can still claim, why time is critical, and what a specialist solicitor can recover for you.
The door has been opened by the Court of Appeal in PAG v RBS [2018] for misrepresentation claims to be brought by a counter-party to a derivative which…
The FCA Swaps Review has faced significant delays since beginning in April 2013, frustrating many affected businesses. Latest FCA data reveals that only 50% of sophistication assessments are complete, 3.9% of cases have reached interviews, and 2.6% have had payments suspended. Delays risk customers losing legal rights due to the six-year limitation period. Concerns exist over banks bypassing the sophistication stage while fairness issues arise over banks self-assessing their mis-selling.
The Times Newspaper reports that banks are secretly settling swaps mis-selling cases with small businesses, often on the eve of court proceedings. These settlements are kept confidential, and the banks often make public statements denying wrongdoing. The number of claims is increasing as businesses become aware of the issue. Businesses argue that the swaps were too complex and that banks failed to explain the risks involved.