LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
We have today submitted evidence on the ineffectiveness of existing arrangements for dispute arbitration and settlement between SMEs and banks to the Treasury Committee‘s SME Finance Inquiry. Re:…
RBS says it will expand its redress scheme to include appeals with independent third- party oversight for consequential losses suffered due to misconduct by its Global Restructuring Group (GRG).
The Court of Appeal (Sir Terence Etherton MR, Longmore LJ and Newey LJ) handed down judgment in the highly anticipated appeal from Asplin J’s decision in Property Alliance…
The Property Alliance Group (PAG) appeal against RBS concerning interest rate swaps mis-selling, LIBOR manipulation, and GRG treatment was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in 2018. While PAG lost on the facts, the Court clarified key legal points: banks must exercise valuation rights for legitimate commercial purposes, not maliciously, and duties owed vary by case context. The judgment impacts many pending mis-selling claims, offering guidance on banks’ responsibilities and contractual rights. PAG’s LIBOR manipulation claim failed due to lack of evidence on sterling LIBOR but remains significant for other currencies.
UK Parliament unanimously condemned RBS’s Global Restructuring Group (GRG) for its systemic mistreatment of SMEs, describing it as a parasitic unit engaged in asset stripping and aggressive litigation tactics. MPs highlighted GRG’s role in artificially distressing viable businesses, undervaluing assets, and employing harsh recovery strategies during 2008-2013, leading to widespread financial harm. The FCA’s delayed and redacted report faced heavy criticism, with calls for transparent accountability, a Financial Services Tribunal, whistleblower protections, and full release of investigations.
The Home Affairs Committee reported a UK Border Agency backlog of over 432,000 immigration cases, with only a small reduction after years of delays. The UKBA has been replaced by two new bodies aimed at improving decision quality and enforcement. The backlog severely affects visa applicants’ ability to work, study, or access services while awaiting decisions. Clearing this backlog remains a critical priority for the Home Office.
BBC Panorama featured LEXLAW as we helped expose a major bank swap scandal, with widespread mis-selling of complex derivatives to SMEs. Despite a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) redress scheme reviewing nearly 30,000 cases, only 32 businesses had received payouts at the time of the report.
Our client was awarded about £1 million in a swaps mis-selling settlement with Lloyds after being sold a complex multi-cancellable swap they did not understand. The product allowed Lloyds to cancel the contract if interest rates rose, removing the protection at critical times. The case highlights how banks have been settling many swaps claims discreetly.
LEXLAW’s M Ali Akram was featured on Sky News discussing the Comet Group Limited administration. He highlighted concerns over potential unfair outcomes in the liquidation process. As experts in insolvency law, Lexlaw offers professional guidance and representation for businesses and individuals affected by company administrations and liquidations. Contact Lexlaw for specialist insolvency advice.
Sky News interviewed our Insolvency Team’s senior partner on the Comet Group collapse into administration. The administrators’ proposals revealed that while secured creditors were set to recover only about a third of their debts, unsecured creditors—including HMRC, employees, and customers—would receive less than 1p in the pound.