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Friday, 14 August 2026

Compiled with AI from public news sources. Folio is editorial commentary for commercial-awareness practice, not legal advice. Verify any detail against the linked sources before relying on it professionally.

All Capital Markets Banking & Finance Energy & Tech Regulation International AI & Law

Top Story/Energy & Tech

EU Funding Ban on Chinese Solar Inverters Covers at Least 14 GW of New Capacity, Boosting European Suppliers

The EU imposed a ban on EU funding for projects using Chinese-made solar inverters in May 2026, citing fears that internet-connected inverters supplied by "high-risk" countries could be used to disrupt Europe's power grid. Based on current deployment levels, the ban would affect at least 14 gigawatts of new solar capacity, according to Reuters calculations. SMA Solar has said the curbs will shift procurement from Chinese players toward European suppliers, though that transition will take time, with the market expected to become clearer by the start of 2027.

The Daily Briefing

Daily commercial law briefings for future City trainees — curated stories, talking points, and firm intelligence, every morning.

Also Today

EU e-Evidence Regime Goes Live 18 August 2026, Giving Authorities Cross-Border Access to Electronic Data in Criminal Proceedings

EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation Applies from 12 August 2026, Forcing UK Exporters to Overhaul Pallet and Container Practices

Steve Eisman warns AI boom faces structural Achilles heel as OpenAI and Anthropic concentration risk threatens hyperscaler cloud revenues

IFLR Middle East Awards 2026 Shortlist Names A&O Shearman, White & Case and Linklaters Across Regional Debt Capital Markets

Dymon Asia Expands London Presence with Stuart Wilson COO Hire from Eisler as Banking Jobs Shift to UK Regions

Dymon Asia is hiring in London and has appointed Stuart Wilson from Eisler Capital as its chief operating officer, signalling continued expansion of the Singapore-headquartered…

“London remains a magnet for Asian hedge funds even as banking jobs disperse regionally.”

Bigger Picture

Sector Watch

EU Regulatory Convergence Pressure on UK Trade

Three stories this week converge on a single structural theme: the EU is building a regulatory environment that UK businesses must comply with as a condition of market access, without having any voice in how those rules are designed. The PPWR's application from 12 August forces UK exporters to retool packaging supply chains. The e-evidence regime going live on 18 August gives EU law enforcement direct reach into UK-parented companies' EU subsidiaries. And the EU's ban on funding for projects that use Chinese solar inverters is reshaping the project finance documents of every European solar developer, including those funded through London. For City firms, this creates a recurring dual-compliance advisory mandate: clients need both UK regulatory counsel and EU-law-capable advice, a demand that continues to drive the cross-border expansion strategies of Magic Circle and Silver Circle firms with Brussels, Paris, and Frankfurt offices.

One to Follow

The UK's parliamentary debate on regulating third-party litigation funding, against the backdrop of the Mastercard collective action's disclosed £41 million fee bill on a £200 million settlement

Ministers and the Civil Justice Council have both signalled that statutory oversight of litigation funders is moving up the legislative agenda, and the Mastercard cost data gives reformers a concrete and striking case study to cite. Disputes, regulatory, and access-to-justice practices at major firms will be closely tracking any government consultation or draft legislation, which would reshape the economics of funded class actions in the UK and affect the Competition Appeal Tribunal's collective proceedings docket.

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