Daily Briefing Podcast

Disputes

SFO and Dechert settle long-running ENRC civil claim on confidential terms after court found SFO breached its duties

A confidential settlement means the SFO avoids a public damages figure, limiting accountability for conduct a court already found unlawful.

M&A

CMA Opens Dual Merger Inquiries into Co-op Group/Southern Co-op and E.ON/OVO Deals

Two big consumer mergers under the CMA microscope at once, retail and energy.

International

Venezuelan Oil Baron Betancourt Placed at Centre of Trump's 65-Billion-Barrel US-Venezuela Oil Deal Despite Five-Country Investigation History

A deal this size demands contract transparency before compliance risk can be assessed.

Capital Markets

FTSE 250-listed Hilton Foods raises profit forecast to between £66m and £71m after selling its loss-making Dutch vegan business Dalco for £5.4m

Listed food companies are now paying a valuation discount to exit plant-based assets that were written down before they could be sold.

Capital Markets

M&G swings to a £165m loss for the first half of 2026 driven by a £325m write-down linked to the Labour government's cap on existing ground rents

A £325m write-down at M&G shows that leasehold reform is not just a consumer story, it is a balance sheet event for institutional investors.

Banking & Finance

Dutch Central Bank Moves 86 Tonnes of Gold Reserves from US and Canada to London, Citing Geopolitical Unrest

Sovereign gold flows to London signal active geopolitical risk management by central banks.

AI & Law

Sidley Adds Dedicated AI Seat as Training Contract Rotations Rise from Four to Six

Sidley's AI seat turns a buzzword into a billable competency.