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The FRC’s future work will be assessed through the lens of the UK’s economic growth and international competitiveness.

By Mark Austin, Chris Horton, James Inness, Anna Ngo, and Johannes Poon

On 7 November 2023, the FRC announced a significant and wide-ranging policy update which included a material change of direction in relation to how it will approach its work in the future and a significant recalibration of how it will take forward its consultation on proposed changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code. That consultation, which ran from 24 May 2023 to 13 September 2023, sought to implement certain proposals in the UK government’s paper, “Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance”. The vast majority of those proposals will no longer be taken forward.

Companies had raised serious concerns about the additional red tape that the proposed reporting obligations would require.

By Mark Austin, Chris Horton, James Inness, Anna Ngo, and Johannes Poon

On 16 October 2023, the UK government withdrew the draft Companies (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) (Amendment) Regulations.

The regulations, which formed part of the wider proposals to reform the UK audit and corporate governance regulatory landscape, were laid in Parliament on 19 July 2023. They…

The new rules provide issuers with flexibility to report on representation of women by reference to either gender identity or sex.

By Chris Horton, James Inness, Anna Ngo, Nicola Higgs, David Berman, Rob Moulton, and Johannes Poon

On 20 April 2022, the FCA published its final policy decision on the proposals set out in CP 21/24 “Diversity and inclusion on company boards and executive committees”.

New diversity reporting requirements

The updated Listing Rules require in-scope issuers (broadly, premium or standard listed companies, excluding OEICs and “shell companies”) to incorporate into their annual reports certain disclosures on the diversity of their boards and executive management, including:

  • A “comply or explain” statement setting out whether they have met the following diversity targets:
    • At least 40% of the board are women
    • At least one of the senior board positions is held by a woman (Chair, CEO, Senior Independent Director, or CFO)
    • At least one member of the board is from a minority ethnic background (defined by reference to categories recommended by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), excluding those the ONS lists as coming from a White ethnic background)
  • Numerical data on the sex or gender identity and ethnic diversity of their board, senior board positions, and executive management in a standardised table (with issuers able to add to the fields “men” and “women” to include “non-binary” or other gender identities)

Proposed changes to UK insolvency laws aim to support companies under pressure due to COVID-19.

By Rob Moulton and Anna Lewis-Martinez

On 28 March 2020, the UK government announced a number of reforms to UK insolvency laws:

  • The temporary suspension of existing wrongful trading rules retrospectively from 1 March 2020 for three months, so that directors can continue to trade without the threat of personal liability.
  • The implementation of plans to amend the insolvency regime and to introduce new insolvency

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Latham explores the primary legal developments for issuers and their advisers in the year ahead.

By Chris Horton, James Inness, and Connor Cahalane

The regulatory regime and disclosure requirements for listed companies in the UK will continue to evolve in 2020. Issuers and their advisers should be aware of the key legal developments that will occur during this year, including FCA consultations, ESMA guidelines and reports, and measures to increase corporate transparency.

For Latham’s timeline of regulatory regime…