United Kingdom: Corporate and Company Law

As we pass the half year mark for 2026, we look back at our predictions in January with one clear takeaway – at home and abroad, political uncertainty has not receded, nor even has it simply maintained its course - it has intensified.

Hot on the heels of the Connect Update published by Ofgem in June 2026 (please find a link to our article on this here), Ofgem published on 29 July 2026 a Curate Update (the Curate Update), together with draft amendments to: the Connection Use of System Code (the CUSC), the electricity distribution licence standard licence conditions and the Independent System Operator and Planner Licence (the ISOP Licence).

There are a number of recurring themes in claims against auditors: who auditors owe their duties to; the scope of those duties, how and when an auditor should resign and the causative effect of breaches are all key considerations and these issues were once again front and centre in the recent case of The Enterprise Wine Investment Scheme Ltd v Crowe UK LLP [2026] EWHC 692.

Using the Commission's attempt to judicially review decisions connected to reports laid before Parliament as a case study, Dominik argues that governance is about more than structures and compliance. It is also reflected in how organisations react to criticism, accountability and external scrutiny.

The High Court has determined that retirement letters signed by departing shareholder-directors effectively compromised a company's breach of warranty counterclaims, despite the absence of explicit waiver language. This decision raises important questions about how exit documents are interpreted and what obligations parties must expressly preserve when directors leave a company.

The High Court has allowed an application by the administrators of a company under section 234 Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) requiring a bank to deliver up funds held in the company’s bank account: Laverty v Barclays Bank plc [2026] EWHC 1222 (Ch).

From 1 October 2026, businesses that subcontract the delivery of services or operate platforms matching workers with clients may need new terms in their commercial contracts, or risk losing their defence against illegal working penalties of up to £60,000 per worker. This comes from a major overhaul of the UK's right to work regime under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, which extends liability well beyond the traditional employer-employee relationship.

Enterprise technology leaders face a widening gap as AI transforms operating and business models. While some organizations invest in wholesale transformation, others accumulate cost and complexity treating AI as discrete projects. This report examines where value is being captured, where risk is building, and what separates leaders from laggards in responding to unpredictable disruption.

On 14 July 2026, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published CP 26/27, setting out proposals to overhaul the regulatory remuneration framework for solo-regulated firms.