Latest news with #OsborneClarke
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Alpha Partners with Fladgate LLP and Osborne Clarke LLP to Deliver a Pre-Packaged Fund Financing Solution for GP Commitments
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alpha Group International plc (LON:ALPH) today announced that it has partnered with law firms, Fladgate LLP and Osborne Clarke LLP, alongside a pool of lenders, to create an 'off-the-shelf' fund financing solution for GP commitments. Over the past 12 months, we have received a surge of requests from managers seeking GP financing, particularly from the lower and mid-markets. This has partly been driven by the slowdown in exits, leaving GPs with fewer proceeds to fund their GP commitments. The upswell in demand isn't helped by many banks' lack of interest in providing these loans. Due to their bespoke nature, GP facilities are small, complex and time-consuming to structure, meaning they are typically the preserve of the bank's favoured relationship. Having received such high demand for affordable and efficient GP financing, we have developed a solution alongside two leading law firms, Fladgate and Osborne Clarke, and a selection of fund finance lenders. Alpha's GP Financing Solution is designed to provide managers with access to these loans quickly and cost-effectively. Roisin Marsh, Partner at Osborne Clarke, said, 'We are thrilled to have collaborated closely with Alpha to conceive and launch this new initiative, addressing a clear market need. Together with Fladgate, we have developed a streamlined legal framework that empowers us to deliver fast, cost-effective transactions, all while maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance. Ed Fuller, Partner at Fladgate, said, 'Standardising the process (where possible) with a trusted mini ecosystem of lenders, means that we can provide an 'off-the-shelf' service to GPs which saves time, cost, and overcomes many of the barriers to accessing GP financing.' The Alpha GP Financing Solution Standardised process: Lender and borrower side counsel embedded with product Lenders: Pool of partners with capacity and appetite Quick and easy: Facilities in place within eight weeks. Alpha is an award-winning FTSE 250 financial services company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its Private Markets division provides a powerful alternative to traditional banking – one that is designed specifically to handle the complexity of private market companies. Today Alpha supports approx. 2,000 investment managers across the world, alongside some of the industry's most respected service providers.
Zawya
30-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UK sets out new laws to regulate crypto exchanges and dealers
LONDON - Britain plans to bring crypto exchanges and dealers under compulsory regulation for the first time under new draft laws announced by finance minister Rachel Reeves on Tuesday to regulate the crypto-asset industry. "Under the new rules, crypto exchanges, dealers and agents will be brought into the regulatory perimeter - cracking down on bad actors while supporting legitimate innovation," the finance ministry said in a statement following Reeves' announcement. "Crypto firms with UK customers will also have to meet clear standards on transparency, consumer protection, and operational resilience," it added. Around 12% of British adults own or have owned cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or ethereum, up from 4% in 2021, the government said. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has long warned of the risks to investors from bitcoin, which he does not view as a secure store of value like mainstream currencies. However, he has seen more of a case to regulate so-called stablecoins, a type of digital currency that seeks to keep a fixed value relative to U.S. dollars or other assets. The finance ministry said it aimed to finalise the new legislation for crypto assets by the end of the year. The rules build on initial proposals made in 2023. Some critics have said regulating the sector could give a false sense of security to the public about the risks posed by digital securities that can have little or no underlying value. However, Nick Price, financial services and crypto specialist at law firm Osborne Clarke, called it a "simple and straightforward piece of legislation" that would bring a great deal of certainty and stability and consumer protection. "Whether it promotes growth and competition remains to be seen," he said. "The move explicitly aligns the UK with the U.S. approach of 'crypto as securities' – and represents a divergence with the EU's more tailored approach to crypto under the MiCAR regime," Price added, referring to EU rules that came into force in December. Linklaters financial services lawyer Simon Treacy said the new rules defined the scope of the assets and activities that would be regulated, but a lot more detail was still to come as regulators developed rules for regulated firms. Reeves said she had discussed crypto regulation with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a visit to Washington last week, and that the two countries planned to discuss this further in June. U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to embrace the industry and vowed to be a "crypto president", challenging other jurisdictions that want to build their own digital currency sectors while protecting consumers and safeguarding financial stability. Reeves also said she would set out broader plans for boosting the growth and competitiveness of Britain's financial services industry on July 15 in her annual Mansion House speech in the heart of London's finance district, the culmination of a consultation process which began in November 2024. "Financial services is one of the key growth-driving sectors in the UK for modern industrial strategy," Reeves said in a speech at the IFGS fintech conference in London. In last year's Mansion House speech, Reeves said British financial regulators had gone too far in squeezing out risk in the 15 years after the global financial crisis.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reeves unveils plans to regulate crypto after talks with US
Rachel Reeves has announced plans to regulate cryptoassets such as Bitcoin in a bid to make the UK 'a world leader in digital assets'. The Chancellor told a fintech conference on Tuesday that she would 'back the builders' as she announced plans to make crypto firms subject to regulation in the same way as traditional finance companies. The regulations, expected to become law later this year, are intended to support legitimate crypto businesses, but protect customers by introducing new requirements for transparency and consumer protection, according to the Treasury. Ms Reeves told the conference at London's Guildhall: 'While the UK will always be committed to high international standards, I am determined that our regulatory framework supports economic growth.' Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have increased in popularity in recent years, with research suggesting around 12% of adults in the UK own or have owned cryptoassets, up from 4% in 2021. But last month, Financial Conduct Authority chairman Nikhil Rathi warned that the number of young people turning to crypto as their first taste of investment was 'not great'. The announcement follows Ms Reeves's trip to Washington last month, during which she met her US counterpart Scott Bessent for talks about a potential trade deal. On Tuesday, the Treasury revealed the pair had also discussed crypto, an important area for some of Donald Trump's supporters in the tech industry, and agreed to co-operate on transatlantic regulation to support the sector. Ms Reeves said: 'For the UK to be a world leader in digital assets, international co-operation is vital.' She added that there would be further discussion at a US/UK regulatory working group in June 'to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets'. Nick Price, a crypto and financial services lawyer at legal firm Osborne Clarke, said the Chancellor's announcement 'explicitly aligns the UK with the US approach' to regulating crypto and represented 'a divergence' from the EU's more bespoke regulation. He added that the proposal was 'a simple and straight-forward piece of legislation' that would offer 'a great deal of certainty and stability' as well as consumer protection, but said it 'remains to be seen' whether it would help growth. The Chancellor also used her speech to confirm that she would deliver her annual Mansion House speech on July 15, and planned to publish a financial services growth and competitiveness strategy on the same day with fintech as a 'priority sector'. Sign in to access your portfolio
South Wales Guardian
29-04-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Reeves unveils plans to regulate crypto after talks with US
The Chancellor told a fintech conference on Tuesday that she would 'back the builders' as she announced plans to make crypto firms subject to regulation in the same way as traditional finance companies. The regulations, expected to become law later this year, are intended to support legitimate crypto businesses, but protect customers by introducing new requirements for transparency and consumer protection, according to the Treasury. Ms Reeves told the conference at London's Guildhall: 'While the UK will always be committed to high international standards, I am determined that our regulatory framework supports economic growth.' Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have increased in popularity in recent years, with research suggesting around 12% of adults in the UK own or have owned cryptoassets, up from 4% in 2021. But last month, Financial Conduct Authority chairman Nikhil Rathi warned that the number of young people turning to crypto as their first taste of investment was 'not great'. The announcement follows Ms Reeves's trip to Washington last month, during which she met her US counterpart Scott Bessent for talks about a potential trade deal. On Tuesday, the Treasury revealed the pair had also discussed crypto, an important area for some of Donald Trump's supporters in the tech industry, and agreed to co-operate on transatlantic regulation to support the sector. Ms Reeves said: 'For the UK to be a world leader in digital assets, international co-operation is vital.' She added that there would be further discussion at a US/UK regulatory working group in June 'to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets'. Nick Price, a crypto and financial services lawyer at legal firm Osborne Clarke, said the Chancellor's announcement 'explicitly aligns the UK with the US approach' to regulating crypto and represented 'a divergence' from the EU's more bespoke regulation. He added that the proposal was 'a simple and straight-forward piece of legislation' that would offer 'a great deal of certainty and stability' as well as consumer protection, but said it 'remains to be seen' whether it would help growth. The Chancellor also used her speech to confirm that she would deliver her annual Mansion House speech on July 15, and planned to publish a financial services growth and competitiveness strategy on the same day with fintech as a 'priority sector'.
