Breaking the banks—do large bank fines deter bad behaviour?

Table of contents

• Do regulators see fines as the most appropriate way to sanction rule-breaking banks and corporations?
• Are these fines accompanied by orders to improve compliance procedures?
• Has the way fines are handed out to banks and corporations changed since the financial crisis?
• Do the fines handed out to banks have an impact on their ability to operate or in relation to the businesses’ profitability?
• Are banks and corporations seeing fines as ‘just another cost of doing business’?
• How does the UK’s approach to dealing with corporate offences compare to other jurisdictions?
• How much of the UK’s approach is inspired by other jurisdictions, such as the US?

Article summary

Financial Services analysis: What does the regulatory future hold for banks and corporations? Tony Watts, consultant solicitor at Keystone Law, says there is likely to be an increased focus on enforcement action against individuals.