First AML

One client. One ownership structure. Two different AML answers. From July 2027, UK law firms with EU offices will be working across two rulebooks, with differences that can change how the same client is assessed. This article looks at where UK MLRs and the EU’s AML Regulation diverge, and why the real challenge may be making those differences work across a global firm.

For senior risk teams the AMLR 2027 group-wide requirements deserve special attention. They cover the evidence behind client decisions, visibility of compliance failures and the authority needed to address them. Here's a quick overview.

What are senior risk professionals at the UK’s top law firms saying about technology and client risk? We surveyed 60 senior risk professionals across the UK’s top 160 law firms, including 44 from Top 50 firms, and combined the findings with research from our partner, Actionstep, as well as McKinsey and Thomson Reuters. The result is a closer look at a practical challenge facing law firms: client information, risk and evidence are often spread across different tools, matters, offices and jurisdictions. The whitepaper explores what’s driving that disconnect, from integration and administrative drag to beneficial ownership, cross-border requirements and the growing role of AI in AML.

We surveyed 60 senior risk professionals at the UK’s top 160 law firms, including 44 from the Top 50, to understand how firms are preparing for the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Regulation. The findings explore the tension between local AML obligations and the push for group-wide consistency, and what this means for firms with clients, matters and teams spread across jurisdictions.

10 schemes. 10 crooks. 10 ways they got caught. This is another sordid collection of money laundering crimes. No dry case studies here, just the who, what, how, and the "oops" moments that brought them down - all based on real events. If you enjoy a good true crime story, you'll love this.

AML compliance is no longer just about the documents. The SRA still fines firms for missing paperwork, but it now asks why a decision was made and whether the file proves it. In 2025 it fined 35 firms over £565,000 for AML failings. Different sizes, different practice areas, one shared problem: a gap between policy and evidence. Written with Jonathon Bray of JBL Compliance, this whitepaper covers what has changed, where firms are vulnerable, and how to run a gap analysis instead of another checklist. Download it and see where your controls are most likely to be tested.