Welcome to the first edition of The Weekly Briefing. Each week, we will recap the most interesting commercial news stories shaping the market, from corporate deals to regulatory shifts and highlight why they matter to businesses and law firms.
We aim to help readers sharpen their commercial fluency while keeping track of the legal angles behind the headlines.
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Deepens Crisis: Could Government Step In?
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is reeling after a cyberattack shut down production until November, exposing just how perilous its finances are as losses mount and market pressure intensifies. The situation may force government intervention to preserve jobs and ensure company survival.
The attack knocked out key IT systems across the Solihull, Halewood, and Slovakia plants, halting production and delaying customer orders. Meanwhile, JLR is already struggling with falling sales, high costs and investor concern. To make matters worse, some of its models are reportedly among the easiest cars to steal, thereby increasing the brand's exposure to reputational and insurance risks.
Commercially, delays and downtime erode customer trust, squeeze margins, and deepen exposure to supply-chain costs; shareholders may suffer further if the state must bail out operations.
On the legal front, expect contractual claims from suppliers and employees, as well as potential pressure from regulators seeking more explicit cybersecurity rules and government oversight in the event of intervention.
FCA Consultation CP25/25: Crypto Firms Face Big Compliance Shake-Up
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched CP25/25, a consultation on how its Handbook will apply to regulated cryptoasset activities. The paper marks a significant step in establishing a comprehensive UK crypto regime and outlines the rules firms will need to follow. This could reshape who survives in the UK’s crypto market.
CP25/25 proposes applying existing FCA standards from senior management controls to crypto issuers, trading platforms, custodians, and staking providers directly. It brings crypto under the same consumer-duty, resilience, and governance obligations as traditional finance.
For businesses, the shift means higher compliance costs, operational overhauls, and likely market consolidation. Larger firms may benefit from clarity, while smaller firms could be squeezed out.
Law firms are already preparing to guide clients through authorisation, compliance programmes, and governance remediation. Final rules are expected in 2026, with crypto regulation becoming a popular advisory area for City firms.
White & Case Advises on Avio’s €400M Capital Raise
Italian aerospace group Avio S.p.A. has announced a €400 million capital increase to fund its new growth plan, advised by White & Case’s London team alongside Jefferies and Morgan Stanley as underwriters. The deal, pending shareholder approval in October, underscores London’s continued role in structuring Europe’s most complex capital markets transactions.
Avio, a key supplier for Europe’s Vega rocket programme, plans to expand production in Italy and the US while pursuing vertical integration. It has set ambitious targets of 10% annual revenue growth and a 15% rise in core profits over the next decade.
Strategically, the raise positions Avio to capitalise on the rising global demand for satellite launches and defence systems. Legally, the transaction underscores the central role of White & Case in cross-border financing for the aerospace and defence sectors.