Attached is the renewal of the licence authorising payment of legal fees in connection with proceedings involving persons subject to asset-freeze sanctions in the UK. This now became one of UK general licenses applicable to national sanctions regimes, which are not the result of UN sanctions.
In addition the following FAQ was published in connection with this renewal:
Legal Services General Licence (INT/2025/7323088)
170. The Legal Services General Licence has been updated and is available online. What has changed and what does this mean for law firms, legal advisors, Counsel and providers of Expenses?
General Licence INT/2025/7323088 resets the fees and expenses caps for Parts A and B for the six-month period from 29 October 2025 until the licence expires on 28 April 2026.
In addition to resetting the caps, OFSI has also made an amendment to the General Licence which means that it now covers most UK autonomous sanctions regimes. A full list of the regimes covered can be found in Annex 1 of the General Licence.
This means that law firms, legal advisors, Counsel and providers of Expenses (as defined in the GL) can rely on the General Licence to receive payment from persons designated under one of these regimes, as long as all the conditions of the licence are met.
The GL does not permit payment to or for the benefit of any person designated under United Nations sanctions obligations.
Added on: 24 Oct 2025