Our knowledge resources reflect the breadth and depth of our expertise, our insight into the issues which matter to your business, and our understanding of the markets in which you operate.
In the last few weeks there have been a number of stories relating to COP26 in the international press; from alarmist headlines of hotel room shortages in Glasgow to calls to reschedule the conference again as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. With COP 26 only 45 days away, we have selected two of the most significant talking points from recent days.
Welcome to the second in our series of podcasts focusing on international employment law.
Welcome to the fifth edition of our quarterly disputes newsletter, which covers key developments in the dispute resolution world over the last three months or so.
"Hot on the heels of the new climate change regulations that will apply to many pension schemes from October 1 2021, the chancellor of the exchequer has indicated that even more pensions sustainability legislation could be on the cards."
Key employment and business immigration developments for employers.
Head of Risk and Operational Regulatory Doug Bryden and Dispute Resolution Partner Heather Gagen recently gave an interview to Legal Business on ESG and the increasing demand for ESG-related advice from clients, in particular in relation to managing risk in this area.
A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry.
The Pension Schemes Act 2021 (PSA21) has received Royal Assent and many of the broader new powers of The Pensions Regulator (TPR) should be in play from 1 October 2021. These powers, particularly new criminal offences and civil penalties, are very wide ranging with hefty sanctions attached, and are therefore potentially concerning to corporates and related parties (including individuals).
The ICO has launched a consultation on its international data transfer agreement (IDTA). This is the agreement that would be used as a safeguarding mechanism for restricted transfers of data covered by the UK GDPR.
Recently, the DCMS announced three important developments on the UK data protection front:
English courts are seeing an increasing number of claims brought against UK companies who are said to be responsible for harm to claimants who live outside of the UK, even though the company was not directly involved in the wrongful conduct alleged.
The climate emergency has had a profound impact on political and economic agendas globally. Sustainability considerations are now firmly embedded in the legal and regulatory environment in which businesses operate, and in the expectations that investors and customers increasingly place on corporates.
Earlier this year, the Government announced plans for 10 new freeports in the UK. In this briefing, the first of a series on freeports, we explain what freeports are, where they will be located, and when they are expected to be up and running.
As part of a raft of proposals to overhaul the current competition and consumer law regimes, the UK Government has set out for consultation a number of wide-ranging proposals concerning competition law enforcement in the UK. Competition Act enforcement is the focus of this briefing.
The UK Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation proposing far reaching reforms to the competition and consumer law enforcement regimes.
The UK Government published its long-awaited draft Online Safety Bill in May 2021. The Bill creates a new legal framework for identifying and removing illegal and harmful content from the internet. The aim is to prevent harm to individuals in the UK. Those covered will face fines and other sanctions for non-compliance.
In May of this year, the UK Supreme Court handed down its judgment in Hurstwood Properties (A) Ltd v Rossendale Borough Council [2021] UKSC 16 ('Hurstwood'), a test case for around 55 other similar claims relating to business rates avoidance schemes, used by companies attempting to avoid the payment of non-domestic rates on empty properties.
"Significant progress has been made for working mothers in terms of provision for maternity leave and flexible working (although there is still work to be done). However, genuine career parity can only be achieved if taking time out to care for children becomes the norm for fathers too."
The UK Government is consulting on plans to reform consumer law, including giving regulators powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover for breach of consumer legislation. If implemented, these changes are likely to result in a significantly tougher regulatory environment for consumer-facing businesses.