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This briefing was updated on 26 March 2021.

This briefing was updated on 26 March 2021.

The economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be unprecedented, but so are government promises to help economies recover from that impact.

This page was last updated on 28 July 2020. 

At a time when restrictive measures are being implemented by governments across the globe in response to COVID-19, we understand it is difficult for organisations to keep abreast of these developments.

On 20 April 2020, the Government announced a new scheme to issue convertible loans to innovative companies which are facing financial difficulties due to COVID-19, provided that funding is matched by at least an equivalent amount of funding from private investors (the "Future Fund Scheme").

The Pensions Regulator has published several pieces of guidance for trustees, employers and administrators on coronavirus related issues. Our updated summaries of the guidance are published here.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is a government-funded scheme that provides a contribution towards wage costs for employers who stand staff down as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Where, by reason of circumstances arising as a result of the coronavirus, the employer instructs an employee to cease all work in relation to their employment for 21 days or more, the employer can make them a "furloughed worker".

This briefing was last updated on 21 January 2021.

Over a year after its initial formation, on 31 March 2020 France, Germany and the United Kingdom (the "E3") confirmed that the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges ("INSTEX") had successfully concluded its first transaction; facilitating the export of medical goods from Europe to Iran to assist with Iran's response to COVID-19.

Developers, pre-let tenants and funders are all looking hard at their development agreements, development funding agreements, agreements for leases and building contracts to assess what impact the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Government's response to it, will have on their current construction works in England. We outline in this note some of the key information and issues for such parties to consider before deciding whether or not to suspend or continue their works.

Published government guidance and public announcements in light of COVID-19 state that businesses and workplaces should encourage their employees to work at home, wherever possible. As a result, remote working arrangements are now widespread due to the UK COVID-19 management strategy.

This briefing was updated on 30 June 2020.

The Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework is designed to simplify organisations' reporting of energy use and carbon emissions. It aims to improve on the various mandatory energy and carbon schemes: the recently closed Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) was criticised as administratively burdensome and complex; the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), which remains in force, is generally regarded as being too limited in scope and crucially does not involve public disclosure.

Companies with an international footprint will need to ensure that their tax residence (and other taxable presence) is not affected by travel restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. HMRC has published guidance on these issues, which is somewhat helpful if less definitive than the approach of a number of other jurisdictions.

With COVID-19 dominating the news, Brexit may seem like a distant memory – but it hasn't gone away. In this briefing, with the help of trade policy expert Dmitry Grozoubinski, we look at what's been happening in the Brexit negotiations, what can (and can't) be done by video conference and the prospects for an extension.

On 8 April, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the FCA announced a series of temporary measures aimed at helping listed companies to access capital through equity fundraisings.

Potential liquidity concerns are dominating private equity managers’ contingency planning for their portfolio investments. Flexible funding solutions provided on a fund-wide basis have emerged as a means for managers to tap additional capital as needed in order to finance working capital or additional equity for their investee companies.

In the context of continued LP scrutiny of all performance indices and management fee levels, GPs/managers continue to seek to differentiate themselves in terms of yield and broader ‘value add’ for investors. Increasingly they are looking to a range of sophisticated fund management and liquidity tools in order to maximise returns and distinguish their offering.

This inaugural edition of Investment Insights for Pension Funds is devoted to the current economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Experts from across the firm share their insights on how companies are being affected, the actions they are taking, and the implications for investors.