<p>Filter Knowledge</p>

The UK Government is consulting on further changes to consumer protection law, including measures to tackle hidden fees, drip pricing and fake reviews, which have particular relevance for online businesses. As we explain below, the consultation also covers online platforms, the ability for consumers to claim damages for unfair practices and measures which are also relevant to bricks and mortar retailers, including rules on unit pricing and price promotions.

A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry. 

Welcome to the first edition of the Travers Smith Outsourcing Spotlight. This issue highlights a number of hot topics, including the impact of AI on outsourcing, changes to the UK's regimes for data protection and cybersecurity and proposed reforms to UK employment law, including TUPE.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued CP23/20: Diversity and inclusion in the financial sector which sets out its long-awaited proposals to introduce a new regulatory framework on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in the financial sector.

The abolishment of ground rent in residential long leases comes as part of a package of Government reforms designed to curtail unfair practices in the leasehold market, which we explored in our previous briefing. From 1 April 2023,[1] this applies to all new leases granted with a term of more than 21 years in the senior living sector, though will not impact existing ones. The changes, brought about by the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 (the Act), have necessitated developers, investors and owners of retirement housing reforming their existing leasehold structures, which have typically relied upon ground rent as a way to recoup the enlarged capital costs of constructing enhanced communal spaces within retirement schemes.

The European Commission has issued a Targeted Consultation and a Public Consultation on the implementation of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).  The Consultations include a series of questions on the practical functioning of the SFDR and its possible reform. The EU appears to have recognised that the SFDR is not as user-friendly as it had hoped and is seeking to assess its potential shortcomings and explore potential changes. 

Key employment and business immigration developments for employers.

In this video, Employment Knowledge Counsel Adam Rice and Anna West take a look at forthcoming developments in employment and immigration law for the rest of 2023 and beyond.

A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry. 

The FCA has issued its near final rules (PS23/13) on its new regime for firms seeking to approve financial promotions. This takes effect on 7 February 2024.

A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry. 

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has recently adopted new rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) (together, the “New Rules”), based on a set of proposals originally set out in February 2022 (the “Original Proposals”).

Welcome to the latest edition of our quarterly disputes newsletter, which covers key developments in the dispute resolution world over the last three months or so.

Read and listen to "What’s Happening in Pensions", our regular news briefing covering topical pensions law developments.

Following Brexit, the UK Government is keen to boost trade with countries outside the EU. Our interactive maps show the extent of the UK's global network of free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties.

Our round-up of recent and forthcoming developments in UK law and practice for our international stakeholders.

A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry. 

Even the CEOs of the big AI firms, like Sam Altman of OpenAI (the developers of ChatGPT), say that AI needs regulating, but there is very little consensus about how to go about regulating it. Governments across the globe are grappling with how to balance promoting innovation and economic growth with protecting citizens' privacy, safety and other human rights.

As businesses invest more heavily in AI, what intellectual property challenges are they likely to encounter? How do we avoid AI have a "chilling" effect on human creativity and enable rightsholders to guard against their intellectual creations being scraped to train AI without their consent?