Welcome to the first edition of Travers Smith's Crisis Management and Investigations Circular, providing a bite-size round-up of recent developments in the world of crisis management and investigations.

The outbreak of war in the Middle East has delivered a series of economic and operational shocks and a stark reminder of the fragility of global supply chains. For businesses, the conflict has not only intensified immediate financial, logistical and operational pressures, but also highlighted the critical importance of:

The UK Government has confirmed plans to proceed with reforms that will give the UK one of the toughest late payment regimes in the world. This will include fines for persistent late payers, mandatory late payment interest of 8% above base, maximum 60 day payment terms (with some exceptions), a time limit for disputing invoices and a new low cost adjudication process.  But as we explain below, the devil will be in the detail.

A regular briefing for the alternative asset management industry. 

On 25 February 2025, the UK Government finally published the first UK Sustainability Reporting Standards, the UK SRS. The UK said at the Glasgow COP in 2021 that it would be an early adopter of ISSB and yet it has taken nearly three years after publication of the ISSB standards for the Government to endorse them, and far from being the first world economy to do so, the UK joins the ranks of more than 35 countries bringing ISSB sustainability standards into their national frameworks.

The past few months have proved more than ever that predicting tomorrow's headline is a fool's game.  While that illustrates the uncertainty of today's world, it also serves as a timely reminder that short-term, reactive strategies rarely maximise opportunities. That is never more true than on sustainability issues, where striking the balance between immediate and longer-term priorities is the name of the game.

Meeting the growing demand for data centres is complex and challenging enough, without having to contend with the extensive range of acronyms and technical vocabulary that are often used when discussing the sector.  Our glossary of data centre-related terminology is intended to provide a useful resource to help cut through the jargon.

Recent months have thrown automotive supply chain risks into the spotlight, with the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) cyber attack and the collapse of First Brands Group providing stark reminders that supply disruptions can strike from multiple fronts and have wide-ranging consequences.