Insights & News
Search for Insights & News
-
How would you like your justice served?... ...well done (outcome following full due process), medium, or rare (trial by media)
19 March 2024The FCA has recently committed to carrying out enforcement cases more quickly as it seeks to increase the deterrent impact of its enforcement actions.
-
US/UK M&A: Risk Allocation
18 March 2024In our second article in the US/UK M&A series, we explore deal certainty, the different appetite for risk and measures that are used to apportion risk between the parties.
-
UK M&A deal practice – an introduction for US-based buyers
18 March 2024We continue to see a lot of mid-market M&A activity in the UK driven by US-based buyers, including both corporate buyers and financial investors. Unsurprisingly, a lot of that activity is focused on sectors such as technology, creative and high-value manufacturing businesses.
-
EPO fee increases
15 March 2024The European Patent Office (EPO) is introducing a new schedule of official fees, which will apply to payments made from Monday 1 April 2024. The new fees represent an increase of, on average, 4%. There are, however, some notable exceptions, with the third, fourth and fifth year renewal fees increasing by 30%, 28% and 8% respectively. Subsequent renewals have not changed significantly. As such, the EPO appears to be targeting recovery of renewal fee income that has reduced in recent years, due to a reduction of the average time to reach grant.
-
MAC to carry out rapid review of Graduate route by 14 May 2024
15 March 2024The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been commissioned to make a rapid review of the Graduate route, with its report due to be published by 14 May 2024. Employers should plan for potential restrictions to this route or its abolition.
-
EMI options: Top 10 mistakes uncovered on an exit – and how to avoid them
15 March 2024In this article we explore the key issues around granting Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options, an extremely popular employee incentive mechanism for qualifying small and medium sized companies, thanks to their unrivalled tax benefits and the flexibility permitted around setting their terms.
-
Gender critical beliefs in the workplace
14 March 2024A flurry of recent cases explore the protection against discrimination available to employees when manifesting their gender critical beliefs – both at work and online. We consider the cases and offer suggestions about how to support all employees and avoid conflict.
-
New Immigration Rules radically reform Skilled Worker route
14 March 2024This is the biggest reform of UK work routes since Brexit. The clear message from Government is that net migration must be reduced. Most changes affect Skilled Workers and come into force on 4 April 2024, however other work routes are also affected.
-
Platform Workers Directive Suddenly Passed
12 March 2024The long-promised, interminably-debated and much-amended EU Platform Workers Directive has been passed. The final version delegates key decisions on who is a platform worker to the Member States, while strengthening controls over automated decision making and the need for human involvement in decisions affecting workers.
-
Unveiling the Struggles of Hong Kong’s Invisible Workforce
12 March 2024According to government statistics as of 2022, there are more than 338,000 foreign domestic workers (“FDWs”) in Hong Kong, which accounts for almost 5% of Hong Kong’s population. Nearly 10% of households in Hong Kong depend on FDWs for housekeeping and to look after their family members. As such, FDWs are more than just employees; they are the backbone of many households. However, despite the significant role they play in our society, FDWs face a myriad of challenges. This article explores the legal and social challenges they must navigate.
-
Budget 2024: Into the Chocolate Factory
07 March 2024“There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination!” So sang Willy Wonka, in both his Gene Wilder and Timothee Chalamet incarnations – I have no idea about the Johnny Depp version, that one looked terrifying to me. And the Chancellor seems to have been infected with the same Wonkaesque, starry-eyed enthusiasm.
-
Remote working requests: frequently asked questions
07 March 2024As organisational and workforce attitudes to office attendance continue to shift, where are we with the law on remote working requests?
-
Right to request remote and flexible working comes into operation today
07 March 2024The Government has today brought the right to request remote and flexible work arrangements into operation, and the long-awaited Code of Practice for employers and employees on the right to request remote and flexible work arrangements has finally been published by the WRC. This means all employees now have the right to request remote working. Parents and carers also now have the right to request flexible working. Here’s our summary of what Code of Practice says, and the key takeaways employers need to know.
-
Varying a worldwide freezing order: timely collaboration and transparency is key – Lewis Silkin advises successful respondent
07 March 2024An attempt to vary a £88m worldwide freezing order to permit the sale of a significant London property was successfully resisted recently by the Claimant, represented by Lewis Silkin. We explore the issues arising in the recent High Court judgment, which confirmed the importance of timely collaboration and transparency when considering the variation of a freezing order.
-
ICO publishes new guidance on content moderation obligations
06 March 2024On 16 February 2024, the ICO published new guidance on the interplay between content moderation obligations and data protection (“the Guidance”). This is the ICO’s first guidance on content moderation and outlines how data protection law applies to content moderation processes under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) and the possible impacts on people’s information rights.
-
ICO publishes new Tech Horizons Report
05 March 2024On 9 February 2024, the ICO published a new Tech Horizons Report, which highlights eight emerging technologies that the ICO considers may have a particularly significant impact on society, the economy and information rights in the next two to seven years.
-
New Code of Practice published on fire and rehire
29 February 2024The government has published new statutory guidance which warns that ‘fire and rehire’ should only be used to change employees’ terms and conditions as “a last resort” and urges employers to first engage in thorough and open information and consultation processes.
-
UK Migration Advisory Committee reports on new Immigration Salary List
29 February 2024Only 21 occupations are recommended for inclusion on the new Immigration Salary List (ISL), which will replace the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) for the Skilled Worker route from 4 April 2024. Employers may find that this, combined with the increased minimum salary thresholds will significantly reduce the size of the eligible talent pool for sponsorship of overseas workers.
-
Apply now for UK work visas before minimum salary jump on 4 April
29 February 2024From 4 April 2024 many people who would qualify now, will not be able to get a Skilled Worker visa. Hefty increases to the occupation-based ‘going rate’ salary thresholds and the new general salary threshold of £38,700 will impact a vast number of would-be applicants. Employers should urgently review potential applicants to submit applications now and avoid disappointment in the near future.
-
New flexible working rules: a flowchart
28 February 2024Flexible working laws are changing in April. Our flowchart shows the new process.