Search results

UK Listing Review wants companies to stay at home

Published on 04 Mar 2021. By Connor Cahalane, Partner, Head of Public Companies and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate

Recommendations will make it easier to list and fundraise on the London Stock Exchange

Time for public companies to come clean: New UK climate-related disclosures and ESG guidance

Published on 03 Feb 2021. By Connor Cahalane, Partner, Head of Public Companies

Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market will need to include a statement in their annual report confirming if they have made climate-related disclosures consistent with the recommendations of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Companies planning to IPO, or move from AIM to the Main Market, are also affected by these new Listing Rules.

Restrictive covenants in shareholders' agreements and commercial contracts

Published on 06 Mar 2020.

The Court of Appeal has recently reaffirmed the approach to the enforceability of restrictive covenants in shareholders' agreements and other commercial contracts.

Corporate governance for large private companies

Published on 14 Oct 2019. By Nneka Ezekude, Trainee Solicitor

For financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2019, large private companies will need to adhere to the requirements contained in a new corporate governance code published by the Financial Reporting Council. The introduction of the new code followed multiple scandals which revealed poor corporate practices and neglect of stakeholders' interests. As a result, the code seeks to rebuild confidence and trust in these large private companies.

'Green Finance' enters the mainstream

Published on 25 Jun 2019. By Edward Colville, Partner

With the UK's recent commitment to cut emissions to net zero by 2050, the financial sector is looking to 'green finance' to encourage investment in sustainable and environmentally-friendly businesses. Recent examples, like Nokia's €1.5 billion credit facility announced last week, show that environmental impact is becoming a key consideration for lenders and borrowers.

National Security and Investment – the EU's response

Published on 07 Jun 2019. By Tim Anderson, Partner and Neil Brown, Partner

National security concerns regarding Huawei continue to make headlines around the world, against the backdrop of an ongoing US / Chinese trade war. This blog looks at new EU rules on foreign investments which raise security or public order concerns.

Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) avoidance and corporate property deals – the importance of timing!

Published on 21 May 2019. By Ben Roberts, Partner

The First-Tier Tribunal has, in a recent decision, caused something of a stir for clients and advisors familiar with the well-trodden (and, usually, tax-efficient) use of offshore unit trusts to hold UK property.

More than you bargained for: the implied duty of good faith

Published on 26 Apr 2019. By David Wallis, Partner and Neil Brown, Partner

The recent High Court decision in Bates v. Post Office (No. 3) confirms a general principle that if a contract is a "relational" contract then it will include an implied obligation of good faith. Previously, there had been doubt whether such a general principle exists, as historically this was not an approach recognised by the English courts.

Derivative transactions – the obligation to report

Published on 25 Apr 2019. By Edward Colville, Partner

As the recent £34.9m fine for Goldman Sachs shows, the FCA takes the obligation to report derivative transactions seriously. How does this affect parties who trade infrequently, and what changes to the reporting requirement can we expect post-Brexit?

Part Three: Five practical implications of side letters and most favoured nations clauses for fund investors and managers

Published on 15 Feb 2019.

In this third and final part of our series on side letters and most favoured nation (MFN) clauses in private equity funds, we examine five practical implications for investors and managers.

Part Two: Side letters and fundraising

Published on 28 Jan 2019.

In this second of a three part series, we look more closely at side letters and most favoured nation (MFN) clauses in the private equity space.

Part One: Overview of side letters & MFNs when investing in private equity funds

Published on 14 Jan 2019.

In the first of a three part series we consider the importance of side letters and most favoured nations (MFN) clauses in private equity funds.

Budget 2018 – 10 key business tax takeaways

Published on 08 Nov 2018. By Ben Roberts, Partner

All is not (necessarily) lost: Crypto crime recovery

Published on 30 Jun 2022. By Adam Craggs, Partner

With over 2 million people in the UK now holding and using cryptocurrency, and the Chancellor announcing that a government backed non-fungible token ("NFT") is to be issued by the Royal Mint this summer, the market for crypto-assets is expected to continue to grow in the coming months and years; so much so that legislation is planned to implement a new regulatory regime for the crypto market.

Parliamentary 'wash up' – which Bills made it through?

Published on 31 May 2024. By Paul Joukador, Partner and Praveeta Thayalan, Knowledge Lawyer and Shahil Goodka, Trainee Solicitor

On 22 May 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a General Election will take place on 4 July 2024. Parliament was then prorogued on 24 May 2024 which allowed a mere 2 days for 'wash up' - the process by which outstanding bills may be rushed through the parliamentary process.

Leading media litigator Lindsay Warwick joins RPC as Partner

Published on 15 Jan 2024. By Lindsay Warwick, Partner

International law firm RPC announced today that Lindsay Warwick, a leading media litigator, joins as Partner. An already powerful bench of over ten media litigators, the appointment cements the firm's reputation as having the UK's leading media defence practice.

Ofcom's 'Roadmap to Regulation' underway with its consultation on illegal harms duties under the Online Safety Act

Published on 12 Jan 2024. By Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

In November, Ofcom, as new online safety regulator, published the first of four major consultations under the Online Safety Act ("OSA"), which sets out its proposals for how "user-to-user" ("U2U") services (essentially any online website or app that allows users to interact with each other) and online search services (i.e. Google, Bing and similar) should approach their illegal content duties under the new legislation. The consultation provides guidance in a number of areas including governance, content moderation, reporting and complaints mechanisms, terms of service, supporting child users, and user empowerment.

The Online Safety Bill is set to become law

Published on 21 Sep 2023. By Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner, Media and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

The Online Safety Bill will shortly become law in the UK as soon as it receives Royal Assent. The legislation will introduce a new regulatory regime for online platforms and search engines which target the UK, imposing wide-ranging obligations on in-scope services with serious consequences for non-compliance.

Technology in Insurance

Published on 22 Jun 2022. By William Hogarth, Partner

On 16 June 2022 RPC hosted an afternoon of talks and panel sessions on the theme of 'Technology in Insurance', the culmination of the firm's TechWeek which brings market experts and lawyers together to discuss risks and opportunities with new technologies within different business sectors.

A guide to buying and selling English residential property

Published on 16 Nov 2020.

With the advent of COVID-19, Brexit and global market volatility, the mature, fast-moving English real estate sector faces unprecedented challenges. However history has shown the English residential property market to be particularly resilient and many consider this a time of unique opportunity.

UK Government sets out proposals for regulation of AI

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What are the UK Government’s plans for the future regulation of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Ofcom prepares for implementation of Online Safety Bill

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How and when does Ofcom expect to carry out its new regulatory function for online safety created by the Online Safety Bill?

European Parliament adopts the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What are the next steps in the legislative timelines for the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) and what should companies be doing now to prepare?

UK announces new copyright exemption for text and data mining to promote AI development

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What does the UK Government’s response to its consultation on Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) mean for text and data mining?

The EU Accessibility Act

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What obligations will the EU Accessibility Act place on companies that manufacture or provide in-scope products and services?

Snapshots Autumn 2022

Published on 10 Oct 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

A roundup of key legal developments for the modern commercial lawyer.

Snapshots Summer 2022

Published on 03 Jun 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

A roundup of key legal developments for the modern commercial lawyer.

Ofcom guidance on advertising on video-sharing platforms

Published on 12 Apr 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What do operators of video-sharing platforms (VSPs) need to do to stay compliant with Ofcom’s guidance for advertising on their platforms?

UK government announces the launch of an AI standards hub

Published on 12 Apr 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What does the new artificial intelligence (AI) standards hub mean for businesses seeking to develop AI technologies?

Amended Digital Services Act adopted by European Parliament

Published on 12 Apr 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How will the European Parliament’s proposed amendments to the Digital Services Act affect consumers?

CMA secures changes to Xbox auto-renewal practices

Published on 12 Apr 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How far do Microsoft’s latest undertakings to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) signal a need for all businesses to improve transparency and controls on automatically renewing subscriptions?

Snapshots Winter 2021

Published on 17 Jan 2022. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

A roundup of key legal developments for the modern commercial lawyer.

Snapshots Autumn 2020

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

A roundup of key legal developments for the modern commercial lawyer.

Audiovisual Media Services Directive – European Commission adopts guidelines on video-sharing platforms and the promotion of European works

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What can be learned from the European Commission’s new guidelines on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)?

What were the CMA’s key findings in its final report on online platforms and digital advertising?

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What can be learned from the European Commission’s new guidelines on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)?

The ASA’s new UK Scam Alert System

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What is the latest tool in the ASA’s technology toolbox to combat misleading advertising online?

Wish.com: sexually explicit in-app ads deemed offensive and inappropriately targeted

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Will an ad of a sexually graphic nature be deemed to be inappropriately targeting consumers and causing harm and offence if it appears on general audience platforms?

Playrix: gameplay footage must be representative of the gaming experience

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

When advertising a game, can you use gameplay footage which does not actually feature in the game, or only features to a limited degree?

P&G: verification requirements in comparative advertising campaigns

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How much detail do you need to include to meet the verification requirements under the CAP Code when making comparisons with identifiable competitors?

BOXT: ‘next day delivery’ and comparative pricing claims

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How careful do you need to be with “next day delivery” claims? And is one product comparison enough when making a price comparison claim?

Sky UK: clarity over upfront costs and different fees charged to different groups

Published on 02 Nov 2020. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Do you need to include additional upfront costs in the main body of your ad? And how clear do you need to be about different fees being charged to different groups of consumers (eg existing vs new customers)?

Arbitration or winding up?

Published on 17 Sep 2019. By Charles Allen, Partner & Head of Hong Kong office

In But Ka Chon v Interactive Brokers LLC [2019] HKCA 873, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal upheld a lower court's decision to reject an application to set aside a statutory demand. The appellant had argued (among other things) that an arbitration clause in his agreement with the respondent required their dispute to be referred to arbitration.

CAT Collective Proceedings - Summer 2024 update

Published on 24 Jul 2024. By Chris Ross, Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Zoe Mernick-Levene, Partner

Developments in the UK’s competition collective proceedings regime continue apace with new claims recently issued in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

No objection: When is a party barred from challenging jurisdiction where it continues in the arbitration?

Published on 22 Jul 2024. By Tatiana Minaeva, Partner and Head of Investor-State Arbitration and Fred Kuchlin, Senior Associate

The High Court has provided invaluable guidance on the factors that it will consider when determining when a party is barred from challenging jurisdiction under s. 67 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (the Act) by failing to raise an objection while continuing to take part in the arbitration.

Crypto damages quantification: valuation at the date of breach or date of judgment?

Published on 10 Jul 2024. By Dan Wyatt, Partner and Christopher Whitehouse, Senior Associate

In Southgate v. Graham [2024] EWHC 1692 (Ch), the High Court addressed an appeal from the County Court concerning inter alia the appropriate date for assessing damages in a cryptocurrency loan dispute. Initially, the County Court determined that the damages should be based on the cryptocurrency's fiat value at the breach date. Due to the volatility of the cryptocurrency, this decision would have resulted in significantly lower fiat damages award than if the valuation were based on a later date. The High Court allowed the valuation date part of the appeal, directing a further hearing to establish the appropriate date.

New digital markets regime guidance published for consultation

Published on 28 Jun 2024. By Tom McQuail, Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Melanie Musgrave, Of Counsel and Ben Powell, Associate

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. This article considers who will be impacted by the new digital markets regime, the requirements it will introduce, and how it may be enforced, and summarises the CMA’s new draft guidance under consultation on how it intends to implement the regime in practice.