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Perspective - Publication
Lifting the Lid on Retail Diversity and Inclusion: Tackling the Challenges
On 4 July 2023, RPC partnered with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to host the conference 'Lifting the Lid on Retail Diversity and Inclusion: Tackling the Challenges'.
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Perspective - Snapshot
European Commission proposes new rules on repairing defective goods
How will the EU’s proposed withdrawal button impact businesses?
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Perspective - Snapshot
2023 Gambling Act White Paper: The new age of gambling regulation
How will the EU’s proposed withdrawal button impact businesses?
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Perspective - Snapshot
EU proposal for all distance contracts to include a withdrawal button
How will the EU’s proposed withdrawal button impact businesses?
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Perspective - Snapshot
New development – Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
How will the EU’s proposed withdrawal button impact businesses?
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Perspective - Snapshot
New ICO guidance on direct marketing and regulatory communications
When is a regulatory communication (ie a message sent in compliance with a regulator’s request) likely to be considered direct marketing?
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Perspective - Snapshot
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and its impact on digital markets
What impact will the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC), and the new Digital Markets Unit of the Competition and Markets Authority (DMU), have on the regulation of UK digital markets?
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Perspective - Snapshot
The UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill – a first look at the new regime
What are they key legislative developments proposed by the first draft of the new UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill?
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Perspective - Snapshot
2023 Gambling Act White Paper: The new age of gambling regulation
How will the EU’s proposed withdrawal button impact businesses?
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Press and Media
Insolvencies of retail businesses jump 56% in past year to hit decade high
The number of retail business insolvencies jumped 56% in the past year, to hit the highest levels in at least a decade - 1,942 in 2022/23, up from 1,243 in 2021/22 shows new research from international law firm RPC.
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Perspective - Publication
A shifting landscape? The outlook for data regulation in 2023
With a relatively new Information Commissioner in the UK and a renewed focus on getting post-Brexit data protection laws through Parliament, attention is turning to the ICO’s priorities and how they fit into this new landscape.
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Perspective - Publication
Transitioning to a net zero economy
The TPT has published a draft disclosure framework and implementation guidance for private sector entities to transition to a net zero economy, making recommendations for companies and financial institutions to develop gold-standard transition plans.
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Perspective - Publication
CSRD: shakeup of the EU's sustainability reporting rules
The EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force on 5 January 2023.
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Perspective - Publication
Deposit Return Scheme: Key considerations for drinks producers and retailers in the UK
Defra has now responded to its consultation on the introduction of a DRS in England, Wales and NI. The DRS will require retailers to charge a small fee on certain drinks containers sold, which consumers can reclaim if they return the container to a designated return point.
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Perspective - Blog
EU set to tackle greenwashing with Green Claims Directive
On the 22 March 2023, the European Commission published its proposal for a new 'Green Claims Directive' setting out standardised rules for the assessment, substantiation and communication of green claims.
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Perspective - Blog
Luxury today - go green or go home?
"Sustainability" is the new buzzword in marketing.
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Perspective - Publication
New REUL? How will the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) affect UK businesses?
When the Brexit transition period ended, so did the alignment of EU law with UK domestic law.
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Perspective - Blog
A bolstering of the consumer protection regime and some sharper teeth for the CMA – a first look at the new UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
It's been a little over a year in the making, and it's been one of the most hotly anticipated legislative updates since it was first announced in April 2022, but the first draft of the UK's catchily titled Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, is finally here.
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Press and Media
What are the 8 key legal changes ahead for retailers in 2023?
RPC's Retail Compass explores impact of regulatory reforms, rising ESG concerns and fast-evolving AI technology in difficult economic conditions.
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Perspective - Blog
Going Green - Draft Sustainability Guidance from the CMA
Following its public consultation, the CMA has published its advice to government on how competition and consumer laws can help meet the UK's environmental goals.
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Perspective - Publication
Casting your net zero ambitions: eight key steps for retailers
With climate change at the forefront of the ESG agenda, the employment relationship, and the opportunities to engage with the workforce on this subject, are crucial ingredients in the quest to becoming a truly green retailer.
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Perspective - Publication
UK set to reform consumer protection legislation and its competitive regime
The UK is set to introduce a wide array of changes to its consumer protection legislation and competition regime. The focus of the changes revolves around giving greater protection to consumers over subscription traps, tackling fake reviews and improving enforcement. The latter is likely to bring in GDPR/competition law-level fines for breaches of consumer protection legislation or non-compliance with the CMA's investigations or remedies, with maximum fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover.
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Perspective - Publication
Where to next for Buy Now Pay Later?
On Monday 20 June 2022, HM Treasury responded to its consultation on proposals to extend regulation to unregulated Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products. This consultation closed in January 2022. The Treasury's response confirmed the scope of regulation will cover BNPL products and short-term interest free credit (STIFC) provided by third-party lenders.
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Perspective - Publication
Extended producer responsibility for packaging: How to prepare
In the Spring 2022 edition of Retail Compass, we reported on the Government's consultation on regulations covering extended producer responsibility (EPR) which places the financial burden of dealing with packaging once it becomes waste on producers as opposed to taxpayers.
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Perspective - Publication
It's a supermarket sweep as HFSS products face sweeping promotion and placement restrictions
In an attempt to tackle obesity in the UK, in particular childhood obesity, a swathe of restrictions on the placement and promotion of HFSS products in-store and online will be introduced in phases from October 2022 to January 2024.
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Perspective - Publication
Online Sales Tax: the right way forward?
On 25 February 2022, HM Treasury launched a consultation exploring the possible introduction of an online sales tax (OST) to address the imbalance resulting from the higher business rates applying to in store retailers, compared to online businesses. The consultation closed on 20 May 2022.
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Perspective - Publication
Greenwashing: UK regulators set their sights on misleading green claims with an increasing focus on sectors such as fashion retail and F&D
UK consumer regulators, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), are ramping up their enforcement of green claims to protect consumers from 'greenwashing'
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Press and Media
UK retail sector M&A deals increase to 34 – up 21% on last year
• M&A targeting fashion retailers particularly active
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Perspective - Publication
Retail Compass Summer edition 2020
Welcome to the Summer 2020 edition of Retail Compass – our guide to key upcoming legal and policy changes affecting Retail and our thoughts on the need-to-know issues.
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Perspective - Blog
The ASA bites back – Burger King 'Rebel Whopper' ads ruled to be misleading and in breach of advertising rules
At the start of the year, Veganuary hit the headlines, with the British public challenged to ditch animal by-products in favour of a plant-based diet for the month of January.
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Press and Media
Wilko becomes 'yet another casualty' of tough economic conditions facing UK retailers
'Perfect storm' of rising interest rates, increased energy bills, supply chain issues and squeezed customer spending is hitting retailers hard
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Perspective - Blog
Potential deregulation and a pragmatic approach to commercial insurance – welcome news from the FCA
The FCA has published a 'Discussion Paper' (DP24/1) seeking feedback on its rules on commercial insurance including in respect of the types of commercial customers in-scope, co-manufacturing of products and bespoke insurance products.
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Perspective - Publication
New Labour government – what is in store for the UK?
We have a new Labour Party government for the first time in 14 years. The new government has already made various announcements, with more set to follow in the coming days, and then we have the King’s Speech on 17 July, when the Labour Party will set out its opening legislative agenda – but what can we expect from the new government impacting services regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, pensions and accountants?
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Perspective - Publication
Hong Kong data protection: cross-border transfers of personal data
We take a closer look at businesses' obligations under Hong Kong law to protect personal data in a cross-border transfer and the new recommended model contractual clauses.
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Perspective - Blog
The El Niño year and impact on subsidence claims
Insurers should be bracing for a wave of subsidence claims arising from the increasingly warm weather. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared that an El Niño climate event is in progress, which helps explain why June 2023 was the hottest on record in the UK.
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Profile
Perspective - Blog
Property Digital Rights – A New Revenue Stream in a Digital World
Advances in technology are opening up exciting new frontiers for property owners and managers. Almost two billion people globally use augmented reality (AR) on their mobile phones and nearly 400 million engage in a virtual metaverse reality.
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Press and Media
As EU's new sustainability directive is agreed, UK companies warned 'not to rest on their laurels'
Following the news that agreement has been reached on the EU's new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Environment and Climate Change Practice Lead Sophie Tuson, a Senior Associate who specialises in climate and environmental sustainability at international law firm RPC
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Perspective - Blog
Furlough, Act Now to Avoid the Knock
As we leave behind the curious summer of 2020, both HMRC and the SFO are readying themselves for the new term. First order of business: combatting corporate misuse of furlough and Covid-19 bail-out funds. According to official statistics released on 18 September, furloughing of staff in the wholesale and retail sector peaked on 24 April at 1.85 million employees - by 31 July, initial figures show 789,000 retail jobs furloughed– a decrease of more than a half since the peak for the sector. Some furloughed employees in the wholesale and retail sector have been returning to work as lockdown restrictions eased, others have, sadly, faced redundancy. As the furlough scheme winds down to a close next month, some employers may be faced with HMRC insisting that their furlough claims amounted to a misuse of – or even fraud against - the scheme.
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Perspective - Blog
Key considerations crime and D&O insurers cannot a-fraud to ignore
The UK government is committed to reforming corporate criminal liability and making it "quicker and easier" to prosecute companies involved in fraudulent conduct. These reforms will no doubt be welcomed by many where the nature and scale of fraud in the UK has evolved significantly and now constitutes more than 40% of all offences in England and Wales. However, it will inevitably have an impact on insurers, especially the D&O insurance market.
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Perspective - Blog
Overview of the key risks affecting the Professional and Financial Risks market
Last month RPC's Professional and Financial Risks team hosted a panel discussion to address the evolving challenges and responsibilities faced by professional clients in the current economic landscape. Access our document to explore the key insights from the session.
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Perspective - Blog
What the fix?! Get up to speed in 10 minutes with our new video
The first video in our new Getting Up To Speed series is now available below.
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Perspective - Podcast
The Month That Was – June 2023 – Equity Release – the next emerging risk?
Welcome to Money Covered, a monthly podcast from RPC aimed at those dealing with complaints, claims and risk management in the financial services sector.
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Perspective - Blog
The Building Safety Act 2022: a guide for conveyancers
We explain below how the BSA is intended to protect leaseholders, what steps solicitors can take to ensure purchasers and lenders are protected and what to do if that protection cannot be obtained.
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Perspective - Blog
Duties to third party investors in tax avoidance schemes following McClean
We analyse the Court of Appeal's recent decision in David McLean and others v Andrew Thornhill KC in which the court considered the circumstances in which duties are owed to non-clients in the context of legal advice made available to investors in tax schemes.
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Perspective - Blog
What the fix?!
Fixed recoverable costs in professional negligence claims: new rules applicable from 1 October 2023
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Perspective - Blog
Wasted costs – some comfort for legal professionals
In its recent judgment in Anthony King and others v Barry Stiefel and others the Commercial Court has considered the circumstances in which wasted costs orders can be made against the legal representatives of a defeated party to a claim. The court dismissed the applications saying that wasted costs applications should only be made in respect of straightforward applications which can be dealt with summarily.
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Perspective - Podcast
The Month That Was – May 2023 – Developments for Directors and Officers liability
Welcome to Money Covered, a monthly podcast from RPC aimed at those dealing with complaints, claims and risk management in the financial services sector.
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Perspective - Blog
Costs recovered in the Small Claims Track from an unreasonable Litigant in Person
Most (if not all) litigators will be familiar with the challenge of being on the other side of a claim brought by a litigant in person ("LiP"). The courts expect practitioners to be sensitive to their opponent's lack of legal expertise and familiarity with court rules, but judges have also been clear that they expect all parties – including LiPs – to follow the rules regardless of their legal representation.
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Perspective - Blog
SRA issues Warning Notice on solicitors' involvement in SLAPPs
SLAPPs (aka 'Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation') is a term coined in the USA. They are becoming the object of increasing concern over here too.
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