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JCT Insurance Options: what's the right fit for fit-out?
Where a tenant is fitting out premises within a multi-occupied building, the JCT's standard insurance options are not always appropriate and, left unaddressed, place unintended and severe risks on the tenant.
Read moreGovernment property, Kirstie and Phil style?
Ok, so Ms Allsopp and Mr Spencer haven’t quite been called in yet, but almost.
Read moreIs the Green Deal a great deal?
There is no denying the Green Deal has many advantages but consider the deal in relation to short term leases and it may not be as great as it initially seems.
Read moreNEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract "Guidance Notes": more important than you realise for interpreting the ECC
Certain terms of the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract ('ECC') are open to interpretation, and the recent case of E-Nik Ltd v Department for Communities & Local Government [2012] EWHC 3027 (Comm) has cast into doubt whether even something as routine as VAT is crystal-clear under the ECC.
Read moreDevelopment incentives – but at what cost?
In light of what is starting to appear to be a wholehearted failure to persuade local communities to meet requisite housing targets, Nick Boles last week proposed self-proclaimed "bungs" to local communities.
Read moreLeaving customers without signal: the task of re-building the Telecoms Code
Now almost 30 years old, the Electronic Communications Code (the 'Code'), falls far short of representing the needs of a swiftly developing communications network.
Read moreH&M: Brave New World?
We have all been involved in lease negotiations where there are differences of opinion as to what is or is not institutionally acceptable.
Read moreEnd of the line for Village Greens?
Nothing can be more frustrating for a developer to see its scheme delayed or worse still derailed by an application for the registration of land as a town or village green ("TVG").
Read moreMyth busting and moving the dial in DEI
This article is a summary of a session delivered by Kelly Thomson (Partner, Employment, Engagement & Equality and ESG Strategy Lead at RPC) and Rachel Pears (Head of Responsible Business at RPC), at the second Annual D&I Conference, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium (BRC). During this particular session, common myths and misconceptions surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) were discussed and different sides of various issues were dissected, drawing out the nuances of seemingly polarised positional statements. Below, we address a handful of these myths, offering a balanced perspective on the complexities of DEI and exploring how to drive meaningful progress in our organisations.
Read moreEmployer lessons from teacher's menopause bias win
On May 31, a Scottish employment tribunal made its decision in Allison Shearer v. South Lanarkshire Council and awarded a teacher over £60,000 ($77,829) for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, following her dismissal for ill health after a period of long¬term sickness absence.
Read moreMenopause discrimination: Where are we now?
October heralded an important legal first when a Leicester employment tribunal began hearing the case of Rooney v Leicester City Council. It is the first case where a person's menopausal symptoms have been deemed by an appeal court to potentially amount to a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.
Read moreAdjusting your recruitment process for a candidate with a disability: What is reasonable?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held that a failure to make enquiries into a job applicant's disability amounted to a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
Read moreRecent judgment on ad hoc admission of overseas counsel tells of wider COVID-19 story
Applications for ad hoc admission, pursuant to section 27(4) of the Ordinance, are fact dependent and the relevant legal principles are well-established.
Read moreLead market regulator's lawsuit includes professional advisers
In another significant development in the Securities and Futures Commission's (SFC) efforts to combat market misconduct-type activity involving listed shares in Hong Kong, the lead market regulator has commenced civil proceedings under Section 213 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap 571) in respect of China Forestry Holdings Co Ltd (in official liquidation). What makes the proceedings noteworthy is that besides naming the company and two of its directors as co-defendants, the regulator's civil complaint also names two co-sponsors and the auditor involved with the company's initial public offering (IPO) in 2009.(1)
Read moreAgainst a Backdrop of Rising Corporate Insolvencies HMRC Joint and Several Liability Notices: Should Directors be Concerned?
It is widely anticipated that the next twelve months could be a challenging period for many businesses in the UK and that there could be a significant rise in the number of companies in financial distress.
Read moreBTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA and others – Supreme Court decision
The Judgment of the Supreme Court in BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA was handed down on 5 October 2022.
Read moreCorporate bankruptcy and insolvency litigation roundtable
The corporate bankruptcy & insolvency litigation landscape has experienced a turbulent period over the past year and a half, largely a consequence of the extreme circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, many businesses have sought arrangements and restructuring plans in an attempt to avoid corporate bankruptcy. However, as government COVID-19-related stimulus is withdrawn and the true financial impact of the pandemic becomes clear, the focus turns to which businesses will remain in crisis or fold, and which are able to restructure and survive. As the battle lines are drawn, disputes are sure to rise.
Read moreWhat are the latest trends in bankruptcy and restructuring? What developments can we expect to see?
The pandemic led to the biggest change to insolvency legislation in the UK for over 20 years.
Read moreThe UK's new restructuring plan
The UK has introduced the Restructuring Plan; a new, flexible court supervised restructuring tool. The Restructuring Plan draws upon features of the existing Companies Act 2006 scheme of arrangement procedure (which remains available) but includes features which are new to the UK but similar to those under U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
Read moreCOVID-19: the supply chain
Concerns regarding the strength of UK supply chains and the consequences which arise when links in the chain fail, are not new and were recently subject to significant scrutiny in the context of Brexit negotiations. But with COVID-19 causing a host of new problems for already stressed supply chains, what can businesses do to protect themselves?
Read moreCOVID-19: Good news on wrongful trading provisions but why should directors tread carefully?
The Government has launched a number of initiatives to assist companies and businesses to trade through the current financial stress. But what should directors still be aware of as they steer their organisations through these unprecedented times?
Read moreCOVID-19: The suspension of wrongful trading provisions and a moratorium for businesses in restructuring – what is the likely impact on your business?
COVID-19: On 28 March 2020 the Business Secretary announced further new far-reaching measures to help businesses combat the financial impact of COVID-19. What it the likely impact of the suspension of wrongful trading provisions and a moratorium for businesses in restructuring on your business?
Read moreRestructuring and Insolvency roundup January 2018
In this roundup, we look at crowdfunding, a sector which continues to be of interest to practitioners giving the changing regulatory landscape and the risk to investors. Other cases we look at include cover privilege in bankruptcy, the adequacy of ATE policies, and the requirement for boards to be quorate when directors appoint administrators.
Read moreRestructuring and insolvency roundup, July 2017
In this roundup, we consider four recent cases with implications for practitioners in the restructuring and insolvency sector.
Read more“Gagging orders”: an office holder’s secret weapon
Practitioners are fully aware of the extensive powers available under ss 235 and 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) allowing administrators and liquidators as office holders (OHs) to require individuals and organisations to disgorge information.
Read moreMake insolvency great again
One of the great criticisms of the new President of the United States of America is that his companies filed for bankruptcy four times when he was a business mogul.
Read moreLegislative changes in effect today: what IPs need to know
Previously under section 165 IA 86, liquidators in a voluntary winding up would have to seek sanction of the company (in members’ voluntary liquidation) or of the court or liquidation committee (in creditors’ voluntary liquidation) in order to exercise their powers to pay debts, compromise claims etc.
Read moreUK tech cases warn of liability clause drafting pitfalls
Excluding and limiting liability is a vital part of any commercial contract. The irony, though, is that despite its importance, almost any exclusion or limitation of liability — if pored over to the nth degree — will have some ambiguity in the face of complex and often unforeseen consequences of breach.
Read moreThirty minutes in Decentraland: A metaverse adventure
Decentraland is one of the best known 'metaverses' that currently exist. It is a giant virtual world where users can create 'avatars' (a digital representation of yourself) and interact with one another. Users can also buy and develop virtual land, the mechanics of which involve purchasing an NFT (non-fungible token) connected with the relevant land plot. Users can then develop their land and build unique 3D environments.
Read moreChanges to the One Stop Shop
In July 2023 the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the 'GDPR' Regulations).
Read moreUK Government wants understanding of video games to move to the next level
On 30 May 2023, the UK Government published a Video Games Research Framework which encourages research on video games and emerging game-related technologies.
Read moreICO publishes guidance on compliance of game design with the Children’s Code
What steps can game designers take to ensure their games comply with the Children’s Code?
Read moreRPC Law x Web3: Gambling regulations – Don't Play Games of Chance with the Law
This is part of a series of RPC x Web3 articles designed to help Web3 participants and enthusiasts understand their rights in this rapidly evolving space.
Read moreCMA ends its investigation into online console gaming subscription practices
The UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has now closed its investigation into subscription practices in the online console gaming sector after key players Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft committed to making improvements to their contract terms with a view to better protecting customers.
Read moreThe summer of discontent?
What comes to mind when you hear the word "summer"? The unbridled joy of no more school for 6 whole weeks? Buckets, spades and wind-swept beaches? Perhaps the call of a sun-soaked tropical island? For most, summer means taking some time out to recharge and switch off.
Read moreCAT Collective Proceedings - Summer 2024 update
Developments in the UK’s competition collective proceedings regime continue apace with new claims recently issued in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
Read moreThe CAT's new approach: I can't afford a carriage (dispute)
Since the collective proceedings regime in the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) kicked off, a number of carriage disputes have arisen. So-called 'carriage disputes' arise when there are two or more competing proposed class representatives (PCRs) seeking certification (and therefore 'carriage') of overlapping class actions.
Read moreStamp duty land tax (SDLT) avoidance and corporate property deals – the importance of timing!
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.
Read moreMcDonald's BIG MAC trade mark – General Court gives decision on evidence of genuine use
In a decision that, practically, provides for only a tiny loss of protection for the behemoth brand and trade mark, on 5 June 2024 the European General Court (General Court) partially revoked McDonald's BIG MAC trade mark (the EUTM) in the EU (Supermac's (Holdings) Ltd v EUIPO (Case T 58/23)).
Read moreSupreme Court dismisses Amazon's appeal in landmark decision on consumer targeting
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has dismissed Amazon's appeal against a Court of Appeal (CoA) decision, which found that the sale of branded goods on Amazon's US site, amazon.com, infringed UK and EU trade marks by virtue of the fact that UK consumers had been targeted.
Read moreBenchmarkalikes – Aldi's Taurus cloudy cider lemon leaves Thatchers Cider with a headache
In a recently dismissed claim for trade mark infringement and passing off brought by Thatchers Cider we see so called lookalike or "copycat" products continue to provide a major headache for brands. It's the latest in a line of cases showing that the answer to issues arising from supermarkets' "inspired" alternatives, increasingly is rarely found in trade mark or passing off rights.
Read moreThe status of parallel trade in the European Union and the UK
The following article is a collaboration between Jani Ihalainen of RPC and PDGB (Virginie Coursière-Pluntz and Benjamin Jacob), RPC's partner firm in France through its TerraLex network.
Read moreGame over for hyperlinking sites, following Nintendo's recent blocking order success
In a helpful and clear judgment from the IPEC, Nintendo has succeeded in obtaining a broad website blocking order, which includes websites that merely redirect, or link to, third party piracy websites. The decision represents an important win for Nintendo in its continuing efforts to curtail the spread of online piracy in the UK.
Read moreMcDonald's battles to protect its 'Mc'-family
McDonald's has successfully defended its 'Mc' branding, following an application by Children's Cancer Aid Limited (CCA) to register 'MCVEGAN' as a trade mark (the Application).
Read moreCounterfeiters beware: It all ends in tiers…
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) recently published the 2020 – 2021 IP Crime and Enforcement Report (the Report). The Report highlights the current and emerging threats surrounding counterfeiting and is a collaboration between the IPO and the IP Crime Group (which is made up of enforcement agencies and industry representatives). The Report details the work carried out by these organisations, to prevent IP crime.
Read moreClutching at draws - whose moral rights are they anyway?
In what amounts to a really bad day at the office for architecture practice, Richard Reid Associates (RRA), the High Court recently refused its applications to: (1) add additional defendants to ongoing proceedings; and (2) amend its pleadings to include additional moral rights infringement and breach of contract claims. To make matters even worse, the original defendant, property developer LME, also succeeded in striking out parts of RRA's original claim. We look at the procedural lessons that can be learnt from the judgment below.
Read moreEurovision contestant and Rudimental come out on pop in copyright dispute
The High Court has rejected a claim brought by one half of a duo who appeared on the Voice UK – the claim was brought against Eurovision 2021 contestant James Newman and members of Rudimental for allegedly infringing the copyright in one of her songs.
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