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Perspective - Blog

FCA Publish Draft Guidance on Cloud Services

Published on 30 Nov 2015. By Mark Crichard, Partner

The FCA has recently published draft guidance for firms outsourcing to the cloud and other third party IT services. This comes as part of the FCA's work on "Project Innovate" which aims to tackle issues stifling innovation within the regulatory sector.

Perspective - Blog

FCA to examine use of big data in insurance

Published on 26 Nov 2015.

This week, the FCA has issued a "call for inputs" around how insurance firms use big data.

Perspective - Publication

Cyber fraud – a new hope?

Published on 23 Nov 2015.

We have previously warned of the threat posed by fraudsters who are targeting solicitors’ client accounts to misappropriate funds.

Perspective - Blog

The Modern Slavery Act: what you need to know about the new reporting obligation

Published on 10 Nov 2015.

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act) came into force on 26 March 2015. At a high level it aims to improve law enforcement tools, strengthen criminal penalties and deliver better protection and support for victims.

Perspective - Blog

EU Court declares 'Safe Harbor' data-transfer agreement invalid

Published on 07 Oct 2015.

The Court of Justice of the European (CJEU) has declared that the "Safe Harbor" framework agreement cannot be relied upon to justify transfers of personal data from the EU to the US.

Perspective - Blog

Do you know you're being tracked?

Published on 05 Oct 2015. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Do you own a smart phone? Do you always have WiFi enabled? If your answers to both these questions are yes, your movements were most probably tracked on your way into work today.

Perspective - Blog

EU Consultation on standards for a Digital Single Market

Published on 24 Sep 2015.

On 23 September 2015, the European Commission launched a public consultation on information and communications technology ("ICT") standards for creation of a Digital Single Market.

Perspective - Blog

Update: IT Suppliers beware! Your right to terminate on a customer insolvency is changing…

Published on 16 Sep 2015.

In September 2013 we reported on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 which provided the Government with the power to extend the law regarding the supply of essential services to insolvent customers.

Perspective - Blog

Article 29 Working Party keeps up the pressure on data reform discussions

Published on 02 Sep 2015.

The EU data protection reform package has entered its decisive phase. The first trilogue between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers began on 24 June 2015 but, even at this late stage, there are many key concepts still to be finalised.

Perspective - Blog

Transparency by design – putting FOIA at the forefront of public sector outsourcing contracts

Published on 20 Aug 2015.

Earlier this year, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) published a guidance document recommending some steps for public authorities (Authorities) to take when entering into outsourcing arrangements to help them comply with their freedom of information obligations.

Perspective - Publication

Technology and cyber risk update

Published on 29 Jul 2015.

Drones – issues for casualty insurers

Perspective - Blog

Digital content under the new Consumer Rights Act

Published on 14 May 2015. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) comes into force on 1 October 2015. It will reform consumer law in the UK, in particular by setting up new consumer rights and remedies in respect of digital content.

Perspective - Blog

UK cyber security: insure against 'rapid, highly damaging and public' threats

Published on 06 May 2015. By Mark Crichard, Partner

Cyber attacks present a daily threat to UK businesses and have become more destructive in recent years with data breaches and hacks frequently making front page news.

Perspective - Blog

Court of Appeal opens the door to 'distress-only' data breach claims where no financial loss

Published on 21 Apr 2015.

In an important ruling, the Court of Appeal confirms that misuse of private information is a tort and rules on the meaning of "damage" under s13 of the Data Protection Act ("the DPA"), allowing claimants to recover compensation for "distress" resulting from a breach of the Act without also having to prove pecuniary losses.

Perspective - Blog

Supreme Court clarifies the limits on contractual discretion

Published on 30 Mar 2015. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

A recent decision of the Supreme Court1 has confirmed that the limits on contractual discretion include a requirement to take relevant issues into account and that the discretion is not exercised irrationally.

Perspective - Blog

CMA call for information on use of online reviews

Published on 12 Mar 2015.

Online reviews: love them or hate them, there is no escape. Products, services, large multinationals, SMEs, online or offline, almost everyone is being judged these days.

Perspective - Blog

ICO fines online travel insurer £175,000 for failing to keep customers’ personal information secure

Published on 03 Mar 2015. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

The Information Commissioners Office (the “ICO”) has fined Staysure.co.uk Limited (“Staysure”), an online travel insurance company, £175,000 for its failure to comply with the seventh data protection principle, after IT security failings allowed hackers to access up to 100,000 customer financial records.

Perspective - Blog

New powers to audit NHS authorities' data protection compliance

Published on 04 Feb 2015. By Mark Crichard, Partner

From 1 February 2015, the ICO will be able to subject public healthcare organisations to compulsory audits of their data protection compliance under section 41A of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Perspective - Blog

New UK Procurement Rules Published for Consultation

Published on 09 Oct 2014. By Mark Crichard, Partner

Draft new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and a Consultation Document on UK Transposition of the new EU Procurement Directives have recently been published by the Cabinet Office. This paves the way for the 2014 Directives to be implemented in the UK early next year.

Perspective - Blog

FCA COMPLETES THEMATIC REVIEW OF MOBILE BANKING AND PAYMENTS

Published on 07 Oct 2014. By Mark Crichard, Partner

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently published its findings following its thematic review of mobile banking and payments.

Perspective - Blog

EU Consultation on Cloud Computing and Software

Published on 30 Sep 2014. By Mark Crichard, Partner

The EU has opened a public consultation to help define future research priorities in the areas of Cloud Computing and Software (including Open Source). Any and all stakeholders are invited to submit their views by 10 October 2014.

Perspective - Blog

Going Green - Draft Sustainability Guidance from the CMA

Published on 03 Apr 2023. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Melanie Musgrave, Of Counsel and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate

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.

Perspective - Blog

Hype Economics: the haves and the have bots

Published on 01 Nov 2022.

With the most wanted items selling out in the blink of an eye, consumers are leveraging automation to get ahead. Is the use of bots creating more than a moral dilemma for retailers?

Perspective - Blog

Ten tips for retailers entering the metaverse

Published on 25 Oct 2022. By Paul Joukador, Partner and Hettie Homewood , Senior Associate

Once the province of online gaming and social media, the metaverse is the new hot topic in retail.

Perspective - Blog

Vertical Agreements: The New Reality

Published on 07 Oct 2022. By Melanie Musgrave, Of Counsel

For those operating in the retail sector (amongst others), 1st June 2022 saw changes to the UK and EU competition law rules and the "safe harbour" or exemption from the application of competition law for certain types of vertical agreements, i.e. for contractual parties operating at different levels of the supply chain.

Perspective - Blog

Low2NoBev Show - RPC takes front row seat as exclusive legal sponsor as the "No/Lo" alcohol drinks category soars

Published on 21 Sep 2022. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Harpreet Kaur, Associate and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate

Ahead of RPC acting as the exclusive legal sponsor of the Low2NoBev Show taking place at Olympia London later this month (26 – 28 September 2022), it is useful to understand the fundamental changes happening in this growing sector and the potential discussion points that may arise relating to the marketing of these products.

Perspective - Blog

What'SUP? Single-Use Plastics (SUP) are next target in UK government's war on plastic waste

Published on 17 Aug 2022. By Eleanor Harley , Senior Associate

It only takes a short walk along London's Regent's Canal to witness the sheer volume of littered single-use plastics (SUP).

Perspective - Blog

The Summer of ‘Pre-Love’: Has Fast Fashion been Dumped by the British Public?

Published on 20 Jul 2022. By Ela Broderick-Basar, Associate

ITV’s Love Island is back on our screens, officially marking the British summer. This year the show is dumping fast fashion and ‘coupling up’ with its first-ever second-hand clothing sponsor, eBay, with contestants now donning pre-loved pieces sourced from the resale platform.

Perspective - Blog

Tips for approaching innovations using consumer data

Published on 19 Jul 2022. By Jon Bartley, Partner and Amy Blackburn, Senior Associate

Now more than ever, retailers are faced with a wide array of opportunities to use customer data to achieve their commercial objectives. By spotting and assessing key risks early, organisations will be better equipped to avoid breaches of data protection law that may lead to costly fines or claims, failed projects and reputational damage.

Perspective - Blog

Are the brakes on for Quick Commerce?

Published on 20 Jun 2022. By Luke Stewart , Associate and Eleanor Harley , Senior Associate

With consumers continuing to prioritise speed and convenience in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been significant consumer uptake in the use of ultra-fast grocery delivery apps such as Zapp, Gorillas and Getir since early 2020.

Perspective - Blog

Fake it till you make it? The Government says no more to fake reviews plus tightens up on subscription models

Published on 30 May 2022. By Stevie Vella , Associate

The UK Government has confirmed that new consumer rules will come into force to "shield the public from rip-offs and boost competition". Although not confirmed when these will be introduced, the top three issues on its hit list are fake reviews, "subscription traps" and prepayment schemes.

Perspective - Blog

CMA pushing for more powers on sustainability

Published on 17 Mar 2022. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate

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.

Perspective - Blog

Hire Heels: why the rental clothing market matters

Published on 16 Sep 2021.

The old saying that "you can't wear the same outfit twice" doesn't fit well with younger consumers in particular, who are concerned about sustainability and the environmental hazards posed by fast fashion outlets.

Perspective - Blog

Buy-Now-Pay-Later under the regulatory microscope

Published on 07 Sep 2021. By Whitney Simpson, Of Counsel

Growth in the Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) sector is showing no signs of slowing. Square's recent $29 billion acquisition of BNPL behemoth Afterpay being the latest signal that the market is on an upward trajectory. In 2020 alone over 10 million Brits used BNPL to purchase goods online, accounting for nearly 4% of online retail sales. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that usage had very nearly quadrupled to account for £2.7 billion of spending in 2020. Such popularity, particularly among Gen-Z and Millennials, spans the globe with American consumers spending an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion in 2020 by way of deferred payments.

Perspective - Blog

A meaty debate: traditional vs lab-grown alternatives

Published on 13 Aug 2021. By Ben Mark, Partner and Noonie Holmes, Associate

The number of vegans and vegetarians in the UK has skyrocketed in recent years and there are an increasing number of 'flexitarians' aiming to reduce their meat intake for health and environmental reasons. Barclays predicts the meat-alternatives market could be worth £140bn by 2029, which is equivalent to 10% of the global meat industry. This market includes both plant-based foods and newer lab-grown meats.

Perspective - Blog

Marketing mishap costs Papa John's

Published on 14 Jul 2021. By Jon Bartley, Partner and Kiran Dhoot, Associate

Last month, the Information Commissioner's Office ("ICO") has issued a £10,000 fine to Papa John's for sending over 165,000 marketing messages without properly meeting the requirements of the "soft opt-in" rule.

Perspective - Blog

Retailers to be consulted on new legislation for protection from terrorist attacks

Published on 22 Jun 2021. By Gavin Reese, Partner, Head of Regulatory

The Government is currently consulting with the public and retailers to seek their views on proposed legislation requiring the occupiers of "publicly accessible locations" to implement measures to protect employees and members of the public in the event of a terrorist attack.

Perspective - Blog

Re-commerce: the future of luxury fashion?

Published on 21 Jun 2021. By Paul Joukador, Partner and Harpreet Kaur, Associate

With Gen Z successfully catapulting fashion resale platforms like Depop, StockX and Vinted into the limelight over the last decade, has the time come for the luxury market to enter the world of re-commerce?

Perspective - Blog

The Great British (Local) High Street

Published on 14 Jun 2021. By Dea Gagoshidze, Associate

There is no doubt that the UK high street has been hit hard in recent years, not least by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. But alongside the headline grabbing news of shop closures, there were in fact over 7,500 new shop openings between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020.

Perspective - Video

TerraLex virtual meeting: The new wave of M&A

Published on 18 Jun 2020. By Neil Brown, Partner and Paul Joukador, Partner

In this video presentation, RPC's Neil Brown and Paul Joukador meet with Lori Green and Rick McGuirk to discuss issues related to force majeure, frustration of purpose, material adverse change, and how they’ve been impacted and will likely change in the post-pandemic world.

Profile

Kim Wright

Senior Associate

Perspective - Blog

Covered: Insurance regulation – Asia edition

Published on 16 Jun 2023. By Andrew Carpenter, Partner and Heidi Ng, Associate

Covered: Insurance regulation – Asia edition

Perspective - Blog

Consumer duty and claims handling – beware of sludge practices

Published on 10 May 2023. By Jonathan Charwat, Partner

The Consumer Duty is a new regulatory framework developed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) aimed at creating a higher standard of consumer protection in the retail markets. The FCA expects the Consumer Duty to be a significant shift for the market in terms of its expectations on firms and in this blog we consider this shift in the context of insurance claims handling.

Perspective - Publication

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.

Profile

Jessica Davies

Perspective - Blog

The Terminator: A Tale of Two Insurance Claims

Published on 19 Dec 2023. By Peter Mansfield, Partner

It is 2029, and the Machines are losing their war with Humanity. What to do?

Perspective - Blog

Project Angel Bidco v AXIS - what are the key takeaways for warranty and indemnity insurers?

Published on 30 Nov 2023. By James Wickes, Partner and Matthew Wood, Senior Associate and Matt Ward, Trainee Solicitor

On 31 October 2023, the London Circuit Commercial Court gave judgment in Project Angel Bidco Limited (in administration) v Axis Managing Agency Limited & Ors (2023) EWHC 2649.

Perspective - Blog

Wordings do matter

Published on 06 Nov 2023. By Tamsin Hyland, Partner

Contract drafting has been brass tacks for lawyers since the dawn of time. In its broadest terms, it involves putting the scope of a bargain reached between parties into clear and effective language.

Perspective - Blog

Storm Babet, flooding and the insurance implications

Published on 24 Oct 2023. By Victoria Sherratt, Partner and Andrew Roper, Partner and Aimee Talbot, Knowledge Lawyer

Subtropical cyclone Storm Babet is currently responsible for over 350 flood warnings in the UK, with more flood warnings expected later this week.

Perspective - Blog

Getting to know Global Access Lawyers

Published on 09 Oct 2023. By Carmel Green, Partner and Simon Laird, Global Head of Insurance

Global Access Lawyers brings together some of the worlds leading insurance law practices. In the following pages get to know the different law firms that make up Global Access, who we are, where we operate and the kind of work we do. We hope you find this useful to understand the international reach of Global Access.