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Silicon Valley, Signature and Credit Suisse: what do they all share(holder) in common?
In what has been termed "the biggest banking crisis since 2008", both Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank have collapsed, and Credit Suisse has been rescued. Whether more banks are to follow suit is yet to be seen.
Read moreNew developments in AI may put law firms at greater risk of phishing fraud
As the computing power of Artificial Intelligence continues to grow exponentially, we consider how generative technology may expand the reach of traditional phishing frauds aimed at law firms.
Read moreAccessory liability: when will directors be held liable for IP infringements committed by their companies – and what is counted as "profits"?
The Supreme Court in Lifestyle Equities CV & Anor v Ahmed & Anor [2024] UKSC 17, has allowed an appeal by two company directors who were found liable as accessories to trade mark infringement by the company in which they were directors. The decision provides helpful clarification on the required elements for accessory liability in the context of IP right infringement claims and confirms the sums to be included in an account of profits if liability is established (spoiler alert: a director's salary is not considered to be "profit").
Read moreGinfringement: Success for M&S in the Court of Appeal in registered design spat with Aldi
M&S and Aldi's gin bottle battle over design rights has reached a conclusion (for now) as the Court of Appeal has unanimously upheld the IPEC's decision that Aldi's bottle infringed M&S' design.
Read moreClear as gin: M&S and Aldi take liquor bottle battle to the Court of Appeal
Intellectual property enthusiasts' favourite supermarket adversaries were back at loggerheads this week as M&S and Aldi appear before the Court of Appeal. The pair sought to thrash out a first instance decision handed down in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) regarding alleged infringement of M&S' registered design rights in a gin bottle.
Read moreM&S v Aldi – lookalike claims lit up by design rights
As lookalike products rise in prominence, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court's (IPEC) recent ruling that the sale and advertisement of Aldi's 'Infusionist' range of favoured gins infringed M&S's UK registered designs protecting the light-up bottles containing its 'Snow Globe' gin range (Marks and Spencer PLC v Aldi Stores Limited [2023] EWHC 178) highlights the utility of registered design rights in circumstances where other intellectual property rights (IPR) are often less able to provide protection.
Read moreLookalikes and passing off—bottle design get-up claim (Au Vodka)
Currently there's significant activity in the lookalikes space. The Au Vodka claim (Au Vodka v NE10 Vodka [2022] EWHC 2371), which focuses on bottle design 'get-up', arrived in the courts for an interim injunction hearing in September 2022. Au Vodka's application was dismissed. The judgment shows that passing off—get-up claims based on shape can be challenging to bring, particularly at the interim stage, and prompts the question of whether it's possible to bring Cofemel and copyright into the lookalikes arena.
Read more'Nosecco' is a no-no, says the High Court
In recent years, health and wellbeing has been big business in the UK. The COVID-19 outbreak has only further stoked the desire to obtain and maintain healthy minds and bodies and the trend looks set to continue, across the retail sector.
Read more12 top tips for using AI in retail and consumer businesses
Last year, we set out our top ten tips for retailers entering the metaverse. This year, AI is the hot topic in retail and pretty much everywhere else! AI is redefining the retail and consumer industry. It can improve consume engagement, aid decision-making, curate tailored promotions, improve efficiencies, and reduce costs. So what do retailers and consumer bran need to be mindful of when deploying AI?
Read moreParliamentary 'wash up' – which Bills made it through?
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.
Read moreThe Times recognises RPC among Best Law Firms 2024
International law firm, RPC, has been recognised by The Times in its Best Law Firms 2024 report, an annual ranking of the top 250 law firms in England and Wales.
Read moreAs 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
Read moreFurlough, 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.
Read moreNo bouncing back for directors
Banned! Fraudsters! – Terms used by the Insolvency Service for directors who abused the government backed loan scheme which was put in place to help businesses struggling during the pandemic.
Read moreCybersecurity breaches at financial services firms more than trebles
Cybersecurity breaches reported by financial service providers rose from 187 in 2021/22 to 640 in 2022/23 UK pension schemes report the biggest increase, 4,000%, in data breach reports to the ICO
Read moreNew virtual insurer for Hong Kong
This month saw the award of a further virtual insurer licence in Hong Kong – this time for OneDegree (on 15 April 2020). The start-up will focus, initially, on the burgeoning Hong Kong pet insurance market, before a proposed expansion into health and cyber risk.
Read moreICO fines online travel insurer £175,000 for failing to keep customers’ personal information secure
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.
Read moreNew 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?
Read moreCompulsory mediation in small claims: a quick guide for the busy lawyer
A new pilot scheme requiring parties in money claims valued at up to £10,000 to take part in a compulsory free one-hour mediation appointment, provided by HMCTS' Small Claims Mediation Service – before the claim can then proceed to Court if no settlement is reached.
Read moreNavigating the digital shift: balancing efficiency and customer care in insurance brokerage
Workflow and process efficiency is something that insurance brokers report as one of their main challenges year on year. As technology accelerates faster than ever before, using data and technology is critical to providing exceptional customer service and improving productivity, but what are the risks involved in automation?
Read moreGeneral Liability newsletter – May 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of our general liability newsletter, rounding up some of the key cases from the last few months.
Read moreMoney Covered: The Week That Was – 10 May
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.
Read moreMoney Covered: The Week That Was – 3 May
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.
Read moreMoney Covered: The Week That Was – 26 April
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.
Read moreAre you being smart with your connectable products?
The growth of "smart" products that can connect to the internet has grown significantly over the past 10 years and the UK government estimate that there could be 50 million connectable products worldwide by 2030, and on average there are currently 9 in each UK household.
Read moreMoney Covered: The Week that Was - 19 April
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.
Read moreSource@RPC – April 2024
The aim of Source@RPC is to provide lawyers, procurement professionals and CIOs/CTOs (amongst others) with a regular update on the legal implications and risks (and how best to manage them) of sourcing and utilising technology and outsourced technology-enabled services, as they affect businesses operating in the insurance and financial services sector.
Read moreThe 5 secrets to handling large claims (With Sarah Howell)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Sarah Howell, Claims Manager at Liberty Specialty Markets, and the topic for discussion is the 5 secrets to handling large claims.
Read moreAsbestos update: "implausible" deniability
The recent case of Evans v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, follows the trend of low exposure asbestos cases being defendable, when many feared that the 2018 case Bussey v Anglia Heating Ltd made that near on impossible.
Read moreThe birth of an MGA (With James Sterling & Charles Boorman)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by two guests, Charles Boorman, CEO and James Sterling, Head of Claims, at Kayzen Specialty a new MGA, and in this episode we discuss the story of how Kayzen was formed.
Read moreRise with RPC: Tips for developing your insurance network
In the aftermath of the "Rise with RPC" event, we're immensely grateful to everyone who joined us, contributing to the dynamic exchange of ideas on "Building your insurance network." Here’s a distilled version of the top tips shared, each designed to be an actionable takeaway to apply in your professional journey.
Read moreOn being the Director General of the ABI (With Hannah Gurga)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Hannah Gurga, Director General of the ABI, and they will be discussing Hannah's role at the ABI.
Read moreFinding joy in your job: insights from FIG's latest panel
On 21 February, RPC's inclusive insurance network, FIG, reconvened for a notable panel discussion, shedding light on the theme of "Finding joy in your job."
Read moreIn the familiar, lies the unseen
We like to look at boilerplate language with fresh eyes and so taking the recent case of Dassault Aviation SA v Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 5 as a jumping off point, we consider the potential tensions, hidden to some extent in plain sight, between anti-assignment and subrogation rights and the take aways for those drafting insurance policy wordings.
Read moreHow should Financial Institutions manage the rise of non-financial misconduct?
Over the last few months, Parliament's Treasury Committee has sought to examine the many barriers faced by women in financial services through the aptly named "Sexism in the City" inquiry.
Read moreSource@RPC - February 2024
The aim of Source@RPC is to provide lawyers, procurement professionals and CIOs/CTOs (amongst others) with a regular update on the legal implications and risks (and how best to manage them) of sourcing and utilising technology and outsourced technology-enabled services, as they affect businesses operating in the insurance and financial services sector.
Read moreA look at kidnap and ransom insurance (with Charlie Hanbury)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Charlie Hanbury, CEO of Samphire MGA, and in this episode they will be discussing all things K&R, that's kidnap and ransom insurance.
Read moreHurricane Otis Acapulco
Acapulco, one of the main tourist destinations in Mexico, suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Otis (category 5) when it struck on Wednesday, 25 October 2023.
Read moreQuid game – fixed costs; pick your battles
Ordinarily, the claims that make the headlines are those that have the highest value or the most significant impact on the public. With the costs landscape ever-changing in civil claims, without careful planning and strategy, even modest claims can end up biting defendants in the longer-term.
Read moreMoral hazard: the dark heart of insurance (With Robert Hartwig)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Robert Hartwig, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of South Carolina. In this episode they discuss the concept of moral hazard in insurance.
Read moreCastle caper condoned? Court of Appeal rules on dishonest condonation and aggregation under solicitors policy in Discovery Land v AXIS
On 15 January 2024 the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Discovery Land Company LLC and others v Axis Specialty Europe SE [2024] EWCA Civ 7. The case concerns the ability of a solicitors’ insurer to decline cover for a claim on grounds of dishonesty and, in particular, the meaning of “condonation” of dishonesty. It also concerns how the aggregation clause operates in a solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance policy.
Read moreWhat 6 key challenges will insurers face in 2024?
Climate change, Artificial Intelligence and ESG top this year's predictions in latest edition of Annual insurance review from international law firm RPC
Read moreProcedure damages & costs
In this chapter of our Annual Insurance Review 2024, we look at the main developments in 2023 and expected issues in 2024 for Procedure damages & costs.
Read moreProduct liability
In this chapter of our Annual Insurance Review 2024, we look at the main developments in 2023 and expected issues in 2024 for Product liability.
Read moreThe insurance of coral reefs (With Sarah Conway)
Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Sarah Conway who is a Director in WTW’s Disaster Risk, Finance & Parametrics team, leading the Ecosystem Resilience practice. In this episode we discuss insurance of coral reefs and climate finance.
Read moreThe Terminator: A Tale of Two Insurance Claims
It is 2029, and the Machines are losing their war with Humanity. What to do?
Read moreChambers Asia Pacific recommends RPC Premier Law in three categories
Chambers Asia Pacific recommends RPC Premier Law in three categories, with a new ranking for Corporate/M&A: Domestic in its recently published 2024 edition.
Read moreSource@RPC - December 2023
The aim of Source@RPC is to provide lawyers, procurement professionals and CIOs/CTOs (amongst others) with a regular update on the legal implications and risks (and how best to manage them) of sourcing and utilising technology and outsourced technology-enabled services, as they affect businesses operating in the insurance and financial services sector.
Read moreProject Angel Bidco v AXIS - what are the key takeaways for warranty and indemnity insurers?
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.
Read moreWordings do matter
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.
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