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The Times recognises RPC among Best Law Firms 2024

Published on 30 Oct 2023.

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.

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.

Money Covered: The Week That Was – 10 May

Published on 10 May 2024. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week That Was – 3 May

Published on 03 May 2024. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week That Was – 26 April

Published on 26 Apr 2024. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week that Was - 19 April

Published on 19 Apr 2024. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week that Was - 25 August

Published on 25 Aug 2023. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week that Was - 04 August

Published on 04 Aug 2023. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week that Was - 28 July

Published on 28 Jul 2023. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

Money Covered: The Week that Was - 07 July

Published on 07 Jul 2023. By Rachael Healey, Partner and Robert Morris, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and George Smith, Partner

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.

'Nosecco' is a no-no, says the High Court

Published on 01 Jul 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Sarah Mountain, Partner

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.

A matter of interpretation – the Supreme Court look at contractual interpretation once more

Published on 24 Feb 2023. By Poppy Hay, Associate and Laura Stocks, Partner

In their recent Judgment in Sara & Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd (a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands) v Blacks Outdoor Retails Ltd [2023] UKSC 2 the Supreme Court adopted a commercially balanced interpretation of a lease; rejecting the overly textual approach of the Court of Appeal in favour of reading the relevant clause in the context of the lease as a whole.

New developments in AI may put law firms at greater risk of phishing fraud

Published on 28 Apr 2023. By Will Sefton, Partner and Head of Professional and Financial Risks

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.

FOS proposals to clear the back-log - attractive or not?

Published on 18 Oct 2021. By Cory Gilbert-Haworth, Associate and Rachael Healey, Partner

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has proposed a temporary approach to the classification of certain complaints in an attempt to alleviate their complaints backlog exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach could see firms looking to pro-actively resolve complaints before a defined cut off date before FOS reaches a decision so that the complaint is recorded separately and not as a "change in outcome" (i.e. where a complaint has been rejected by a business and upheld by FOS). The consultation was open for a short two-week period between 4 and 18 October 2021.

Further welcome news from the FCA – this time on co-manufacturing

Published on 08 Aug 2024. By Jonathan Charwat, Partner and Lauren Murphy, Senior Associate

Following on from our earlier blog, our review of the FCA's 'Discussion Paper' (DP24/1) continues, this time considering the rules relating to co-manufacturers of insurance products.

Potential deregulation and a pragmatic approach to commercial insurance – welcome news from the FCA

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Jonathan Charwat, Partner and James Houlihan, Associate

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.

New Labour government – what is in store for the UK?

Published on 09 Jul 2024. By Rachael Healey, Partner

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?

Fix up, look sharp: FRC update

Published on 01 Aug 2023. By Will Sefton, Partner and Head of Professional and Financial Risks and Aimee Talbot, Knowledge Lawyer

What's the latest on fixed recoverable costs in professional negligence claims?

Take 10 – 26 July 2024

Published on 26 Jul 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

Take 10 - 12 July 2024

Published on 12 Jul 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

Take 10 – 23 May 2024

Published on 23 May 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

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.

The Online Safety Bill and the risk of unintended consequences

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate

The Online Safety Bill was reintroduced to Parliament late last year, with new amendments receiving scrutiny in the House of Commons in December, before the bill entered the House of Lords in January. The bill continues to evolve, most notably with the government removing the requirement for user-to-user platforms and search engines to prevent adult users from encountering "legal but harmful" content, instead requiring online platforms to provide users with enhanced content controls (i.e., choice as to what content is seen), and imposing further obligations around transparency and enforcement of online platforms' terms and conditions. "Legal but harmful" obligations remain in place for under 18s. The government has recently agreed to introduce criminal sanctions for senior managers who fail to take proportionate measures to protect children from potentially harmful content.

Media & Entertainment

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The EU’s new General Product Safety Regulation is set to land in December 2024

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What do manufacturers and online marketplaces need to think about as the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) comes into force in December 2024?

Empowering consumers through the EU’s Green Transition Directive

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What are the enhanced consumers rights arising from the EU’s Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (the Empowering Consumers Directive)?

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Regulations: a new security regime for smart devices

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What does the new cyber security regime mean for “smart” devices in the UK?

The EU’s Product Liability Directive expands to cover digital technology

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What changes to civil product liability have been implemented by the European Commission for defective digital products and software?

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act becomes law

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What changes will the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act bring to the consumer protection and competition regulation landscape?

The EU's Green Claims Directive

Published on 24 Jul 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and Ciara Cullen, Partner and Hettie Homewood , Senior Associate and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate

The EU's proposed Green Claims Directive (GCD) sets out expansive new rules for companies making green claims in the EU.

Consumer friendly compliance – guidance for retailers and consumer brands on the DMCC Bill

Published on 15 May 2024. By Eve Matthews, Associate

Following receipt of some 372 responses to the "Smarter Regulation: Improving consumer price transparency and product information for consumers" Consultation, the government has published its response in which it proposes significant amends to the Price Marking Order alongside new additions to the DMCC Bill.

Higher stakes cybercrime – prepare now

Published on 08 May 2024. By Elizabeth Zang, Associate and Richard Breavington, Partner

Cybercrime continues to increase and shows no signs of stopping.

Food and beverage 2050: The transition to net zero

Published on 02 May 2024. By Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate and Rosamund Akayan, Knowledge Lawyer

Following publication in October 2023 of its final Disclosure Framework for private sector entities to transition to a net zero economy, the TPT published draft Food & Beverage Sector Guidance in November 2023.

Virtual advertising: a glimpse into the future

Published on 30 Apr 2024. By Elizabeth Alibhai, Partner and Lola Akinloye, Associate

Virtual advertising and experiences are transforming the way real world property can be used by turning it into a canvas for digital content.

The rise of recommerce

Published on 25 Apr 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Emma Dunnill, Senior Associate

Recommerce (which includes reselling, renting, refilling, repairing or reusing goods) is already an extremely valuable business model, estimated by Barclays to be worth almost £7bn in the UK alone and expected by Visa to increase to £82bn by 2030. This growth – particularly in respect of resale – is widely regarded as being driven by Gen Z consumers, over two thirds of whom now prefer to buy second-hand over new goods, in part, due to sustainability concerns.

Online Fraud Charter agreed by largest tech companies

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What are the obligations for tech companies that have signed up to the UK’s Online Fraud Charter (the Charter)?

The DMCC Bill: New laws set to ban fake reviews and drip pricing from online shopping

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What new laws is the UK Government planning to introduce to tackle fake reviews and unfair fees when it comes to online shopping?

Collective actions under consumer law: proposed amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Are class actions under consumer protection law likely following the UK’s new DMCC Bill, and if so, what will the impact on businesses be?

Green claims: key takeaways from the CMA's first investigation

Published on 04 Apr 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate and Lewis Manning, Associate

After much anticipation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has finally published the results of its investigation into green claims made by ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda. All three retailers have signed undertakings committing to change the way they promote their green credentials and to set up robust internal processes to ensure future green claims are not misleading.

What if the CEO asks me about… the options available for a company facing financial difficulties?

Published on 26 Mar 2024. By Paul Bagon, Partner and Will Beck, Of Counsel and Knowledge Lawyer

The latest government insolvency statistics highlight that the downturn in the UK economy is still taking a significant toll and the number of UK corporate insolvencies in February 2024 remains high (and 17% higher compared to February 2023).

Progress on sustainability in fashion: the move to circularity

Published on 27 Feb 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate

According to the WRAP report, it is estimated that the fashion and textiles sector accounts for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses 93 billion cubic meters of water each year.

12 top tips for using AI in retail and consumer businesses

Published on 18 Dec 2023. By Praveeta Thayalan, Knowledge Lawyer and Brendan Collar, Senior Associate

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?

Code of Conduct for Leasing of Retail Premises to take effect from 1 February 2024

Published on 11 Dec 2023. By Bonnie Wong, Of Counsel

Following from the passing of the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Bill which mandates compliance with the Code of Conduct for Leasing of Retail Premises in Singapore ("Code") for qualifying leases of retail premises earlier this year, the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act ("Act') is expected to take effect from 1 February 2024.

Platforms with Irish HQs win EU case to follow Irish law

Published on 11 Dec 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Do platforms have additional regulatory obligations in EU states, even if they don’t have a registered office there?

Ofcom issues draft guidance and launches consultation on the Online Safety Act 2023

Published on 11 Dec 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What can platforms expect from Ofcom, as it steps into its new role regulating compliance with the Online Safety Act 2023 (the Act)?

European consumer group files greenwashing complaint over water bottle recyclability

Published on 11 Dec 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Will a consumer group complaint about recyclability and the use of green imagery on water bottle packaging be successful in proving a breach of EU regulations against greenwashing? And what will this mean for wider industry using recyclable or recycled packaging?