2023 is set to be a landmark year for the real estate industry, with major legal developments expected and new legislation coming into force. These changes are analysed below, with Shoosmiths’ experts examining the legislation and its implications on developers, investors, occupiers and others operating across the real estate sector ...
2022 was a record year for the UK’s living sector. Investment into the sector exceeded £10bn in Q3, fuelled by growth across build to rent, student accommodation and healthcare. While the data for Q4 is yet to be revealed, JLL predicts that the total investment for the year could surpass the £13.8bn recorded in 2021 ...
On 22 December 2022, the Commissariat aux Assurances (the CAA) released Circular Letter 22/22 on the takeover of intermediation in certain types of life insurance contracts (Circular 22/22).This circular provides guidelines on issues that may arise in the context of a takeover of insurance intermediation (reprise d’intermédiation). 1 ...
It has been some time since there has been talk about bonfires in Parliament but the continued debate (albeit largely outside of the Chamber thus far) as to when we should finally say 'farewell' to 'retained' EU legislation is one that many of us are watching with interest. When originally introduced, the suggestion that some 4,000 pieces of legislation would essentially evaporate by the end of this year caused something veering between confusion, concern and, let's be honest, disbelief ...
It is with great pleasure that we announce the promotion of Thitawan Thanasombatpaisarn and Kongwat Akaramanee to partners of Kudun and Partners. Thitawan, our new capital markets partner, and Kongwat, our new dispute resolution partner, have been valued members of our team for many years, and has consistently demonstrated exceptional legal acumen and a deep commitment to our clients ...
Grace Instrument Industries, LLC v. Chandler Instruments Company, LLC, Appeal No. 2021-2370 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 12, 2023) In an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the Federal Circuit vacated the district court’s determination that one of a patent’s claim terms, “enlarged chamber,” is indefinite, and remanded for further proceedings ...
Overview On 4 November 2022, the Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia issued two new regulations, namely, Prakas 226 on the Formalities and Procedures of Inspection and Investigation under the Law on Competition (“Prakas 226”) and Prakas 227 on the Conditions and Procedures of Negotiated Settlement under the Law on Competition (“Prakas 227”) ...
On 21 December 2022 the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Stanford International Bank Ltd (in liquidation) v HSBC Bank PLC [2022] UKSC 34. Stanford International Bank’s (‘SIB’) appeal was ultimately struck out as it was determined that it did not suffer a recoverable loss. Background The original claim was brought by Antigua-based SIB in relation to several accounts it held with HSBC Bank PLC (‘HSBC’) in London between 2003 to 2009 ...
Sheelagh Cooley, real estate partner at Shoosmiths, comments on the successful Scottish green freeport bids - Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport. The Scottish and UK governments have announced Scotland’s first Green Freeports ...
As the ‘permacrisis’ of the last few years follows us into 2023, the construction industry is likely to experience further instability and economic uncertainty – driven by labour shortages, material and price fluctuations and the geopolitical landscape. Economic conditions It’s not all bad news, however. In December, the Office of National Statistics published its Construction output in Great Britain: October 2022 ...
The recent decision of an Inspector to reject confirmation of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) sought by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council is a key reminder of the need to use CPO powers only as a matter of last resort and to be mindful of the impact of a proposed scheme on the human rights of affected landowners ...
Determining the correct rate of rent in a 1954 Act renewal can be a sticky subject at the best of times, not least when a rent-free period is thrown into the mix. Section 34 of the Act allows the Court to determine the level of rent due under the new lease, taking into account comparable evidence and applying certain disregards. Whilst s ...
Ukraine is an EU candidate: Can we soon file patent applications for Ukraine at the European Patent Office? The European Council granted Ukraine EU candidate status on 23 June 2022. Will patents granted by the European Patent Office soon also apply in Ukraine? Not immediately, because on the one hand the candidate status legally creates neither rights nor obligations ...
The government is currently consulting on amendments to Approved Document B, which gives guidance on how to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations, including options for providing sprinklers in care homes and to recommend a second staircase be provided in residential buildings over 30 metres in height ...
“With the energy crisis likely to continue throughout 2023 and pressures on governments, businesses and individuals to take action to tackle climate change, I expect that, whilst government funding may be limited, there will be no shortage of capital for investment in clean energy projects ...
The UAE has introduced a new law on civil procedure (Federal Decree-Law 42/2022) which repeals Federal Law No. 11 of 1992 on civil procedure and its executive regulations issued under Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of 2018. The new law came into force on 2 January 2022 ...
Dionex Softron GmbH v. Agilent Techs., Inc., Appeal No. 21-2372 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 6, 2023) This week’s Case of the Week, the only precedential patent opinion issued by the Federal Circuit this week, focused primarily on the corroboration requirement for relevant dates of invention. The Court held there was sufficient evidence of a reduction to practice as of a given date, based primarily on corroboration of multiple witnesses, notwithstanding limited documentary evidence ...
Whether a court must defer to an administrative agency’s interpretation of a statute has recently become a hot-button topic in a wide variety of legal circles ranging from political campaigns to cases heard before the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Ohio has now joined with its recent decision in TWISM Ents., L.L.C. v. State Bd ...
The recent judgment issued by the Supreme Court of Bermuda in the case of In the Matter of the AB Settlement [2022] SC (Bda) 92 Civ provides very helpful authority on the question of whether trust restructurings under Bermuda statute constitute resettlements. The case concerned a substantial English law trust, referred to in the judgment as the AB Settlement ...
If your organization operates or could be sued in New York, there has been recent activity on the legal and regulatory risk landscape that risk professionals should be prepared for. New York’s newly-enacted Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Requirements legislation opens the door for defendants to request that organizations disclose the details of their commercial insurance programs that may apply to a judgment in the case ...
In September 2022, the UAE introduced an insurance scheme pursuant to Federal Decree No. 13 of 2022 concerning unemployment insurance. This law was followed by Cabinet Decision No. 97 of 2022 concerning the mechanisms and controls for implementing the unemployment insurance scheme, and Ministerial Resolution No. 604 of 2022 concerning the unemployment insurance scheme (together with the Federal Decree, theUnemployment Insurance Law) ...
The Association’s claim is a torts claim on behalf of approximately 400.000 residential alarm customers against the two major Norwegian alarm companies. Sector and Verisure colluded over eight years and were fined NOK 1,2 billion (120 million euros) by the Norwegian Competition Authority. The question that the Supreme Court shall decide is whether third-party financing in opt-out class actions can be permitted under the Norwegian Dispute Act ...
Significant False Claims Act (FCA) developments in the courts during the latter part of 2022 have included the Supreme Court’s declining to take up one issue involving FCA qui tam actions (what level of pleading particularity Rule 9(b) requires) while holding argument on another (the scope of the government’s dismissal power following declination), and the D.C. Circuit’s adoption of the pro tanto rule in computing settlement offsets in multiple-defendant cases ...
Dinsmore partner Faith Whittaker and associate Jared Phalen were published in Bank Director with their article "New Law Ends Pre-Dispute NDAs for Workplace Sexual Harassment, Assault Disputes." An excerpt is below. On Nov. 16, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives sent the Speak Out Act to President Joe Biden’s desk with a 315-109 vote. The legislation, which cleared the Senate unanimously on Sept ...
