The flight to quality in the UK’s commercial real estate market has been covered extensively over recent months. Nowhere is this shift being felt more acutely than in the office sector. According to Cushman & Wakefield, take-up of Grade A office space in Central London reached 2.44m sq ft during the first half of 2023 - increasing by 7 per cent on the five-year H1 average. There are many factors driving this shift ...
Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
Examples of ESG investments include investments in businesses such as wind farms and solar power initiatives, or in companies that meet the investor’s ESG value criteria (for example, because they have in place policies to address climate change or to ensure ethical supply chain sourcing) ...
For those considering such a move, there are various options open to them to make their relocation a reality: Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Direct Investment Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means A person can apply for a Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means ...
In recent times, the financial market has been abuss with discussions about the potential benefits of real estate tokenisation. Several initiatives worldwide, such as Propchain in Dubai, Vave and Equisafe in France, Propellr, Inveniam Capital Partners, and Fluidity in the United States, as well as Elevated Returns in the United States and Thailand, have taken the bold step of launching tokenised real estate projects ...
One of the most common questions I receive from clients is around the termination of leases, with confusion reigning around the terminology and procedures used in Scotland. It is not surprising that when given a remit to consider the law of commercial leases, the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) first turned its attention to the law relating to the termination of leases at expiry. In October 2022, following consultations, the SLC published its Report on Aspects of Leases: Termination ...
In a recent update to the suite of Homes England standard shared ownership leases, England’s Regulator of Social Housing sought to align rent reviews with social and affordable rent tenures. In the process, it may have created more work for sector participants ...
The Government of Jersey has published an update on the implementation of mandatory Energy Performance Certificates for Jersey in relation to commercial and residential property. The update confirms that the planned new legislation will establish a framework for Jersey Energy Performance Assessments (JEPA), which will be the Jersey equivalent to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). This name change is to ensure that it is clear the Jersey assessments differ from those in the UK ...
The idea of achieving purpose alongside profit has been part of the business world for centuries, but the importance placed on it has reached new heights in recent years with an increased focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues, informed by a longer-term view that we cannot afford to pursue profit without consideration for people and our planet ...
We have previously commented on the impact environmental concerns are having on those working in the traditional energy sectors. In particular, the focus on renewable energy has left many oil and gas workers nervous about their job security and ability to find alternative work if they are made redundant. Thankfully, it appears those concerns might be unfounded ...
Over the course of a century of oil and gas development in the U.S., a robust body of law developed, covering virtually every aspect of E&P and interpreting every provision in oil and gas leases, joint operating agreements and innumerable industry contracts. But with the rise of the energy transition, a new set of rules are needed to deal with unprecedented policy, new technology and different priorities ...
The Finnish government proposes significant changes to transfer taxation. Transfer tax is levied on the acquisition of shares and other securities and real property. The proposed changes may have significant effects to the taxation of M&A and real estate transactions. Some of the proposed changes will decrease the tax burden while some will result in increased tax liability. The most significant changes include: The general rate for securities (1 ...
After a particularly active consultation round with approx. 140 consultation responses, together with the proposal for the national budget for 2024, the government presented a revised proposal today, 6 October 2023. The criticism from a relatively united renewables industry must be said to have fallen on relatively deaf ears and the proposal is essentially a continuation of the consultation proposal ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in sanctions, specifically, those sanctions being imposed against Russia ...
It’s been an exhausting week for climate and transport policy. Whilst the controversy around the Conservatives’ self-declared “war on motorists” will rightly rage, there seems little doubt that the move to electrification of domestic vehicles is one which they accept is inevitable, and ideology aside, makes good financial sense ...
phttps://www.huntonak.com/images/content/9/3/v2/93738/sc-clarifies-undue-hardship-standard-for-title-vii-religious-acc ...
On 30 August 2023, the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Bill, 2023 (the Bill) was published, proposing several important changes to the beneficial ownership regime in the Cayman Islands. The Bill is intended to enhance the jurisdiction’s current beneficial ownership regime to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force ...
Tucked away in the recent Ohio Budget Bill, House Bill 33, were statutory changes that expand and modernize the statutes related to physicians and other health care professionals licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio (Board) ...
Residency status in a foreign country is a matter of vital importance for those seeking to settle and build a life in a new place. In El Salvador, understanding the grounds for cancellation of residency is essential for foreign residents, as any non-compliance can have significant legal repercussions. The legal framework that regulates residency status in El Salvador is mainly established in theSpecial Law on Migration and Foreigners and its respective Regulations ...
Building any career or business can be difficult, but even more so in construction. A company or individual can ruin its reputation that it took years to develop by taking a political stance or posting the wrong thing online. It can be difficult to recover from blowing a bid, miscalculating an estimate, or being locked into a fixed-price contract and the cost of materials escalate more than your profit. One might have to close up shop or be demoted or terminated ...
If the United States Congress cannot reach a budget agreement to continue funding Federal government operations, the U.S. government will shut down non-essential functions Sunday, October 1, 2023. During the shutdown, immigration-related government agencies will be affected as described below. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) USCIS is funded by the fees it receives in connection with petitions and applications it processes and will not close ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in international sanctions ...
The UK political temperature is rising. With a General Election in the offing next year, and Labour now ahead in opinion polling, UK business would be wise to consider what a change in government could mean for employment law. A recent indication of Labour’s current thinking on employment policy was given by Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, in her speech to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 12 September 2023 ...
