The Law Commission recently announced that it has commenced a three-year review of existing legal frameworks to identify the challenges and opportunities linked to the introduction of highly automated systems into the aviation sector. Such systems could include autonomous drones that can deliver goods to remote areas and pilot-less flying taxis that can transport people across urban environments ...
The government’s push to drive down net migration figures has been well documented. 2024 will see a raft of changes aimed at reducing this figure from the 745,000 that was recorded for 2022. Whilst there is no doubt that the changes will result in reduced migration, it will also make things more difficult for sectors that rely on the sponsorship system to fill vacancies in areas where there are skills shortages in the resident labour market ...
Following chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget speech made on 6 March 2024, legal experts at law firm Shoosmiths share their views on the announcements ...
The use of AI systems and chatbots by employees and employers is gaining more and more foothold at workplaces. It is relevant for the employer to be aware of the regulation applicable to employees' use of AI systems and chatbots and to ensure that the employer's own use of AI systems takes place within the applicable regulation in terms of employment and personal data law. Use of AI Systems by Employees AI systems and chatbots are useful tools for employees ...
Antitrust issues in vertical relationships are no longer below the competition authorities’ ‘radar’. This trend of not only focusing on horizontal but also on vertical competition law infringements has once more been seen with the Belgian Competition Authority’s decision to fine Le Creuset EUR 490,112 for having implemented a resale price maintenance policy with its distributors over a six and half year period ...
Previous European data protection laws only covered controllers of personal data. From 2018 processors can be fined and pay compensation for data breaches in their own right. Is this happening, and what can we learn about managing data processing risks? Looking at GDPR enforcement in the UK and EU, you would be forgiven for thinking that new liabilities for data processors since the advent of the General Data Protection Regulation in 2018 has not made much difference ...
As digital platforms continue to dominate, the gig economy provides jobs that enable flexible working. This article seeks to explore the recent state of play regarding gig-economy working in the UK, and how employers can comply with their obligations. What is the gig-economy? The gig-economy reflects the labour market in which typically short-term jobs are carried out over digital platforms by individuals who can fit such work around their other commitments ...
With Mother’s Day approaching this Sunday, a day seen by many as one to celebrate and recognise fantastic, supportive, loving motherly figures, it is for others a day full of challenges and sadness ...
In an earlier article in this series, we already discussed the planned changes in terms of moveable income. Whilst the changes may seem relatively limited at first glance, Dutch residents immigrating to Belgium will however encounter several peculiarities as set out in this article. Capital gains Capital gains, i.e. on shares, are in principle taxable in the state of residence ...
Russian State Labour Inspectorate (GIT): An employer may impose disciplinary sanction on an employee for disclosing a colleague's salary GIT received a question whether an employer can punish an employee who, ****without the consent**** of a colleague, ****disclosed their salary**** ...
Christian Vestheim focuses on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investments, and Private Equity. He has extensive experience with Private Equity and venture capital transactions, and has assisted numerous national and international clients with investments and acquisitions. Christian has worked on transactions across various sectors, with a particular focus on technology in recent years ...
In our second article in the series focusing on discrimination in the workplace, we consider race, one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including what the term covers and what issues commonly arise in the workplace. What is race? Race is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins ...
Liverpool’s impressive Spine building was the backdrop for the North West Hydrogen Alliance’s conference focussed on delivering the hydrogen economy. Appropriately, for an event with such an ambitious title, the occasion drew participants and presenters from various segments of the value chain. On the production side, BP and Cadent announced plans for a new 250MW plant ...
Practise What You Preach Governance + Compliance Magazine Joanne Sear, Principal Associate Barrister, Shoosmiths February 2024 Companies in the legal services industry may be advising clients on the risks and opportunities around corporate responsibility, but are they living up to those recommendations? For more than a decade, corporate responsibility (CR) has been a key risk and opportunity for businesses ...
Following the UK Government’s announcement in August 2023 of plans to extend the recognition of the CE marking ‘indefinitely’, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has announced its intention to propose legislation in the spring of 2024 that will indefinitely recognise CE marking for many types of products sold in Great Britain (GB) ...
The Department for Transport today announced that design work on the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub can commence with an injection of £123 million. The Midlands Rail Hub project is poised to transform rail connectivity in the heart of England, promising significant benefits for commuters and travellers alike. This is a comprehensive upgrade project that aims to enhance rail services across the Midlands region ...
Christian and his team represented a father who appealed the case to Nav, which ultimately ended in victory in the Supreme Court. In addition to Legal Achievement of the Year, SVW has once again been named Norway’s leading law firm in Data Protection ...
On 22 February 2024, The Equality and Human Rights Commission published their first guidance on menopause in the workplace (the Guidance). This is a welcomed move in the right direction, but it remains to be seen how far this will change things in practice ...
Employers are likely to have experienced some of their employees losing a baby before the 24 week mark. Employees may have been open about it with their employers; others may not have been especially if their pregnancy was in the early stages. The Government has just launched a new scheme for parents who experience a loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks. The scheme went live at 9am on 22 February 2024 and allows parents in this situation to request a baby loss certificate ...
To reduce carbon emissions, significant changes are necessary in how our industries operate, how they draw power from the grid and how we heat our homes. Hydrogen emerges as a pivotal element in achieving net zero (NZ) emission goals. It serves as a low-carbon fuel, facilitating our transition toward a more sustainable future. Developing a hydrogen economy holds the key to unlocking future investments, generating employment opportunities and enhancing supply chains ...
As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. Many are predicting greater dealmaking in 2024, although we suspect that will be weighted towards the second half of the year. As it has been widely reported, 2023 saw a fall in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions compared to 2022. A vast array of headwinds all led to a reduction in deal activity, including high inflation, rising interest rates and lower economic growth ...
A podcast series that explores privacy themes within some of the most well-known movies. Whether you are a film buff, a privacy advocate, or simply curious about the intersection of storytelling and privacy, take a journey with us as we explore how the big screen tackles privacy. In this episode, William Moore and Alice Wallbank discuss “The Terminator”. So tune in to hear if the Terminator’s creator, Cyberdyne Inc ...
This February saw the largest Energy Storage Summit in the UK so far, as over 1500 delegates, exhibitors and speakers converged on West London to discuss the key issues in storage, both in the UK and overseas. Chris Pritchett, energy and infrastructure partner has been a prominent figure in Energy Storage since 2015 and was asked to chair day two of the conference ...
The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (the “Regulations”) implement certain basic informational requirements that bus operators of local services need to implement in their vehicles in order to improve the accessibility of information for passengers on local bus services ...
Following the conflict in Ukraine, the UK Government opened various visa routes and concessions for those affected to come to the UK. These routes granted Ukrainians three years’ leave to remain in the UK and granted a right to work ...
