In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal decided that land benefitting from a restrictive covenant was greater than the land which had the legal benefit. An application to release the covenant was, accordingly, refused ...
The pandemic has, if nothing else, demonstrated how much more needs to be done in the battle against climate change. Despite the worldwide economic slowdown and travel ban resulting from coronavirus, global carbon dioxide emissions reduced by just 6% (approximately 2.3bn tonnes) in 2020. But both governments and industry are responding to the challenge, however, with a renewed sense of urgency and collaborative spirit ...
We all need our town centres. But more than that, we need our town centres to work better for us. As consumers grow increasingly comfortable with online shopping, the realisation that our towns are over-reliant on retail is being played out at a national level. No longer can we expect empty retail units to be snapped up by new tenants in a matter of weeks ...
In recent years the Charity Commission has concentrated on its statutory objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities and many in the charity sector consider it has dwelt unduly on the negatives. However the Commission has four other objectives set out in the Charities Act 2011 and we now see more attention paid to promoting compliance by charity trustees with their legal obligations and the effective use of charitable resources ...
To support our IHL community, on 21 April we hosted our latest webinar on “Fraud” where we discussed the recent upsurge in fraud due to home working, general awareness of fraudulent activity and what businesses can do to protect themselves. Here are the key takeaways: What types of fraud are you seeing at the moment? The world is a turbulent place right now, and therefore the perfect time for fraud and illicit activity to thrive ...
The recent anti-suit injunction decision in Axis v Absa Group demonstrates the importance of considering the practical effect of jurisdiction clauses when a suite of contracts or (re)insurance policies are entered into ...
Following the entry into force of the Company Service Providers (Amendment) Act 2020 (the "Amendments") on 16 March, 2021 a number of significant amendments have been introduced to the local regulatory framework governing the provision of company services. The most notable amendments consist of the removal of previous exemptions available to warranted professionals and the end of the de minimis rule ...
On 29 April 2021, following the release of the widely commented European Commission Guidance on Art. 22 of the EU Merger Regulation (EUMR), the Luxembourg Competition Council published a statement on the recent policy change ...
As the UK makes progress towards a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, Shepherd and Wedderburn is committed, through our Green Recovery Strategy and enhanced Sustainability Policy, to working with clients operating in a wide variety of sectors to contribute to a green recovery from the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Electric mobility represents a new language and a new dynamic for consumers who yearn for an accessible, extensive, digital, user-friendly charging network. In Portugal and abroad, the electric mobility sector has witnessed significant developments and it has shown itself to be a particularly dynamic market that is enjoying strong growth ...
The Private Investment Law (Law 10/18 of 26 June) was amended by Law 10/21 of 22 April. The new law marks the return of the contractual system to the area of private investment. As a result, the current private investment systems are the following: i) Prior declaration system ii) Special system iii) Contractual system The contractual system is applicable to projects in any sector ...
In the context of the approval of the Tax Package, which is part of the tax reform process started in 2020, on 15 April 2021, the Angolan General Tax Administration (AGT) published Instruction 0033/ GACA/GJ/AGT/2021 (the “Instruction”). The aim of this Instruction is to clarify and standardise the rules for the application in time of the amendments made to the main Tax Codes, in particular, the Industrial Tax Code and the Employment Income Tax Code ...
In our second quarterly case law update for 2021, we take a look at some of the key cases published since the start of the year and consider the lessons we can learn from them. Disability discrimination In Elliot v Dorset County Council, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently allowed an appeal against an Employment Tribunal’s finding that a claimant was not disabled ...
In Elliot v Dorset County Council, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently allowed an appeal against an Employment Tribunal’s finding that a claimant was not disabled. The EAT held that the Tribunal had failed to adopt the correct approach when determining whether the claimant had a disability according to the statutory definition of disability in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 ...
There have been a number of significant rulings on the topic of holiday pay over recent years and Smith v Pimlico Plumbings Ltd is the newest addition. Before we look at Smith, it is useful to understand how this area of law has developed over time ...
The Home Office has published guidance on making late applications to the EU Settlement Scheme. Employers are rapidly having to get their “heads around” the fallout from Brexit and ensuring all their existing EU workers have or in are in the process of obtaining EU settled status is just one of the many headaches. The deadline of 30 June 2021 for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme is fast approaching ...
Two weeks before the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, Fraser Mitchell, partner at Shoosmiths sat down with political analyst, strategist, and commentator, Andy Maciver to discuss his views the current state of Scottish politics, the economy in the face of COVID, Brexit and the growing support for independence as well as key issues in the context of Scotland’s future. We have captured the key takeaways from the discussion below: Andy Maciver: AM Fraser Mitchell: FM 1 ...
Pursuant to amendments to the Companies Act, the Companies Act (Shipping and Aviation Cell Companies) Regulations (the "Regulations") allow for the incorporation of cell companies that conduct shipping or aviation business. The Regulations also allow for the conversion of an existing company that conducts shipping or aviation business into a cell company. To understand what is meant by shipping or aviation business, please click here ...
In what has been a period of unprecedented upheaval, employers have learnt a lot about their working practices and staff. As we enter the new world, employers have a unique opportunity to build back better including normalising flexible working for all ...
Below is an update on the most relevant employment law measures adopted after the Decree of March 22, 2021, no. 41 (the so-called “Sostegni Decree”) within the framework of the COVID-19 emergency legislation and the on-going vaccination campaign ...
Several listed companies recently bought the music rights of world famous stars such as Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift. The payoff of investing in music mainly comes from streams revenues. But the benefits do not seem to be that bad: for instance, since Sony bought Michael Jackson's music portfolio in 2016, its stock price has quadrupled (1) ...
Several listed companies recently bought the music rights of world famous stars such as Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift. The payoff of investing in music mainly comes from streams revenues. But the benefits do not seem to be that bad: for instance, since Sony bought Michael Jackson's music portfolio in 2016, its stock price has quadrupled (1) ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the difficulties in reacting at European level to a major health crisis and the intention of the European Commission is to respond more effectively to future problems in the area of health. As a result, it is currently conducting an initial assessment of possible legislative changes in the area of medicinal products for human use ...
Background Companies operating in EU may already be aware that on December 2019 the Whistleblowers Directive[1] came into force. The Whistleblowers Directive aims at establishing a framework with common minimum standards for ensuring whistleblowers’ protection across all EU Member States. The transposition deadline almost knocks on the door since it expires in December 2021 ...
