With effect from 1 January 2009, new rules require administrators to provide information to creditors on a range of detailed issues when carrying out a pre-pack sale in an administration. Pre-packs are the process during which a troubled company and a proposed purchaser reach an agreement before an administrator is appointed, relating to the sale of all or part of the company's business or assets ...
Earlier this month, The Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham ran an in-depth virtual conference discussing the need for action on the issues surrounding predatory marriage. Speakers included Daphne Franks from the Justice for Joan campaign. Daphne’s mother Joan was married by a predator some years her junior without her family’s knowledge while suffering with dementia and despite Daphne having been appointed as her attorney ...
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 ...
Pensions analysis: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has issued its levy rules and associated guidance and appendices for the 2023–24 levy year. Suzanne Burrell, Partner at Shoosmiths, examines the latest rules and guidance, the changes made since last year, the implications for pension schemes and what happens next. What is the background to the PPF’s consultation on the 2023/24 levy rules? The PPF’s consultation ran during the autumn of 2022 ...
Pensions analysis: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has issued its levy rules and associated guidance and appendices for the 2022–23 levy year. Partner Suzanne Burrell examines the latest rules and guidance, the changes made since last year, the implications for pension schemes and what happens next ...
Shoosmiths brings together leading developers, asset managers and investors, as well as energy, planning, policy and legal experts, for a roundtable discussion on overcoming power supply challenges to support the delivery of innovative and resilient developments that balance financial and environmental objectives ...
Since April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) has prohibited landlords from renting commercial properties that do not meet certain environmental standards ...
This article looks at some of the trends we have seen in the use of interest rate benchmarks in the mid-market since the cessation of LIBOR, with a focus on sterling loans in the UK mid-market. We said a final goodbye to sterling LIBOR over a year ago, and in that time our team has acted on over £2bn worth of facilities. As we look back on the last 12 months’ worth of transactions, some trends are emerging ...
Should the internet be free and open, with all internet traffic treated equally and no restrictions on transmitting content regardless of its type or size (so called 'net neutrality')? That is the view taken by Dutch lawmakers, who have finally approved a new piece of legislation to force internet service providers (ISPs) to do just that ...
As reported in our September WortHReading, if you want to employ workers from outside the Economic European Area or Switzerland ("migrants") after 27 November don't forget that the new points-based immigration system will be up and running and you will need to become a licensed sponsor to do so. An employer without a sponsorship licence, but which employs migrants, will be acting illegally ...
The recent sanction judgment gives important guidance on the way in which the court's discretion should be exercised when sanctioning a restructuring plan and considers whether it is necessary for opposing parties to provide valuation evidence of their own ...
We’re excited to announce that Shoosmiths is one of the partners behind Platform – a six-month campaign that aims to make town centre property more accessible to communities and businesses. Being based in thirteen locations across the UK and with many clients whose businesses rely on a successful town centre, Shoosmiths is heavily invested in the issue of urban revival ...
In a surprising turn of events, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, announced yesterday that the controversial plans to close the majority of rail ticket offices have been scrapped. This announcement comes as a major relief for both passengers and ticket sales personnel, but it raises questions about the potential repercussions for the rail sector as a whole ...
The UK government’s Hydrogen Strategy, published in August 2021, confirms that developing a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK is a key plank of the government’s plan to build back better with a cleaner, greener energy system ...
There are less than 12 months until new mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements are enforced as part of the Environment Act 2021. The legislation will require all new developments in England (bar a few exceptions) to deliver at least 10 per cent BNG – impacting both commercial and residential developers. Although the Environment Act received Royal Assent in November 2021, secondary legislation is set to be introduced to enable the relevant provisions to take effect ...
According to statistics, 76% of the leading 100 UK retailers have plans to replace at least one of their core IT systems in 2008. Ensuring that your IT system is up to date is vital. Using outdated software packages often results in poor service delivery and inefficient business management. Many old systems are not capable of meeting current legislation requirements or are not able to deliver reports to demonstrate compliance ...
The school holidays are almost here and many of us are thinking about travelling abroad. If your surname is different from your dependent children, then the ever-changing COVID-19 travel restrictions aren’t the only concern to consider when making your holiday plans. The rise of ‘blended’ families and couples choosing not to marry means it is not unusual for a parent to have a different surname to their dependent children ...
Shoosmiths explore the need for regulation in the evolving landscape of Web 3.0 and the Metaverse, focusing on recent approaches to regulating emerging technologies, and the importance of striking a balance between flexibility and effective safeguards. At a Web 3 ...
This week, the Ministry of Justice announced details about a new forward-thinking approach in private law children cases. The pilot scheme is intended to improve the way local authorities, the police and the family court share information to improve the support provided to victims of domestic abuse. The scheme The new approach is being piloted by family courts in Wales and Dorset, in cases dealing with child arrangement, specific issues and prohibited steps orders ...
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduces a new area of compliance for commercial organisations. The Act is amongst the toughest anti-slavery and human trafficking legislation in the world. Although legal penalties are restricted, interest from patients, consumers, investors, NGOs, pressure groups and brand risk is expected to enforce compliance ...
Since the UK left the European Union, new rules have come into force surrounding the travel of pets. This article outlines the current position on bringing cats, dogs and ferrets into England, Scotland and Wales. Prior to Brexit, UK pet owners could travel freely with their cats and dogs between EU countries, provided their pet was microchipped and also had a pet passport ...
Since April 2021, over 278 cases of feline pancytopenia, approximately 130 of which have proved fatal, have been detected amongst the UK’s feline population. This has now led to a recall of various cat foods, affecting large and small retailers ...
Paul Carney and Craig Thomas explore the impact of the Chancellor's 2023 Spring Budget on the taxation of pensions in the UK. The Chancellor’s budget statement on 15 March caused many to be surprised and some to be perplexed ...
In last year’s predictions, we surmised that the pensions industry at large had put “a busy and unpredictable 12 months” at the top of its wish list at the start of 2022. It seems like everyone enjoyed having that wish granted so much last year that they asked for more of the same in 2023 and well, we certainly got it! What started out as a steady year soon took a different turn ...
We can only assume that the pensions industry at large put “a busy and unpredictable 12 months” at the top of its wish list at the start of the year, and 2022 certainly delivered. From the sombre to the unprecedented, 2022 had it all. The year was bookended by investment issues. In February, View More
