The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) [1] entered into force on 1 November 2022. A business that considers the platform it uses will likely be designated as a ‘gatekeeper’ and that the platform’s rules/behaviour are unfair can take certain steps now [2]. Q1 2023 to Q2 2023 - Engage with the platform to change its rules/behaviour ...
The music, film and broadcast industries look set to get the robust protection from illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing they crave, as the Digital Economy Bill moves closer to becoming law. It passed its third reading at the House of Commons on 7 April ...
02 September 2010 In July 2010 the British Property Federation and the Construction Clients' Group reported that two thirds of companies commissioning construction services have no knowledge whatsoever of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations. These regulations - commonly referred to as the CDM Regs and updated in 2007 - apply to almost all construction projects undertaken in the UK ...
With skills shortages increasing across multiple sectors and widespread productivity levels reportedly declining, many organisations are looking to develop the skills of their existing workforce and the wider talent pool ...
The Court of Appeal has held that public policy interests do not justify the release of restrictive covenants where a developer deliberately builds houses on land in breach of those covenants. Background Millgate, a property developer, obtained planning permission for, and then built, houses and flats on a development site. Part of the land was subject to a restrictive covenant that prevented residential development. Millgate was aware of the covenant but chose to ignore it ...
The most recent example of a fashion designer losing the right to use his/her name came about this week. Karen Millen lost her court battle to challenge the agreement reached after the sale of her business to Baugur for £95m in 2004 which stated that she could not use her name in business in the future ...
Derby has today (21 March 2023) been named as the national headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR) – a key moment in the government’s plan to reform the rail network. Commenting on the announcement, Michelle Craven-Faulkner, partner and rail lead at Shoosmiths, said: “The long-awaited headquarters of Great British Railways has finally been announced ...
The article explores Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, highlighting their characteristics, user implications, and regulatory concerns. It discusses the direction of Web 3.0 and emphasises the need for government awareness as these technologies advance. The Evolution of the World Wide Web The World Wide Web has undergone a series of dramatic transformations since its inception, with each stage of its evolution characterised by new technologies and modes of interaction ...
All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working which is done by undertaking simple right to work checks before an employee commences employment. 1. Why do employers need to know what IDSPs are? All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working which is done by undertaking simple right to work checks before an employee commences employment ...
Dan Hargreaves and Andrew Millar outline potential joint venture models, the opportunities for both the private and public sector, and key considerations before entering an agreement. Local authorities continue to face significant pressure on budgets, and many are continuing to explore a more entrepreneurial approach to deliver transformational developments or regeneration projects ...
Defined contribution (DC) pension schemes will soon be required to disclose more information than ever before in a bid to assess and improve value for their members. On 16 September 2021, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a joint discussion paper on developing a common regulatory framework for measuring value for money (VFM) for DC members. Background VFM has become a key element of DC governance in recent years ...
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published its combined consultation on draft Regulations designed to improve accessibility of illiquid assets for defined contribution schemes. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published its combined consultation on draft Regulations designed to improve accessibility of illiquid assets for defined contribution schemes ...
In this article we follow up on some current issues in the defined contribution (DC) sphere. In its corporate plan for 2022 to 2024, the Pensions Regulator (TPR) reasserted its commitment to defined contribution savers getting the pensions that they are entitled ...
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) represents an emerging financial model that utilises distributed ledger technologies to provide functions like borrowing, investing, or trading digital assets, all without the need for conventional centralised intermediaries. Here is a quick update with what is occurring on the international stage ...
Michael Bennett and Amber Wright explain the importance of reducing embodied carbon in construction - putting forward the case for legislative reform and how new technologies, methods and contracts are supporting the living sector’s move to net zero. To date much of the government’s focus to meet its net zero targets has been on creating more energy efficient homes and buildings ...
For those engaged in the financial services sector, these seven letters often pave the way to difficult decisions, reprioritisation of projects and occasionally, an awkward shuffle in the seat. On receipt of their own Dear CEO letter from Unite the Union, I have no doubt that there has been a lot of awkward shuffling around the management tables at the FCA. The letter to Rikhil Rathi (CEO of the FCA) was sent on February 1 and it cannot make for comfortable reading ...
The task of upgrading and developing the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to cope with current and future demand is no mean feat. The UK Government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 ...
Living in a data democracy, we have got used to thinking that ‘data protection’ in the private sector Is separate from police and intelligence services activity. But is this really true? In Europe, data protection rules about the two spheres originated in different directives: ‘general’ processing and ‘law enforcement/intelligence services’ processing ...
Companies thinking about their ESG goals may be tempted to conclude that good data ethics are a straightforward “win-win”. But when it comes to aligning data protection principles and reducing carbon footprint, things are not always that straightforward. Although we talk airily of data existing “in the cloud”, and being in a “virtual world”, data is a physical resource like any other, with real-world demands for space and energy ...
Cisco has recently released its 2023 Privacy Benchmark Study which explores the impact of data privacy on organisations around the world and why data protection compliance remains mission critical for businesses. The study finds that 95% of companies understand privacy to be a ‘business imperative’, but Harvey Jang, Cisco’s privacy chief, highlights that ‘when it comes to earning and building trust, compliance is not enough’ ...
On 25 January 2012, the European Commission decided that a substantial overhaul of data protection regulation is required and issued its proposals for change. The proposals are currently making their way through the legislative process in Brussels but, once approved, are expected to take effect at some point in 2014 ...
On 2 April 2013, data protection authorities across the EU - including the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - announced that they are now investigating whether Google's privacy policy complies with national data protection laws.The investigation was prompted by allegations that Google failed to implement recommendations issued to it by the EU Working Party in October 2012 ...
Not long ago, the idea of having a national transport strategy about data would have seemed outlandish. From around five years ago, we’ve had predictions of a lifestyle revolution based on the value of data. Now, that revolution has gone mainstream, and with it, the world of planes, trains and automobiles ...
The launch of our annual conference, Data Insights x Shoosmiths, took place on Wednesday, 24 January 2024 at our offices in London and virtually via live-stream. We were delighted to see a conversation between the titans of data transfer: Privacy Lawyer and Activist at NOYB Max Schrems and French MP Philippe Latombe, followed by a keynote from Barrister, Author and AI visionary Jamie Susskind ...
This article forms part of our ‘New How: Perspectives’ report: ‘Can real estate help solve the productivity puzzle?. To access this free report, please click on the download link to the right of this page. The Covid pandemic has clearly had a significant impact on our society, the economy and everyday life, with numerous sectors having found life in lockdown incredibly challenging ...
