In December, the Government published MSL Regulations, together with guidance, specifying the minimum number of workers needed to operate public services in times of strike action; for more detail, please see our recent article. With the dispute between the ASLEF train drivers’ union and UK train operators still ongoing, industrial action has now been announced to take place between 30 January and 5 February, with significant disruption expected ...
In the third instalment of our series, we consider the practical elements of the ‘workcation’ concept. As we have seen, working elsewhere may seem like an attractive proposition to employees. They will undoubtedly be keen to take advantage of the opportunity to save precious annual leave entitlement, but it is important an employer sets some ground rules ...
In the latest contribution to the debate on the UK's approach to AI regulation, the Lords Communications and Digital Committee has published a report urging the government to adopt a 'more positive' vision for AI, rather than concentrating on its "far-off and improbable" risks ...
Background On 20 June 2023 the Norwegian government made a proposal to amend Norwegian law by introducing regulation on gender balance for the board of directors in large and mid-sized private limited liability companies (Nw. aksjeselskaper), as well as certain partnerships, cooperatives and foundations. Previously, such requirements only applied to public limited liability companies, and the purpose of the proposal is, inter alia, to increase the proportion of women in Norwegian board rooms ...
Shoosmiths’ legal experts outline the key legal changes set to impact the UK’s real estate industry in 2024 and beyond. Introduction of biodiversity net gain in England New biodiversity net gain requirements will be introduced for large development sites from 12 February 2024 and are set to also apply to smaller sites from 2 April 2024. Biodiversity net gain aims to create and improve natural habitats by measuring the impact of a development on biodiversity ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in international sanctions ...
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 ...
Belgium is welcoming a significant development in the field of veterinary medicine law. The Act of 11 July 2023 containing various provisions on health, which entered into force on 8 September 2023, introduces changes across a wide spectrum of healthcare domains, which are encompassed in approximately 20 chapters. In this blog post, we provide an overview of the key changes related to the marketing of veterinary medicines set out in Chapters 4 and 14 of the new Law ...
The Home Office has published a timeline for the implementation of measures to reduce net migration over the next 2 months. 6 February 2024 Immigration Health Surcharge will increase by 66% to £1,035 per year: Update: Confirmed date for increase to Immigration Health Surcharge (shoosmiths.com). 11 March 2024 Care workers and senior care workers will no longer be able to bring dependants ...
This newsletter features a look into notable recent case law and other developments in Finnish competition law and other regulatory issues. Finnish Market Court gives its first detailed ruling on joint bidding In November 2023 the Finnish Market Court gave its judgment concerning a case on joint bidding in the field of public transport. This was the first time a Finnish court has in detail examined the lawfulness of joint bidding ...
As we enter each new year, we see more and more Awareness/National Days populating our calendars. Though some may seem rather obscure, the majority can be inspiring and put much needed emphasis on a lot of health, social and cultural topics ...
Mamo TCV Advocates is pleased to announce the promotion of Laura Spiteri and Julian Fenech Adami to the position of Senior Associates. Laura joined Mamo TCV Advocates as a trainee in 2015 and, after completing her post-graduate degree, transitioned to the Antitrust and Competition Law department as an associate ...
Employees have a statutory right not to suffer discrimination in the workplace; religion and belief is one of nine characteristics that are protected by discrimination legislation. We focus on this characteristic and the key issues employers face. What the law says Direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation are collectively referred to as prohibited conduct under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) ...
On 31 January 2024, the UK government will bring into force HM Treasury’s proposed reforms to the financial promotion rules. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO) contains restrictions on the issue of communications which amount to “promotions” of investments in securities ...
The EU Digital Services Act (‘DSA’), formally titled as the ‘Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC’ is intended to overhaul the outdated framework that previously regulated online intermediaries such as auction sites, social networks, ISPs and platforms which allow for the sharing of content over the Internet ...
If you have checked your licences overnight you may have seen the unexpected news from UK Visas and Immigration. They have published a notification on the landing page of the Sponsor Management System (on 24 January 2024) informing sponsors that they are removing the requirement to renew a sponsor licence. This impacts sponsors whose licence was due to expire on or after 6 April 2024. Those whose licence expires before this date will need to renew as usual ...
As employees start to push the boundaries and consider travelling abroad to profit from a ‘working vacation’, it is essential that UK employers are aware of their obligations and the checks that must be carried out. Visa requirements should not prove an issue if the employee is remaining within the UK, but there are numerous visa considerations and contractual terms that should be reviewed before approval is given to work overseas ...
In August 2023, we reported on the government’s announcement of an increase to civil penalty fines for employers and landlords who employ or let properties to foreign nationals who do not have the right to work or reside in the UK. The Home Office has now communicated that the increase to civil penalty fines for employers and landlords will come into force on 13 February 2024 ...
In a recent circular addressed to Company Service Providers (“CSPs”), the Malta Financial Services Authority (the “MFSA”) announced a number of changes to the Rulebook for Company Service Providers (the “Rulebook”), effective January 23rd January 2024. These changes aim to simplify and enhance the regulatory submission process for licensed CSPs, impacting submissions due in 2024 and thereafter ...
This article looks at current trends in UK mid-market debt finance and what we anticipate for 2024. Businesses have faced a perfect storm of challenges in the last twelve months: slow economic growth, rising interest rates, geopolitical unrest and struggles to curb inflation. Despite all that, Q4 of 2023 was a busy one, with a definite uptick in new deals off the back of more positive economic news towards the end of the year ...
Please note the following press release. This press release is available at our homepage. A Hamburg-based HEUKING team led by new Equity Partner Christoph Prochnau, LL.B., legally advised bigmed Beratungs GmbH & Co. KG on the sale of digmed GmbH to LOGEX Healthcare Analytics AG. Founded in 2008 by anesthetist Dr. Enno Bialas, digmed is a leading provider in the analysis of operating and surgical processes in hospitals in the German-speaking region ...
Please note the following press release. This press release is available at our homepage. A HEUKING team, led by Munich-based Partner Boris Dürr, advised PRIMEPULSE SE on the sale of its majority stake in publicly listed KATEK SE to Kontron Acquisitions GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly listed Kontron AG. The transaction involved the sale of roughly 60% of all KATEK shares at a price of about EUR 130 million ...
Last week, Shoosmiths hosted an event with leading industry body, Regen on REMA, The UK’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements. During this event we heard directly from representatives from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, debating the most important issues for the clean energy sector to consider and discuss the key options for reform with leading developers and investors ...
The beginning of the new year 2024 is a good time to look back to 2023 and to have a look at upcoming changes within the field of employment law. In this article, we will wrap up the previous year by examining two relevant employment law precedents issued during the last months of 2023 and discuss some of the legislative reforms that are expected during 2024 ...
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, In 2020, Articles 248.1 and 248.2 of the Russian Arbitrazh (State Commercial) Procedure Code (“APC RF”) took effect to provide additional judicial protection for Russians due to foreign sanctions (restrictive measures). We have addressed these ****new statutes****, ****their initial application by Russian courts****, as well as the precedent-setting Russian Supreme Court ruling in the ****Uraltransmash v. PESA**** case in our previous newsletters ...
