How new houses and flats are sold set to undergo major change in England

Settlement agreements – commonly negotiated terms

By Antonia Blackwell In this article, the third and final guide to drafting settlement agreements in our masterclass series, we focus on those extra terms which are most commonly sought by both the employer and the employee and the limitations which might be placed on them. Extra terms Our previous two articles have considered how […]

Reducing stress on relationship breakdown

By Caroline Watson April is Stress Awareness month, co-incidentally happening just as divorce laws in England and Wales are to be overhauled to enable a couple to end their marriage more easily and put an end to fault-based petitions. It is hoped these changes will mean less acrimony and an end to the ‘blame game’. […]

An end to ‘no-fault’ evictions of residential tenants

By David Perry, Peter Williams The government has announced proposals to stop landlords ending residential tenancies on a no-fault basis. The government announced on Monday in a press release – with no warning – that it is proposing to end the practice of residential landlords ending assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) in England on a no […]

Yet further complexity to be added to stamp duty rules for residential property?

By Dan Kennedy, Kate Garcia HM Treasury has recently published a consultation document in relation to a proposed 1% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge for non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England & Northern Ireland. The stated aim of the surcharge is to help more UK citizens into home ownership, but is this a […]

Telecoms Code: Tribunal clarifies who is entitled to grant a Code Agreement

By Richard Willcox The Upper Tribunal has, for the first time, dismissed a reference to it under paragraph 20 of the Code and ruled that a Code Agreement can only be sought from a person who is the ‘occupier’ of land. Operators have been keen to make use of the powers granted to them by […]

Significant Beneficial Ownership: MCA Releases Amended Rules

On 8 February 2019, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) released the Companies (Significant Beneficial Owners) Amendment Rules, 2019 (New SBO Rules) to revise and amend the Companies (Significant Beneficial Owners), 2018 (Old SBO Rules). The New SBO Rules have once again kick-started the process of requiring significant beneficial owners to start the reporting procedures. […]

Retention of crime reports about alleged teenage ‘sexting’ did not breach Article 8

In R (CL) v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester & Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWHC 3333 (Admin), the Divisional Court held that the retention by the police of crime reports which related to sexting incidents in which a schoolboy had allegedly been involved did not breach his rights under Article 8 ECHR. The […]

NHS CUMBRIA CCG -and- MRS JILLIAN RUSHTON (By her litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) -and- MR TIM RUSHTON

Background Mrs Rushton lived a long and happy life. In her youth she worked as a nurse, married a man who adored her, and together with her husband raised four sons. After her husband passed away, “the sweetness went out of her life”, and Mrs Rushton began to display the early signs of dementia. On […]

Bermuda’s beneficial ownership registers and privacy: status update and further observations

Bermuda companies, limited liability companies and partnerships have until 30 April 2019 to update or verify beneficial ownership information under Bermuda’s ‘beneficial ownership legislation’. Bermuda’s central register of beneficial ownership information is held on the Bermuda Monetary Authority’s (BMA) “Integra portal”, a secure online registration and filing system. Currently, under Bermuda law, the information on […]

Trusts vs. Foundations: What are the deciding factors?

Trusts have been around for a long time. Their use in the context of succession and wealth planning as well as philanthropy is well established. Foundations, on the other hand, are relatively new (certainly to common law jurisdictions such as Jersey) and as a result there are fewer of them. However, they are being increasingly […]

Clifford Chance leaders take home £16m in bumper year

Clifford Chance’s management pay rose over 2016/17 after a strong set of financial results for the magic circle firm.

Akin Gump promotions: One gets nod in London in 15-strong round

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has promoted one City lawyer to partner, making it the third consecutive year that the firm has included London in its promotions round.

Firm News

Magda Cocco and Paula Gomes Freire named as women lawyers leading change for Iberia

InspiraLaw, recognises outstanding women in the legal field (in-house and private practice lawyers). Magda Cocco, Telecoms, Media & IT’s practice partner, and Paula Gomes Freire, Banking & Finance practice partner, were named in the top 50 women excelling in their career as voted by more than 500 of their peers in Portugal and Spain. This new initiative […]

Lateral hires News

Linklaters boosts Washington DC presence with bankruptcy hire

Linklaters has expanded its Washington DC office with the hire of Jones Day bankruptcy partner Amy Edgy.

Edgy joins the magic circle firm after a nearly a decade at Jones Day, having made partner in 2011.

Disputes Law firms News

SDT scolds Clifford Chance in Excalibur judgment

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has said Clifford Chance “failed to provide a good standard of service” in the controversial Excalibur dispute, after the firm and one of its partners were fined a total of £100,000 last year.

Deals News

Pinterest IPO advisers to pick up $2m in legal fees

Three US firms are guiding social media scrapbook company Pinterest through its IPO listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton won the mandate for the company, working on a dual-class structure with partners Ethan Klingsberg, Jeffrey Karpf and Pamela Marcogliese in its corporate team. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom is […]

In-house News

Ashurst usurps Norton Rose Fulbright as McLaren’s key adviser

Norton Rose Fulbright has lost its role as McLaren Group’s global legal adviser as the automotive manufacturer forms a new relationship with Ashurst. After a tender process, Ashurst will now work closely alongside McLaren’s in-house counsel on all aspects of its legal requirements. The company does not have a formal legal panel, instead opting to […]

Lateral hires News

O’Melveny down to six partners in London after lawyer exit

O’Melveny & Myers has lost a third City partner in less than a month, with financial regulation lawyer Eve Ellis joining Ropes & Gray. Ellis, who specialises in financial services regulation, first started at O’Melveny in 2007 as counsel in its investment funds group. She has moved back and forth over the last twelve years, […]

Clydes laments poor gender record in latest promotions

Clyde & Co has acknowledged a lack of gender diversity in its latest promotions round, despite welcoming 24 partners to the fold and doubling the number seen in 2018. The firm has stayed true to its insurance roots with the lion’s share of new partners (15) being made up in the practice, while marine and […]