Accelerated assessment meaning

This Checklist highlights the matters a franchisor should weigh up before launching a franchise in a foreign market. Advances in technology have significantly accelerated the development of a global economy, helping to facilitate cross-border trade and expansion. Consequently, there are growing opportunities for companies to trade beyond their home markets and capitalise on developing territories. Nevertheless, when a franchisor prepares to operate abroad, numerous and varied issues emerge, some of which are set out below. PESTLE analysis A franchisor may choose to undertake a political, economic, environmental, sociological, technological, legal and environmental factors (PESTLE) review for the target jurisdiction as part of its initial planning. Insights gathered from that assessment can inform and guide strategic decision-making when evaluating cross-border franchising. Set out below are legal and non-legal matters that may arise in an international franchising context. Political Businesses should account for heightened political or legislative risks before starting operations in particular jurisdictions, and weigh these carefully. Such risks differ between countries, and their significance will also...

In this issue: UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Permissions, approvals and oversight Prudential rules Operational robustness Financial misconduct and sanctions Complaints, redress and claims handling Investigations, enforcement and disciplinary action Capital markets regulation Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs) Derivatives regulation Sustainable finance and ESG Banks and mutuals Investment funds and asset management EU MiFID II Insurance regulation Payment services and systems Fintech and cryptoassets Financial Services Enforcement Database Daily and weekly news alerts Intraday news alerts New and refreshed content Key dates for your diary UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Amendments to EEA Agreement Annex IX (Financial Services) published in Official Journal Twelve decisions of the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Committee revising Annex IX (Financial Services) to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (the EEA Agreement) have appeared in the EU’s Official Journal....

In this issue: Key developments and materials Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Networks and network connections Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Hydrogen, CCUS and emerging technologies Energy disputes Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change International energy New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Energy resources on Lexis+® Daily and weekly news alerts Key developments and materials Great British Energy has released its first Strategic Plan, setting out the publicly owned company’s priorities to 2030. Targets include at least 15 GW of clean generation, £15bn in mobilised private finance, support for 1,000+ community energy projects, and over 10,000 jobs. Three investment focuses are confirmed: local energy schemes, onshore development, and accelerated offshore delivery. A £1bn ‘Energy – Engineered in the UK’ programme is proposed to reinforce domestic industrial capability, aligning with the Energy Secretary’s Statement of Strategic Priorities from earlier...

Kington Sarl v Thames Water Utilities Holdings Ltd [2025] EWHC 84 (Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? Kington v Thames Water establishes that, even if expert material is not absolutely required to decide the issues yet could still assist, the court will weigh its relevance against the effect its admission would have on case management, and will permit it only where that course is proportionate. That balancing exercise looks at how helpful the evidence is, set against the disruption its inclusion may cause to the conduct and timetable of the proceedings, before deciding whether it should be adduced. On accelerated timetables—frequent in insolvency and restructuring—the imperative is to seek permission to rely on experts without delay, so that reports and replies can be built into the schedule without unnecessary disturbance. Parties should put forward robust, discipline-based opinions that speak directly to the points in dispute, avoiding tentative findings, equivocal conclusions, and steering clear of legal submissions. The judgment signals that proportionality will be judged with regard...

ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note, which reviews the tax measures introduced by the government in response to the coronavirus pandemic and other tax steps of particular relevance, is not updated and is provided for background information only The government introduced a series of measures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, either specific to the UK tax regime or administered by HMRC. HMRC also published a business support finder tool to help businesses and the self-employed swiftly identify what financial assistance was available. See: Find coronavirus support for your business. For ease of use, this Practice Note is divided into: EMPLOYMENT SELF-EMPLOYMENT TRADING LOSSES VAT STAMP TAXES INTERNATIONAL TAXES MANAGEMENT AND LITIGATION INCENTIVISED INVESTMENT EMPLOYMENT Coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS)—CLOSED The coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) offered support to employers with a UK payroll by way of a grant to help meet salary costs for ‘furloughed’ employees during the pandemic. The initial iteration...

On 17 July 2014, the Finance Act 2014 (FA 2014) brought in the mechanism of a follower notice. The aim is for follower notices to be used against taxpayers who have entered into a tax avoidance arrangement that has been found to fail in another party’s litigation. Under this regime, a follower notice can be given where there is a final, relevant judicial decision that is not appealable or the time to appeal has expired (including decisions of the First-tier Tax Tribunal (FTT)), and the reasoning in that decision would negate the tax benefit claimed by the taxpayer. Where there is an open HMRC enquiry into the taxpayer’s return (or claim) or the taxpayer has lodged an appeal (and that appeal remains live), HMRC may issue a follower notice requiring the taxpayer to amend their return (or claim) or withdraw their appeal to align with the earlier decision, failing which a penalty will arise. As a result, if a follower notice is served on a taxpayer, the taxpayer faces a...

Introduction This Practice Note serves as a handbook to arbitration conducted by the International and Ibero-American Arbitration Center of Madrid (‘CIIAM’ or the ‘Center’) (formerly CIAM-CIAR) pursuant to its arbitration rules effective from 1 January 2024 (the Arbitration Rules). It focuses on the issuance of awards, the assessment and apportionment of costs, and the ways in which proceedings can be brought to a close. Time limit for rendering awards The Arbitration Rules set timetable parameters that marry predictability with sufficient flexibility. They differentiate between standard proceedings and accelerated options (‘abbreviated procedure’ and ‘highly expedited procedure’). The Center oversees adherence to time limits, and arbitrators’ timeliness may influence both applications for extensions and the setting of fees (Arts 4.5, 49.1, and institutional guidance on award scrutiny). In ordinary proceedings, unless the parties stipulate otherwise, tribunals must issue awards on the merits within three months after the hearing or the final substantive submission. Submissions on costs are not treated as substantive when computing this period. Moreover, the Arbitration...