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Lucasfilm did not benefit in any way at Tyburn Film Productions Ltd's expense, counsel said to the appeals court there on 3 December 2025, in part because it already possessed rights over Cushing's likeness and an agreement and consent from the Cushing estate to 'resurrect' him as Grand Moff Tarkin. Tyburn contends it earlier made an agreement with the late actor then, at the time, granting the company a veto over any use of his image prior to his 1994 death. That contract concerns a TV series titled 'Heritage of Horror', which never aired. Tyburn further asserts the deal permits it to effectively 'resurrect' Cushing using stand-ins and CGI to ultimately finish the programme then if the actor were to die whilst filming remained in progress...
Irish telecom operator Eircom’s damages lawsuit against BT Group over a public-sector contract must be carefully managed to trial to deal with confidentiality issues and other matters, a UK judge told the parties today. At the High Court in London today, a judge said Eircom’s damages action against BT over a public-sector contract needs tight case management through to trial to address confidentiality and related concerns. Eircom brought the claim after Ofcom in 2020 penalised BT for its behaviour during a tender. Speaking to both sides, Judge Adam Johnson urged them to resolve any confidentiality flashpoints themselves and signalled he had no wish to step in unless it became unavoidable. He also expressed confidence that parties would do everything possible to keep confidential designations to a minimum, noting this was necessary to maintain control over the conduct of the trial. He framed this as the
The following document is attached: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274 dated 5 February 2026, revising Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981, establishing a final anti-dumping levy on imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware produced in...
Justice Richard Arnold granted AstraZeneca leave to appeal and permitted lorries carrying about 175,000 packs of Glenmark’s generics to move on to wholesalers, provided they did not reach pharmacy shelves while the case continued at any point during those interim proceedings. In this way, Glenmark could keep its first-to-market advantage, while causing only minimal detriment to AstraZeneca should the Court of Appeal later be persuaded to issue an injunction against supply. The judge said this approach maintained the status quo with the least possible prejudice to Glenmark’s position overall. The hearing was arranged at short notice, just days after the High Court refused AstraZeneca an injunction to block the diabetes generic from sale while the court considered whether the patents supporting the branded medicine were valid in law. Glenmark, Generics (UK) Ltd and Teva Pharmaceuticals have each begun proceedings in the UK to set...
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Trustees of AFM and SAG- AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund and others v The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology [2025] EWHC 1944 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling may pave the way for substantial cross-border disputes in the music royalties arena. It brings several practical consequences: ongoing relevance of EU-derived substantive rights post- Brexit: the decision shows that claims for equitable remuneration grounded in EU standards can still be advanced, particularly where domestic law departed from those obligations (namely, Francovich damages). In this matter, UK law meant that a performer’s status as a US national yielded only a limited right to equitable remuneration (broadly aligned with protection in the US). By contrast, the EU stance is more generous representative proceedings: the court’s readiness to allow four performers (claimants 9–12) to act as...
Background to TPR’s Consultation The Pension Schemes Acts 2021, together with the 2024 supporting regulations, created an obligation on trustees of private sector DB pension schemes to set out a long-term plan to ensure pension benefits can be paid. The legislation also requires trustees to record this long-term approach in a new document called the So S, which must be submitted to TPR at each actuarial valuation. The So S has two sections: Part 1 sets out the scheme’s overall funding and investment strategy, and Part 2 addresses additional matters. While much of the So S content is prescribed, the 2024 regulations give TPR discretion regarding the level of detail to be included in Part 2 of the statement. The regulations further specify that TPR is responsible for the format of the statement submitted. Consequently, in March 2024, TPR commenced a...
District Judge Louisa Ciecióra At Westminster magistrates’ court in London, District Judge Louisa Ciecióra handed Aozma Sultana, 42, a ten-week jail term, suspended for a year. Sultana breached counter-terrorism rules by failing to supply information to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI). After a trial in July 2025, she was found guilty of one count of refusing or failing to comply with a request for information under the Counter- Terrorism ( Sanctions) ( EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/577, reg 23. The charity head, Judge Ciecióra concluded, had not put forward ‘evidence of reasonable excuse’ for missing the June 2024 deadline. The judge described the conduct as deliberate and, consistent with her findings at trial, observed that Sultana was asked for the material multiple times and repeatedly did not provide it......
BC v BC [2025] EWFC 236 What are the practical implications of this case? The key takeaway for practitioners is to disregard paragraph 8 of the FRC Primary Principles, in particular its closing clause which states ‘and an assurance that offers were made on each side and an indication given’. Whether the FRC will issue a revised iteration of the Primary Principles to reflect Peel J’s ruling remains uncertain at this stage. Practitioners should likewise observe the effective bar on obliquely attributing fault for an unproductive p FDR by referring to a party having left the appointment after an indication was given, as such references amount to indirect blame. The ruling should, in turn, streamline the p FDR process and reduce the scope for satellite litigation that might otherwise follow, notably where no settlement is achieved. In essence, the only matters that should be...
Mergers The CMA published the full Phase 1 clearance for Kingspan Group Limited’s anticipated purchase of Coverworld Holdings Limited—see further, decision. NOTE— For live CMA mergers, see further, UK mergers—ongoing cases tracker Antitrust The CMA released a brief guide for businesses on collaborating lawfully without infringing competition rules—see further, guide. NOTE— For current legislation, guidance and policy updates, see further, UK competition horizon scanning—2025 and beyond Subsidy control The CAT issued an order in Mr Aubrey Weis v Greater Manchester Combined Authority, under section 70 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, concerning an alleged decision to grant two loans for a central Manchester residential project. The CAT dismissed the application on 31 July 2025 and refused permission to appeal—see further, order. NOTE— For live Subsidy Control Act appeals before the CAT and the appellate courts, see further, UK subsidy...
Antitrust An appeal has been filed with the Court of Justice in Case C- 545/25 České dráhy v ÖBB- Holding and Others et Commission...
Centrica Plc and Energy Capital Partners ( ECP) announced that Garden Bidco — a jointly owned vehicle — is set to purchase the Isle of Grain LNG terminal on Kent’s coastline. The purchasers said the transaction represents a chance to invest in an ever more important source of energy for the UK. Centrica and ECP will each commit £200m for a 50% holding in the LNG facility east of London, once £1.1bn of project finance debt is taken into account. Slaughter and May is serving as Centrica’s legal adviser; the company owns British Gas and is a constituent of London’s blue‑chip FTSE 100. The firm’s team is led by London corporate partners Robert Innes and Natalie Cook. Latham & Watkins LLP is advising ECP, which forms part of global private asset investor Bridgepoint Group......
How have plans for UK data protection reform evolved since Brexit? Since Brexit, the UK’s approach to data protection reform has ebbed and flowed markedly, with successive governments seeking to carefully balance innovation, economic growth and individuals’ rights. The Conservative government aimed to pivot to a GDPR ( General Data Protection Regulation) lite regime by introducing the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. That bill outlined a series of business‑friendly amendments to existing data protection rules and progressed reasonably well through parliament, only to be ultimately shelved following a change of government in 2024. Once in office, the Labour‑led administration reignited the agenda, bringing forward the Data ( Use and Access) Bill ( DUAB). While retaining the core UK GDPR framework, DUAB set out targeted reforms that indicate a shift towards a more UK‑specific regime centred on data‑driven innovation, enhanced public services and strong data...
In this issue: Residential property Property management Statutory compliance Easements, rights and covenants Transferring property HMLR portal enhancements Lex Talk®Property: a Lexis®Nexis community Additional property updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New Q& As Residential property Right to manage—strict procedural compliance and equitable tenancies In Avon Freeholds Ltd v Cresta Court E RTM Company Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 1016, the Court of Appeal decided that a right to manage ( RTM) company’s claim notice was ineffective because it breached section 78(1) of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 ( CLRA 2002): the company did not serve an equitable long lessee with a notice inviting participation (participation notice) before issuing the claim notice. The Court agreed with the Upper Tribunal ( UT) ( Lands Chamber) that a tenant holding an...
Union of India v Vedanta Limited and another , ARB. A. ( COMM.) 31/2024, I. A. 30388/2024, I. A. 30389/2024 and I. A. 31248/2024, 2025 SCC On Line Del 4808 What are the practical implications of this case? The DHC’s ruling signals robust judicial respect for arbitration in two distinct respects. In clear terms, it affirms only a narrow ambit for court intervention under section 37(2)(b) read with section 5 of the A& C Act. Further, the Court rejected an appeal assailing the tribunal’s order that had declined an application under section 17 of the A& C Act—an application that, in substance, would have nullified the effect of an interim award—thereby (i) preserving the inviolability of the arbitral award; and (ii) reinforcing that an award of an arbitral tribunal holds force unless stayed or set aside under section 34 of the A& C Act. The...
In this issue: EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Caselex EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation Commission launches consultation on FSR Commission launches consultation on FSR The Commission has initiated its first assessment of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation ( FSR), in force since 13 July 2023. The FSR empowers the Commission to tackle any competition distortions arising from foreign subsidies within the internal market......
In this issue: VAT Taxes management and litigation Employment taxes Real estate tax Individuals and income tax Budgets and Finance Bills Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information VAT UT overturns FTT to find that HMRC could deregister ‘mini-umbrella companies’ from VAT ( Elphysic Ltd v HMRC) In Elphysic Ltd v HMRC [2025] UKUT 236 ( TCC), the Upper Tribunal ( UT) set aside the First-tier Tax Tribunal’s ( FTT) conclusion that HMRC lacked authority to remove the taxpayers from the VAT register. The UT also dismissed the taxpayers’ cross-appeals, thereby upholding the FTT’s findings that they were not entitled to use the VAT flat rate scheme and could not claim National Insurance Contributions ( NICs) employment allowances. See News Analysis: UT overturns FTT to find that HMRC...
Samsung Bioepis UK Ltd v Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc [2025] EWHC 1240 ( Pat) What are the practical implications of this case? This decision delivers a clear warning to life sciences patent practitioners: exactitude in sequence‑defined claims is critical. Although the therapeutic product aligned with the invention’s aim, the presence of a non‑functional 22‑amino acid leader in the claimed light chain—absent from the mature eculizumab antibody—proved determinative. Alignment between product and concept could not cure the defect. The High Court refused a purposive reading that would excise the leader sequence, holding the claim wording unequivocal and the patent both invalid and not infringed. The ruling highlights the narrow scope for interpretative latitude. The court treated the language of the claim as pivotal, keeping its focus on the words actually chosen. It emphasised that “consisting of” expresses a closed definition, and that scientific...
In this issue: SAYE Employee Ownership Trusts Dates for your diary Weekly highlights from other practice areas SAYE Change in bonus rates for Save As You Earn ( SAYE) share option schemes HMRC has confirmed updated bonus rates and a revised early leaver rate for Save As You Earn ( SAYE) schemes, applying to new invitations from 22 August 2025. This follows HMRC’s 2023 launch of an automatic SAYE bonus rate mechanism, calculated by reference to the Bank of England base rate (see: Share Incentives weekly highlights—1 June 2023— SAYE Schemes). After the Bank of England changed its base rate, HMRC has set the following SAYE rates: three-year SAYE savings contract bonus: 0.5 times one monthly contribution five-year SAYE savings contract bonus: 1.5 times one monthly contribution early leaver rate: 0.67% These revised rates come into force on 22 August 2025....
The ABI’s quarterly premium tracker Between April– June 2025, the average policy price stood at £562, down from £622 in the equivalent period of 2024. It also sits below the £581 typical cost recorded in the first quarter of 2025. The tracker analyses almost 28 million policies sold each year and is based on the price customers paid......
In this issue: Trade in goods Anti-dumping Free trade agreements Customs Daily and weekly news alerts Trade in goods Brazil initiates dispute against US over tariff measures Brazil has filed a formal case at the World Trade Organisation ( WTO) contesting recent US tariff moves. It says the US has introduced a uniform 10% levy on all Brazilian goods, alongside a further 40% duty on selected items of Brazilian origin. Brazil maintains these actions breach the US’s obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 and the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding, particularly as the US pursued unilateral tariff steps instead of resorting to the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism. See: LNB News 12/08/2025 3. Anti-dumping EU Trade Directorate imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese decor paper imports The EU Directorate- General for Trade and Economic Security has introduced anti-dumping tariffs ranging from 26.4% to 26.9% on...
HMCTS insisted it acted swiftly on a technical bug which affected documents on its digital platform, adding that it did not change the outcome of any cases. An HMCTS spokesperson said an internal review found no indication that the technical problems altered any case outcomes. The agency was answering a BBC report that accused it of a cover‑up, after a leaked document suggested HMCTS failed to address an IT fault that led to case evidence going missing, being overwritten, or apparently disappearing. The BBC further claimed that judges in the civil, family and tribunal courts reached decisions with incomplete material as a consequence. Publication of the findings led the Bar Council to demand......
In this issue Corporate crime related cases for the first half of 2025 Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export restrictions Consumer protection and cartels Environmental offences Offences in financial services and pensions Food safety and hygiene breaches Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Corporate crime related cases for the first half of 2025 The biggest UK white collar cases of 2025—midyear report Highlights include James ‘ Jes’ Staley’s unsuccessful legal fight regarding his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the first conviction achieved by Britain’s sanctions enforcer, and Tom Hayes’ Supreme Court success. For full coverage, see News Analysis: The biggest UK white collar cases of...
In this issue: Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Networks and network connections Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Nuclear energy International energy New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Energy law titles Daily and weekly news alerts Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Electricity Code Modifications All live changes to the Connection and Use of System Code ( CUSC), Grid Code ( GC), the System Owner— Transmission Owner Code ( STC) and the Security and Quality Supply Standard ( SQSS) are now grouped on NESO’s Modification Tracker. It explains each change’s objective, which stakeholders are impacted, Panel observations on prioritisation, and the proposal’s position in the review journey. For further details, see: Codes. Networks and network connections NESO announces ' Gate 2 to Whole Queue' evidence submission window will close on 26...
In this issue: The Pensions Regulator The Pension Protection Fund Members and benefits Funding, surplus and investment Public sector pensions Dates for your diary Trackers The Pensions Regulator TPR acts against trustees over ERI breaches involving prohibited loans and loss of scheme funds The Pensions Regulator ( TPR) has issued a report under section 89 of the Pensions Act 2004, stressing the severe repercussions for trustees who infringe employer-related investment ( ERI) restrictions. The report outlines enforcement taken against two former trustees of the Worthington Employee Pension Top- Up Scheme (the Scheme) — a trust-based defined contribution occupational scheme set up in 2006 — after identifying prohibited loans to the sponsoring employer’s interests made from Scheme assets. Stephen Smith, a trustee, received a 10-month suspended prison sentence after admitting to five unlawful loans to entities linked to Marcus...
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When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...
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