Featured documents
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...
Most recent News
In this issue: Arbitration in England & Wales International Arbitration Investment treaty arbitration Institutional and ad hoc arbitration Other arbitration and ADR-related news and developments Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Useful information No Weekly Highlights on 24 April 2025 Arbitration in England & Wales Arbitration clauses and third parties: limits of protection In Renaissance Securities v ILLC Chlodwig Enterprises [2025] EWCA Civ 369, the Court of Appeal refused an appeal for an anti-suit injunction ( ASI) to halt Russian claims pursued against the appellant’s affiliates. Although parts of the dispute arose under contracts governed by English law with LCIA arbitration seated in London, the court concluded those promises to arbitrate did not bind non-party affiliates. It also dismissed the contention that the clauses carried an implied negative pledge preventing related litigation elsewhere. Moreover, while recognising the Russian action might be vexatious and/or aimed at sidestepping the arbitration provisions and relevant...
Seculink Ltd v Forbes [2025] EWHC 524 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This judgment bolsters the position of secured creditors looking to enforce a debtor’s liability for the principal on a secured borrowing that has been called in, confirming that the principal itself falls outside an MHCM. As that principal is not a ‘qualifying debt’ under the Regulations, interest continues to accrue during the MHCM and remains recoverable by the creditor. The court also confirmed it has jurisdiction to decide whether a liability owed by a debtor subject to an MHCM is a ‘moratorium debt’ and therefore benefits from the MHCM. This gives creditors the ability to challenge, in court, the inclusion of their debts within an MHCM rather than being limited to the review procedure provided by the...
Clarke Energy ( Australia) Pty Ltd v Power Generation Corporation & Holt [2025] QSC 64. What are the practical implications of this case? Four practical implications follow from the judgment. Courts are expected to keep a stringent threshold for claims that a lack of procedural fairness renders an award contrary to public policy. A raft of authorities from Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK have declined to set aside awards on that basis. Only genuine unfairness or tangible practical injustice that negates rights our legal system recognises as fundamental—and therefore engages public policy—will warrant intervention. Parties wishing to rely on factual matters or points of law must ventilate them sufficiently early in the arbitration so the other side and the tribunal are on notice and able to address them. ......
Practice Note This Practice Note serves as a navigational guide for exploring the UK EMIR provisions, delivering an article-by-article comparison with the corresponding elements of the EU EMIR regime. A traffic light system......
Presidential Practice Direction on the Practice Directions on the Presentation of Claims, Responses and Statutory Appeals in England and Wales Presidential Practice Direction on the Practice Directions on the Presentation of Claims, Responses and Statutory Appeals in Scotland Practice Directions on the Presentation of Claims, Responses and Statutory Appeals On 28 March 2024, the two Presidents of the Employment Tribunals ( ET) released an interim practice direction (interim PD), coming into force on 6 April 2024, which described how responses should be lodged pending roll-out of the new digital case management system across all ET offices. This interim PD was designed to apply until fresh PDs governing the lodging of claims and responses commenced. Those new PDs had been slated to start on 1 October 2024, yet encountered several postponements whilst they awaited the formal approval of the Lord Chancellor......
The successful prosecution of Dmitrii Ovsiannikov The successful prosecution of Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, the first person convicted of breaching the UK’s sanctions regime against Russia, has triggered debate among lawyers, who argue that pursuing spending on basic living costs sits uneasily with Britain’s foreign policy objectives. While police, prosecutors and ministers trumpeted the Southwark Crown Court verdict as a warning shot to oligarchs, some practitioners caution it may send the wrong signal. Carter- Ruck associate Tasha Benkhadra suggested the National Crime Agency’s efforts would be better directed at suspected circumvention tied to arms transactions and the funding of sectors essential to the Russian war effort. A Southwark jury found Ovsiannikov guilty of circumventing the UK sanctions regime on 9 April 2025, and he received a 40-month prison term on 11 April 2025. The case alleged he and his family intentionally sidestepped financial...
The UK tax authority indicated that sanctions for non-compliance with exchange requirements may rise to £3,000 for each error within a submission. This could be levied in addition to a £1,000 charge for every day the financial institution has failed to adhere to the rules......
Background This appeal concerns the Appellant’s challenge to the legality of statutory guidance from the Respondent, which treats a GRC confirming a person’s gender as female as bringing them within the Eq A 2010 definition of ‘woman’. The Gender Representation on Public Boards ( Scotland) Act 2018, an Act of the Scottish Parliament ( ASP 2018), sets targets to boost the share of women on public boards. Originally, ASP 2018 defined ‘woman’ to include those with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment: individuals living as women and proposing to undergo, undergoing, or having undergone a process of gender reassignment. In 2022, following a challenge by the Appellant ( FWS1), the Inner House held that this statutory definition was unlawful, as it addressed matters beyond the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence. After FWS1, the Respondent published revised statutory guidance, which is now under...
Renaissance Securities ( Cyprus) Ltd v ILLC Chlodwig Enterprises and others [2025] EWCA Civ 369 What are the practical implications of this case? This decision is important for practitioners engaged in international arbitration, cross-border litigation, and sanctions compliance. It underlines the obstacles to extending arbitration clauses to group companies and the strict criteria for securing anti-suit injunctions ( ASIs) in the English courts: The Court of Appeal confirmed that arbitration agreements will not be stretched to cover affiliates or other non-parties without clear, express terms. Contract drafters should be alive to this: if affiliates are to be compelled to arbitrate, or allowed to take the benefit of such clauses, that must be spelt out expressly (where possible). Boilerplate wording is unlikely to shield affiliates from overseas litigation exposure The judgment demonstrates the demanding threshold for ASIs, especially where the case rests on...
Our Practice Compliance forecast as at 15 April 2025 Our forecast monitors anticipated regulatory developments affecting law firm compliance, helping you prepare for any adjustments that could matter to your organisation. You should examine it closely, but key points that warrant attention are outlined below. New items we’re tracking this month SFO Business Plan—the Serious Fraud Office ( SFO) intends to widen prosecutions using the ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence, bolster intelligence capabilities, and deepen partnerships, while introducing whistleblower incentives and refreshed corporate guidance. See: Other financial crime compliance items. Diversity data reporting—the Solicitors Regulation Authority ( SRA) requires law firms to report and publish diversity data every two years......
WTGIL Ltd v HMRC [2025] EWCA Civ 399 The dispute in WTGIL Ltd v HMRC [2025] EWCA Civ 399 centred on an insurance intermediary ( ISL). ISL dealt with insurance policies for drivers under 26 and, as part of those arrangements, had to install a device (a black box) in each car. That device captured and sent data on the manner, timing and location of driving; policies using it are often called black box insurance. HMRC contended, among other points, that the input tax on the purchase and installation of the boxes was directly linked to exempt supplies and was consequently irrecoverable and thus not recoverable, according to HMRC......
Segulah Medical Acceleration AB v Tripathi [2025] EWHC 632 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling will interest practitioners advising on applications for a WFO, especially where a proprietary strand is present and cross‑border issues arise. The emphasis is on the baseline obligations placed on a WFO applicant. The court analysed the reach of the applicants’ non‑enforcement undertaking, limiting enforcement to England and Wales (the NEU); the degree to which the order could attach to assets held through a corporate vehicle; and how a cap on the injuncted sum functions when there is a mixture of cash reserves and real property within the jurisdiction exceeding the injunction limit. In relation to the NEU, the court had to determine whether a broad or narrow reading was appropriate where the applicants had taken injunctive steps in other...
Context The Water ( Special Measures) Act 2025 ( W( SM) A 2025) was brought before Parliament on 4 September 2024 and attained Royal Assent on 24 February 2025. It stems from broad dissatisfaction with the behaviour and performance of water and sewerage undertakers across England and Wales. Public trust has been undermined by repeated pollution control failures, chronic underinvestment in infrastructure, and the awarding of executive bonuses. In 2022–2023, £9.7m in bonuses and benefits went to senior executives, even as serious pollution incidents increased. Four companies were responsible for over 90% of those incidents. Ofwat research found only a quarter of customers believed water companies act in the public interest. In response, the government pledged legislation to hold poor performers to account, bolster regulatory powers, and start restoring confidence. W( SM) A 2025 is presented as the first step in a broader,...
White & Case, working alongside the School of International Arbitration at Queen Mary University of London, engaged with 2,400 individuals active in international arbitration for its sixth International Arbitration Survey, with a summary released on 9 April 2025. Approximately 47% of participants were based in the Asia- Pacific, while 21% principally operated in Europe. Contributors from North America, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa took part as well. The findings show 90% anticipate AI will be deployed for research, data analytics and document review in international arbitration matters. The main impetus is time savings, cited by 54% of respondents; lowering costs and reducing human error also ranked highly, as additional priorities highlighted by respondents across all participating regions surveyed......
Mergers The Commission approved: PAI Partners S.à.r.l. acquiring exclusive control of Motel One Group Gmb H via the acquisition...
Private actions The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal about the CAT’s approval of litigation funding in a damages claim against Apple, alleging abuse of dominance in the supply of Apple i Phones. The Court of Justice has handed down its judgment in Gutmann v Apple Inc & Ors, concerning an appeal from the CAT on the financing of a collective damages action brought, under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998, by Mr Justin Gutmann against Apple Distribution Limited and Apple Retail UK Limited (together, Apple). Background In 2022, Mr Justin Gutmann sought permission to bring collective proceedings, under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998, against Apple. Those collective proceedings aggregate stand-alone damages claims under section 47A of the Competition Act, said to arise from alleged infringements by Apple of Article 102 TFEU (before 31 December 2020) and the Chapter II...
See Q& A: Executor of estate passes away suddenly The deceased executor’s Will appoints an executor, who then secures a grant of probate for the late executor’s own estate. Does that person, having taken the grant for the deceased executor’s Will, automatically become the executor of any or all other estates where the deceased had previously acted? The outcome hinges on two factors: whether the deceased executor ( D) was the sole executor of the estate they were due to administer (the Estate); and whether probate had been granted in respect of the Estate before D’s death. We have looked at each situation below: if D had one or......
Pension Bee press release, 14 April 2025 In a release issued by Pension Bee on 14 April 2025, the company reported that the total average pension contribution from its male customers climbed by £316 in 2024, compared with a £174 uplift in the average female contribution. Men’s average annual payments into retirement savings reached £1,662, which is 44% higher than the female average of £1,155. Pension Bee said these figures represent a 'notable increase' on the 37% difference between male and female annual contributions recorded in 2023. Lisa Picardo, chief business officer at Pension Bee, said the expanding gap between men’s and women’s retirement contributions is 'a serious concern'......
Chinese online marketplace Temu has been accused of allegedly unfairly restricting the pricing autonomy of its commercial partners in a new complaint lodged with Germany’s competition regulator. A retailers’ trade body claims Temu imposes pricing caps and also uses covert sales tactics through advertising and so-called ‘countdowns’, in which an online shopper watches the clock tick down on a quoted price......
Changizi v Changizi and others [2025] EWHC 735 ( Ch) The son argued that inheritance tax ( IHT) on the estate ought to be taken from the residuary fund before any division between him and his mother, invoking Re Benham's Will Trusts [1995] STC 21. By contrast, the executors split the residue into exempt and chargeable elements, then met the IHT solely from the taxable portion attributed to the son, relying on the later authority of Re Ratcliffe [1999] STC 262. The High Court ( HC) determined that Re Ratcliffe supplies the correct approach, while Re Benham was exceptional and turned on its own facts, setting no general principle. Section 41(b) of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 prohibits deducting IHT from the exempt share of residue and must therefore be applied. Consequently, the executors’...
Popular documents
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 ]...
Discover more from LexisNexis
