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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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The Framework Agreement 2016 The earlier JCT Framework Agreement, issued in 2016 ( FA 2016), stated it was aligned with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ( PCR 2015), SI 2015/102. Nevertheless, where a framework involved multiple contractors, it offered no objective method for sharing work between them. Any process for allocating work therefore had to be drafted on a bespoke basis and appended to the Framework Agreement. The Framework Agreement 2024 FA 2024 broadly reflects FA 2016 and, like the wider JCT 2024 suite, makes only minimal changes from its 2016 forerunner. FA 24 functions as an overarching umbrella arrangement between a single employer and a single contractor, labelled a ‘ Provider’, which can be confusing when used alongside other JCT contracts that use ‘ Contractor’. A call-off mechanism is provided to instruct individual ‘ Tasks’ under the terms of an agreed ‘...
The PPF has outlined a three-year plan over the next three years, seeking to collaborate with government to lower costs for schemes and employers by updating the rules that determine its external funding. It further stated it would engage with policy makers to initiate a review that might enable pension entitlements for older savers to keep pace with inflation. ‘ The PPF recognises that stakeholders expect movement on the legislation covering its levy and the degree of indexation it pays’, the organisation noted in a press statement. ‘ Although statutory change rests with government, the PPF believes the moment is right to examine a number of important aspects of the PPF’s governing framework’. The PPF added it had ‘reaffirmed its aim to play a proactive role in pinpointing the best approach for members and levy payers, and to move swiftly and...
Tradeinn Retail Services S. L. v PH Case C‑76/24 What are the practical implications of this case? In practical terms, the opinion supports allowing the proprietor of a registered trade mark to obtain an injunction, grounded on a national registration in one EU Member State, against the act of ‘stocking’ infringing goods in another Member State, thus extending the effect of national registrations beyond the domestic frontier. It thereby envisages cross‑border restraint based on a single national right... What was the background? PH owns two German trade marks, ED and a device mark, registered for, among other things, ‘diving equipment, diving suits, diving gloves, diving masks and breathing apparatus for diving’. Tradeinn Retail, based in Spain, promoted diving accessories for sale on its website and via Amazon.de, deploying PH’s trade marks. Goods delivered after a test purchase did not bear PH’s trade marks. PH issued...
Santander UK plc v CCP Graduate School Ltd [2025] EWHC 667 ( KB) What are the practical implications of this case? This is a noteworthy judgment in a developing branch of the law concerning the scope for victims of APP frauds to pursue redress through actions against banks that, while outwardly innocent, had their accounts used in the fraud. The court delineates constraints on what might otherwise be regarded as an expanding field of bank duties and potential liabilities. The judgment makes the point that the cautious, incremental evolution of any duty of care is not a theoretical exercise; deciding what is fair, just and reasonable depends on the surrounding circumstances. As Lord Leggatt observed in Philipp at [16], banks operate within a highly regulated legal regime which recognises the need to strike a balance between facilitating swift payment processing and the...
The Boeing Co settled the cases brought by the families and estates of Antoine Lewis and Darcy Belanger, but the details of those deals are confidential, according to their law firms. A two-week trial was due to start once a jury was empanelled on 7 April 2025. Lewis, a US Army captain, was on leave from service and travelling to Africa when he lost his life. He is mourned by his wife, fellow Army soldier Yalena Lopez- Lewis, and their two sons. Belanger was en route to the United Nations Environment Assembly, where he had been set to speak, when the crash occurred; he is survived by his wife, Amie, and his two parents. Although no settlement can return those who were lost, these agreements should begin to provide a measure of closure for families who have waited a long time for justice, said Robert...
The EU AI rulebook adopts a phased rollout: some headline provisions take effect from August 2025, with most following in 2026. As these milestones approach, organisations are rushing to interpret an opaque legal text. Uncertainty stems from doubts about Regulation ( EU) 2024/1689 (the AI Act), notably its relevance during development, any extraterritorial reach, the meaning of central legal concepts, and the limits of the scientific research and development exemption. Development phase The AI Act indicates it does not extend to research, testing, or development activities for AI systems or models before they are placed on the market or put into service. However, a European Commission question‑and‑answer paper on general‑purpose AI ( GPAI) recognises that certain duties for model providers, implicitly or explicitly, relate to the development stage. These include: Notifying the regulator if providers anticipate GPAI models will exceed the Act’s training compute...
Wilson v The Secretary of State for Business and Trade [2025] EWHC 691 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This decision underscores the need to furnish complete, candid evidence when seeking relief under the CDDA 1986, s 17, and to observe any interim permission terms. Even though the allegations of unfitness did not relate to trading to HMRC’s prejudice, the court scrutinised the companies’ tax positions. Permission was not refused simply because of historic arrears or the presence of time to pay arrangements. The applicant’s conduct was pivotal. His first and second affidavits contained ‘material self-serving inaccuracies’ (para [97]). His account lacked openness. He intentionally attempted to obscure the companies’ history of tax non-payment and late payment (see para [89]) and did not fully cooperate with the Secretary of State’s requests for information (see para [101]). In addition, he...
R (on the application of LW, by her litigation friend) v Islington London Borough Council [2025] EWHC 703 ( Admin) What are the practical implications of this case? Practitioners in this area will recognise the significant backlogs in the FTT, with some final hearings not listed until a year after registration (despite an intended 12-week timetable). Comparable postponements arise in disability discrimination matters as well. Frequently, the children and young people central to these disputes are going without the special educational provision required to meet their needs, or are entirely out of education, so it is unsurprising that parents look for swifter alternative routes, including Judicial Review. This judgement offers helpful direction on the lawfulness of commencing a Judicial Review where the FTT appeal route has not been completed. It also clarifies the kinds of situations a court may treat as...
Why do AI contracts differ from typical technology agreements and demand more flexibility? There are several ways in which AI contracts diverge from conventional technology agreements and therefore call for greater flexibility: New risks and applications. AI represents the latest shift in how technology services are delivered. Offerings vary widely by purpose, training and development, deployment, and territorial scope. As with open source code or agile development methods, AI pushes lawyers to craft bespoke warranties, procedures, and controls to address unfamiliar risks (eg data poisoning, biased outputs). Rapid change. AI is evolving and rolling out at speed, so obligations can become stale unexpectedly. At the same time, lawmakers are scrambling to tackle new AI concerns, producing fresh or amended rules (such as the EU AI Act) that can reset compliance expectations within months. Third-party data concerns. AI solutions...
M Rose Construction Ltd v The Pensions Regulator [2025] UKFTT 282 ( GRC) What are the practical implications of this case? Appreciating the effect of this decision will aid practitioners advising on clients’ ‘automatic enrolment’ obligations under the PA 2008, namely to place specified employees into a workplace pension scheme and fund contributions. The ‘duties start date’ is the point when the first member of staff begins work for the business. In this matter, that date was 1 July 2023, and the company had to submit information for every person employed on that date by making a declaration of compliance. Where a declaration is not completed within the stated timeframe, TPR will issue a ‘compliance notice’ to the employer. If the employer still fails to act on that compliance notice, TPR can issue a penalty notice requiring payment of the penalty and the...
Unjust enrichment—court explores the conventions of appointing investment banking advisers ( H& P) Advisory Ltd v Barrick Gold ( Holdings) Ltd) H& P Advisory Ltd v Barrick Gold ( Holdings) Ltd (formerly Randgold Resources Ltd) [2025] EWHC 562 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? From a legal perspective, the judgment provides a helpful analysis of the foundations of an unjust enrichment claim. H& P succeeded on this basis even though neither Barrick nor Rangold had ever appointed them as financial adviser. (a) they acted as broker and introduced the figures at Barrick and Rangold to one another (b) Barrick never told H& P, definitively, whether they were engaged Consequently, H& P were found to have a legitimate expectation of involvement, and of retrospective payment; the judge considered that Randgold shared that expectation. There was, therefore, a sufficient basis of agreement between the parties, the...
PMJC SAS v [ W] [ X], [ M] [ X], [ X] Créative SAS Case C‑168/24 What are the practical implications of this case? If the Court of Justice adopts the Advocate General’s view, the principal practical effects for proprietors of patronymic trade marks and for designers are set out below: Use of patronymic trade marks Holders of patronymic trade marks matching an initial fashion designer’s name should proceed with care, ensuring their use does not mislead consumers into thinking the goods are linked to that original designer when they are not. For example: a campaign featuring the original designer could cause consumers to wrongly believe the designer took charge of the artistic supervision of the goods. This may amount to conduct justifying revocation for misleading use of the trade marks in issue marketing materials and communications should avoid statements implying the goods were...
Mergers The Commission has recently been notified of the following transactions: Triton/ Mac Gregor ( M.11823) under the standard merger procedure Carlyle/ SK Capital Partners/ Bluebird ( M.11935) under the simplified merger procedure Note— For full details of all current merger probes before the Commission, see further, EU mergers—ongoing cases tracker Foreign direct investment The European Parliament’s international trade committee has approved updated EU-wide FDI screening rules designed to pinpoint and mitigate security risks linked to FDI, extend compulsory screening to additional sectors, and empower the Commission to intervene on its own initiative—see further, press release Note— For key legislative and policy developments concerning FDI regimes across jurisdictions worldwide, see further, Multi-jurisdictional foreign direct investment ( FDI)—news feed State aid The Commission has released the 2024 State aid Scoreboard, offering a comprehensive picture and detailed overview of EU Member States’ State aid spend. It indicates that, in 2023, Member...
On Wednesday 2 April 2025, Trump slapped a 34% levy on every import from China, branding it among the 'worst trade offenders' together with 24 other economies, such as the EU, Vietnam, Cambodia and Turkey. Having returned to office in January, Trump had already rolled out two separate 10% duties on all Chinese imports. As a result, Chinese products entering the US will, from 9 April 2025, face combined tariffs of at least 54%. Following the first two US moves, China hit back with 10–15% duties aimed at selected American imports. This time, though, its 34% countermeasure is applied uniformly to all US goods without exception......
Worldwide cyber insurance premiums amounted to US$15.3bn in 2024 and are projected to rise to US$16.3bn in 2025, per the reinsurance specialist’s estimates and outlook. Munich Re’s data indicates this could climb to US$32bn or higher by 2030, according to its data too. ' With ongoing digitalisation, safeguarding against one of the gravest risks to the economy and society is increasingly vital,' said Thomas Blunck, chief executive of reinsurance. ' Yet many organisations still do not have sufficient defences and insurance in place.'......
In a 31-page published opinion, the Eleventh Circuit overturned the lower court’s dismissal of Alabama Aircraft Industries Inc, formerly Pemco, under the Missouri Trade Secrets Act, but clarified that unjust enrichment is the sole remedy it can obtain against Boeing, as the parties’ contracts blocked all other avenues of relief AAI might pursue. The decision is the latest turn in a years-long trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract dispute first brought in 2011. AAI claimed Boeing pursued a prolonged strategy to capture a lucrative US Air Force contract for servicing the KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft, a contract AAI said it had held for decades. The companies initially agreed in the 2000s to team up on a maintenance bid. However, AAI alleged Boeing later excluded it from the arrangement and then secured the award by pricing just 1% below AAI’s proposal. When the matter...
Background The initial iteration of the MCC‑ AI appeared in September 2023 ahead of the EU AI Act, setting out a systematic route for sourcing AI. Following the EU AI Act’s formal entry into force on 13 June 2024, the Commission has updated the model clauses to better match regulatory expectations. The latest release comprises: a comprehensive edition for high‑risk AI systems a streamlined variant for non‑high‑risk AI systems a commentary detailing how to tailor and apply the clauses Why should companies get acquainted with the MCC- AI? The MCC‑ AI offers a practical framework for businesses buying or supplying AI services, by setting a shared baseline of obligations. The clauses foster alignment between parties on core compliance areas — transparency, risk management and accountability — consistent with the EU AI Act. By tailoring MCC‑ AI clauses to their...
This year celebrates 100 years since the Law of Property Act 1925 ( LPA 1925), a foundational statute that transformed how land is bought and sold in England and Wales. Although today’s practitioners may take streamlined property rules as a given, the 1925 programme was a bold break from a cumbersome and dated regime. As we mark this centenary, it is a timely chance to consider why change was needed, its enduring influence on property law, and whether the Act is still fit for purpose in an evolving real estate landscape. The need for reform In the early twentieth century, the framework governing land ownership was antiquated and notoriously complex. Anchored in feudal tradition, it primarily shielded wealthy landowners, preserving hereditary transmission of estates. Knotted layers of ownership produced overlaps between legal and equitable interests, so property could rarely be handled with ease. The result was...
Alrubie v Chelsea Football Club Ltd and another [2025] EWHC 541 ( Comm) What are the practical implications of this case? This decision will particularly interest arbitration practitioners and professionals working in sports clubs, and could equally concern other organisations whose members are controlled by association rules. Commonly, those participating in professional sports clubs accept, by reason of their membership, that they are bound by the club’s rulebook and by the regulations of any national and worldwide governing bodies. Such regimes routinely incorporate arbitration agreements, owing in part to the confidentiality of arbitral proceedings, which protects against undesirable public attention, and in part to the ability to appoint arbitrators with specialist knowledge of the sport’s rules and industry practices. The case clarifies that these rules may have ‘horizontal’ contractual effect between members, as well as ‘vertical’ effect between each member and the governing body,...
Sterling-linked gilt yields fell for a second straight day as investors rotated out of shares and into sovereign debt or gold, following the US government’s 2 April 2025 declaration of sweeping tariff hikes. When bond prices climb, yields contract. The UK’s defined benefit pension schemes hold substantial gilts, and the steady rise in yields over the past five years has produced unprecedented improvements in funding for retirement plans, underpinned by higher interest income from their bond portfolios. By the morning of 4 April 2025, the ten-year gilt yield had slipped to 4.35%, from 4.48% a week earlier, amid continuing fallout across financial markets. Even so, specialists said schemes have probably allowed for those shifts within their investment strategies......
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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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