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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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India v CCDM Holdings [2025] FCAFC 2) What was the background? Three Mauritian entities secured a 2020 PCA award obliging the Republic of India to pay compensation for breaches of the India- Mauritius BIT (the Quantum Award) after the Indian Government cancelled an agreement between Devas India and Antrix Corporation Ltd, a state-owned Indian company (the Devas/ Antrix Agreement). The rights of those companies were assigned to three successors (the Applicants), who sought recognition and enforcement of the Quantum Award in the Federal Court of Australia (the Application). The Republic of India resisted the Application, invoking sovereign immunity under Part II of the Foreign States Immunities Act 1985 ( Cth) (the FSI Act). Under the FSI Act, a foreign state is not subject to the jurisdiction of Australian courts unless (a) it has submitted to the jurisdiction of the Australian court in the...
BV v Basrah Oil Company 200.323.800/01 200.323.800/01 What are the practical implications of this case? The practical implications of this case are twofold. It confirms that, in enforcement proceedings, a defendant may lodge a counter-application for leave to enforce an arbitral award arising from the same arbitration. That is what Basrah Oil did in respect of the award it had obtained against the Claimant. The Claimant opposed this on procedural grounds, asserting that placing the request within Basrah Oil’s response to the Claimant’s own application for leave breached principles of due process. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal addressed these concerns by arranging an additional hearing so the Claimant could properly answer the counter-application, and dismissed the remainder of the objections. More importantly, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal confined the leave to enforce to the net figure: the amount awarded to the Claimant under a final...
Re Z ( Unlawful Foreign Surrogacy— Adoption) [2025] EWHC 339 ( Fam) What are the practical implications of this case? A stark warning to anyone contemplating unlawful, commercial surrogacy overseas, this judgment candidly exposes the legal hazards they are likely to encounter in practice. The children central to the proceedings met significant obstacles when attempting to return to the UK alongside their intended parents: persistent problems arose with the registration of their births abroad, and the consequence was that, for years, they remained stateless and with nobody able to exercise parental responsibility for either child. Their journey home was impeded, and bureaucratic hurdles around recognition of their births produced prolonged uncertainty. Throughout that period, no adult held lawful authority to make decisions on their behalf. In addition, the court questioned the wisdom of the applicants in proceeding with a surrogacy...
Komaksavia Airport Invest Ltd v Republic of Moldova, Case No T 13314-22 What are the practical implications of this case? Investment disputes under bilateral treaties differ because there is no straightforward contract binding the investor and the host State; there is no direct contractual tie. Under such treaties, an arbitration pact crystallises only once the investor takes up the State’s standing offer to arbitrate by lodging a request for arbitration. Consequently, whether the would‑be claimant has made an ‘investment’ goes first and foremost to the State’s consent to arbitrate, rather than to the question of whether the dispute sits within the scope of the arbitration agreement. What was the background? The controversy stemmed from Komaksavia’s purchase of a 95% interest in a Moldovan company that had concluded a concession with the Moldovan authorities to develop and run Chisinau Airport under that...
What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling is noteworthy as there have been few decisions addressing how to interpret the statutory test for a ‘self-contained part of building’ in CLRA 2002, s 72(3)–(4) where a right to manage claim is pursued. It clarifies the meaning of a ‘vertical division’ within a building, a point that matters particularly where a portion shares undivided space with the remainder of the premises, for example a car park, and thus whether a claim brought under the legislation can succeed. Its importance extends further: the statutory wording mirrors that in section 3(2) of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and section 117(5) of the Building Safety Act 2022. As a result, the decision has broader consequences for collective enfranchisement and building safety. What was the background? The Plaza Boulevard cases The Courtyard, The Studios and The Terrace form parts of the...
On 19 March 2025, US District Judge Richard J Leon issued a minute order, noting there was 'good precedent' for not compelling a solvent sovereign state to lodge a bond in matters like this. Judge Leon explained he weighed three factors in deciding to dispense with the bond. First, the size of the damages award; second, the entity’s net worth measured against those damages; and third, that party’s residency status. He further observed that India’s 'status as a sovereign is relevant and the appropriate proxy for an individual's residency status'. These were the points he had to assess to reach the decision to forgo a bond in this case......
European Insurance M& A deals hit record 20% in 2024 FTI Consulting reported an unprecedented surge in European insurance mergers and acquisitions last year, with 694 deals unveiled in total, up from 574 in 2023, and 435 the year before. The consultancy noted that broking and service providers remained the dominant force in the marketplace. It marked a record year for M& A across the sector. Closures were also higher: 627 transactions completed versus 502 in 2023, making up 90% of Europe’s insurance deal flow in 2024. André Frazão, who leads FTI Consulting’s EMEA Insurance M& A practice, said the European insurance M& A arena is on fire......
The ECCTA 2023 obtained Royal Assent on 26 October 2023, and is being rolled out gradually in stages across the UK. The legislation aims to bolster corporate openness and visibility, enhance the UK's capacity to combat economic crime meaningfully and widen enforcement powers—especially regarding crypto-assets, fraud prevention and relevant company rules. Before ultimately taking office in 2024, the Labour Party condemned the failure to secure criminal convictions against financial services firms for wrongdoing linked to the 2008 financial crisis. Did they have a fair argument? Were the corporate criminal liability provisions then in force adequate? Should the Labour government reopen this field to craft effective measures to address corporate wrongdoing? Regrettably, recent Conservative reforms appear to have set the UK on a course likely to underperform and potentially be hard for Labour to unwind swiftly. The chances of achieving successful...
FTT finds LLP not trading and disallows tax deductions and R& D relief ( L. R. R& D LLP v HMRC) L. R. R& D LLP v HMRC [2025] UKFTT 245 ( TC) HMRC contended the LLP’s losses stemmed from a tax avoidance arrangement, using the LLP as a vehicle to manufacture losses for members to shelter other income. HMRC maintained the arrangement’s purpose was to generate artificial losses, later allocated to members to offset against unrelated income streams elsewhere personally. In outline, the LLP had secured rights to commercialise a transdermal patch system for administering medicines from NDM Technologies Limited (‘ NDM’). Under a framework agreement (the ‘ Framework Agreement’), it outsourced associated research and development (‘ R& D’) to NPL Sub- Contractor Limited (‘ NPL- Sub’). The LLP paid NPL- Sub £8 million for that R& D, funded 74% by members’ capital with the...
Spineway SA v Strategos Group LLC, No 24-1584, 3rd Circuit, 2025 US Court of Appeals — ruling issued 18 March 2025 Medical devices In 2019, Spineway SA, a France-based manufacturer of medical devices, formed a joint venture with Strategos Group LLC, a Delaware investment outfit specialising in healthcare ventures in Latin America. Their contract included an arbitration clause stating that disputes would be determined under the ‘ Mediation and Arbitration Rules of the Geneva International Chamber of Commerce’, before a single arbitrator seated in Geneva, with French law governing the process. After conflicts emerged and Spineway moved to begin arbitration, it realised that the ‘ Geneva International Chamber of Commerce’ does not exist. As a result, it submitted an arbitration claim to the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution ( SCAI). Strategos received notice of the arbitration but chose not to...
An open letter urges Emma Reynolds, the economic secretary to the Treasury, and Meg Hillier, who chairs the parliamentary Treasury Committee, to act 'urgently' to stop the financial watchdog from carrying out its proposal to erase any emails received from 1 April 2025 once they are a year old. The letter is also addressed to Helen Charlton, chair of the FCA's financial services consumer panel, and to Michael Forsyth, a member of the House of Lords and chair of the Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee. The signatories argue the plan would 'needlessly damage the rights of consumers', and diminish the FCA's effectiveness and the broader integrity of the financial sector......
Domestic European Union ( Investment Firms) ( Amendment) Regulations 2025 published in Iris Oifigiúil Signed into law on 6 February 2025, the European Union ( Investment Firms) ( Amendment) Regulations 2025 (the Regulations) were then published in Iris Oifigiúil on 7 February 2025......
Mergers The CMA has launched a consultation on undertakings proposed by Topps Tiles Plc, offered in place of a referral to a phase 2 investigation, relating to its completed purchase of certain assets from Tildist Realisations Limited (formerly CTD Tiles Limited)—see case page. Note— For all live mergers before the CMA, see UK mergers—ongoing cases tracker. Upcoming dates For dates of upcoming UK competition developments, see UK Competition calendar......
Online Safety Code Video-sharing services including You Tube, Tik Tok and Facebook are a little beyond the midpoint of a grace window before Ireland’s new online safety framework begins to bite, and the watchdog has underlined that age assurance will be front and centre once enforcement begins. Coimisiún na Meán, the Irish media commission, unveiled its Online Safety Code in November, with broad ‘ Part A’ rules taking effect almost at once. However, platforms have until 21 July this year to ready themselves for ‘ Part B’ duties, which cover age checks for explicit and adult material, parental controls, and content ratings. The guidance ‘is concentrating very strongly on age assurance, particularly around the under‑18/over‑18 boundary, so that would tackle issues of pornography, and we welcome that’, Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett told MLex in an interview. The Online Safety Code sets out...
In 2020, Debenhams confirmed it would shut all Irish stores, resulting in the loss of more than 1,000 roles. A collective redundancy process followed, alongside a widely publicised dispute over redundancy entitlements, which sparked pickets at Debenhams’ sites for just over 400 days. A deal on redundancy terms was eventually concluded in May 2021. Nearly 800 employees involved pursued complaints before the Workplace Relations Commission ( WRC) under sections 9 and 10 of the Protection of Employment Acts, which regulate an employer’s duty to furnish information to, and consult with, employee representatives in a collective redundancy context. Section 9 Section 9 specifies that an employer (or responsible person [1]) must begin consultations with employees’ representatives when proposing collective redundancies. Those consultations must start as early as possible and, in any case, at least 30 days before the first dismissal notice is issued...
MS Amlin says a new facility, created with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( EBRD) and insurer Aon Plc, is intended to ‘revitalise’ Ukraine’s war‑risk insurance sector. It enables local insurers to provide protection for inland cargo and transport to small and medium-sized enterprises. According to MS Amlin, €80m has been pledged for reinsurance, rising to €110m by 2030, to support policies issued by three Ukrainian insurers— INGO, Colonnade and UNIQA. The facility is supported by the EBRD, which, MS Amlin noted, allows the exposure to be transferred off its balance sheet under the new arrangement......
Naming and shaming: how not to regulate Most recently, the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee ( FSRC) produced a reproving report on the proposals, titled ‘ Naming and shaming: how not to regulate’. It raised concerns not just about the measures themselves, but also about the FCA’s approach. The FCA’s key idea was to alter the threshold for publicising the start of an enforcement investigation — and naming the firm involved — from doing so only in exceptional circumstances (the current position) to applying a public interest test. On 12 March 2025, in what seemed an unprecedented step, the FCA announced it would not proceed with these plans. Across the industry, senior management in financial services appeared collectively relieved. In a letter to the UK Parliament’s Treasury Select Committee, the FCA nonetheless indicated it would continue with a narrow set of...
Clifford Chance LLP, together with Irish practice Arthur Cox LLP, served as legal advisers to Partners Group on this transaction. Equitix received legal advice from Linklaters LLP and Ireland’s Mc Cann Fitzgerald LLP. Greenlink is a subsea power interconnector linking Great Britain with Ireland. The 504 megawatt link, to supply roughly 380,000 households, extends for 190 kilometres in length beneath the Irish Sea......
State aid Commission: arbitration award ordering Spain to pay compensation to Antin constitutes unlawful State aid The Commission has determined that an arbitral ruling obliging Spain to compensate Antin Infrastructure Services S.à.r.l. and Antin Energia Termosolar B. V. ( Antin) for alterations to a renewable electricity support scheme introduced by Spain amounts to unlawful State aid under EU State aid rules. It has directed Spain not to execute payment arising from the award and firmly underlined that national courts must help secure observance and fully ensure compliance with this decision at national level. Background In 2007, Spain introduced a support framework for electricity generated from renewable sources (the 2007 scheme) without notifying the Commission under EU State aid rules. In 2013, Spain revised the framework, applying the changes also to installations already receiving support under the 2007 scheme (the 2013 scheme). In 2017, the...
Regulatory lawyers warn that deregulation steps set out in a government policy paper on 17 March 2025 could potentially harm consumers, a risk amplified by the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA) scaling back its enforcement agenda. John Pauley, financial services partner at Harper James, said, in his view, the government’s action plan appears more a measured wager than a wild bet, yet it clearly puts growth ahead of stability and security. He noted that the breadth of the proposals, especially the loosening of financial rules, leaves scope for unforeseen fallout across the market. Pauley also said success depends on how quickly both government and regulators can change tack if instability starts to show, and do so decisively. Other practitioners worry that response may come too late, as the government has not articulated its tolerance for consumer harm despite the FCA’s repeated requests for...
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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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