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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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UK developments LMA publishes response to HM Treasury's UK green taxonomy consultation The Loan Market Association ( LMA) has submitted its views to HM Treasury’s consultation on the UK green taxonomy, backing the government’s aims yet urging against making its development a near-term priority. While recognising a taxonomy’s role in improving transparency and deterring greenwashing, the LMA flags major delivery hurdles, including complexity and significant resource demands. It also points out that the Financial Conduct Authority’s newly introduced anti-greenwashing rule already achieves many of the intended outcomes. See: LNB News 07/02/2025 45. Source: Response to UK Green Taxonomy Consultation. LMA publishes response to EU Commission's sustainability reporting simplification initiative The Loan Market Association ( LMA) has issued a position paper on the EU Commission’s sustainability omnibus simplification proposal, setting out five key recommendations for reform. The LMA underscores the importance of careful calibration to avoid creating fresh,...
In this issue: Data protection Sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Data protection Deepseek AI— What is it and what do legal teams need to know about it? Deep Seek, a China-based company, has created Deep Seek AI, a sophisticated artificial intelligence model. Its stated aim is to push the frontiers of AI to deliver solutions that strengthen businesses and enhance human capability, and to ensure advanced AI is accessible, ethical and impactful. Founded in 2023, the company swiftly rose to prominence through its free, open-source language models. Most recently it unveiled two leading models: V3, for broad applications such as conversational AI, and R1, focused on reasoning-heavy tasks like programming and maths problems. R1 has attracted substantial media attention by offering cost-efficient AI compared with top US models....
In this issue: Corporate insolvency processes Personal insolvency Directors and insolvency Insolvency litigation The office-holder International restructuring and insolvency Daily and weekly news alerts Key dates for restructuring and insolvency professionals New Q& As Corporate insolvency processes Water ( Special Measures) Act 2025 This Act sets out measures on the oversight, governance and special administration of water companies. It commenced in part on 24 February 2025, will commence further on 24 April 2025, and will take full effect on a day to be appointed by regulations made by the Secretary of State and the Welsh Ministers. See: LNB News 25/02/2025 12. Court approves administrators' Paragraph 71 applications ( Kennedy v Fonds Rusnano Capital SA) The High Court sanctioned administrators’ bids under paragraph 71 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 to dispose of assets subject to fixed charges owned by four English companies without the fixed charge holder’s consent. Given the pressured timetable, the...
Antitrust Advocate General seeks to overturn General Court ruling endorsing State aid for Hungary’s Paks II nuclear project Advocate General Medina has delivered her opinion in Case C-59/23 P, Austria v Commission, an appeal challenging the General Court’s judgment in Case T-101/18, which had rejected a bid to annul the Commission’s 2017 decision authorising Hungarian State aid for two additional nuclear reactors at the Paks II power plant ( SA.38454). She advises the Court of Justice to allow the appeal and quash the General Court’s ruling. Background MVM Paks II Nuclear Power Plant Development Private Company Limited ( Paks II) is a Hungarian, State-owned nuclear operator. In 2015, Hungary notified the Commission of an investment aid measure to build two new reactors at Paks II’s site, south of Budapest. The scheme was to be fully funded by the Hungarian State: €10bn through a Russian State loan,...
In this issue Commercial Data protection and cybersecurity Financial services Energy Environment Insurance and reinsurance Life sciences Regulatory TMT International trade Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Commercial The impact of the revised EU Product Liability Directive on the automated vehicles sector Directive ( EU) 2024/2853 (the Revised EU Product Liability Directive) streamlines how consumers bring product liability claims, widens its remit to cover software and AI‑integrated products, lightens the evidential burden, and introduces new disclosure obligations designed to balance consumer protection with the opportunities and challenges of rapidly evolving technologies, including automated vehicles ( AVs). In this piece, we outline what AV manufacturers placing products on the EU market need to grasp about the updated product liability framework and how they can reduce mounting liability risks. Written by Katie...
Original news Mr R ( CAS-63759- L4H8)—20 August 2024 Summary The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman has dismissed a grievance concerning entitlement to a guaranteed annuity rate. Accordingly, the complaint regarding the payment method tied to the guarantee failed. Under the policy conditions, the guarantee was only available as an annuity paid yearly in arrears. Should the member opt for monthly instalments, the guarantee would not apply. The member’s illustrations were generic projections and did not specify the form of annuity to be selected at retirement. The Ombudsman’s decision underscores the primacy of the policy wording. What were the facts? Mr R was a member of the Phoenix Life Personal Pension Plan (the Scheme) which was operated by Phoenix Life Limited ( Phoenix)......
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries stated its revised approach to the widely adopted Continuous Mortality Investigation ( CMI) is designed to capture better the notable post‑crisis rise in death rates among many younger Britons. A consultation on the plans remains open for comment until 25 March 2025. Specialists have cautioned that the CMI framework has been ‘creaking’ under the strain of the COVID‑19 pandemic, which was responsible for around 208,000 deaths between 2020–23. According to Cobus Daneel, chair of the CMI mortality projections committee, the COVID‑19 pandemic posed difficulties for all mortality projection models......
Long-trailed changes appended to the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, laid before Parliament by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on 25 February 2025, aim to broaden corporate criminal liability and fortify investigations to recoup the assets of fraudsters. The draft law would likewise curb the financial risks borne by enforcers in litigation. Here, Law360 flags three aspects of the government’s new Bill you may have overlooked. Corporate criminal liability widens The centrepiece for white-collar specialists is a plan to extend the spectrum of offences for which a corporate body can face criminal liability when they are committed by senior managers. After years of prosecutorial frustration, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 ( ECCTA 2023) overhauled the legal test, allowing authorities such as the Serious Fraud Office ( SFO) to hold companies liable for economic offences carried out by their senior managers. These fresh...
In this issue: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act Accounts and reports Corporate governance Equity Capital Markets Shareholders’ agreements Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers New Q& As Useful information Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act Companies House has deferred the roll-out of its authorised corporate service provider ( ACSP) registration service, a component of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act ( ECCTA) 2023 delivery plan. The schedule for this particular service will be reset, with a fresh launch date to follow, though springtime 2025 remains the anticipated window. See: LNB News 24/02/2025 42. Accounts and reports The Financial Reporting Council ( FRC) has issued refreshed guidance on the ‘ Going Concern Basis of Accounting and Related Reporting, including Solvency and Liquidity Risks’, following its August 2024 consultation. This non-binding material is intended to support company directors in meeting applicable legal and regulatory obligations when evaluating and...
The government plans to issue the next assessment of the UK’s money laundering and terrorist financing threats before year-end. It may offer a revealing snapshot of the present landscape. Under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds ( Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, HM Treasury and the Home Office must produce periodic joint reports on the money laundering and terrorist financing dangers within the UK. No fixed timetable governs compilation or release, yet both departments are obliged to keep their assessment of risk current. The most recent edition appeared in 2020. At that time, increasing reliance on cash-intensive enterprises to conceal the proceeds of crime was highlighted as a concern, together with the emerging issue of cryptocurrencies being used for money laundering. There is no set calendar for their production and publication; however, both institutions must ensure their...
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Ahmedivand [2025] EWHC 98 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This decision underscores the weight the court places on misuse of the BBL scheme when assessing applications to disqualify directors in such cases, and it treats that conduct with particular seriousness. The court’s stance is uncompromising: conduct of this nature, taken on its own, can justify a finding of unfitness, and the fact that the alleged misconduct concerns a scheme that has already closed does not dilute that assessment. Misuse of the scheme alone can ground unfitness to act as a director. The absence of any ongoing scheme, and thus no real chance of repetition, is not a mitigating factor. In arriving at this view, the court referenced prior authority, notably Re DEEA Construct Ltd [2023] EWHC 2084 ( Ch). In that...
PI & Clinical Negligence weekly highlights—27 February 2025 In this issue: Costs Interim payments CPR updates Other PI news Lex Talk® PI & Clinical Negligence: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Useful information Costs Principles applying to the recovery of CFA uplifts In AKS (a protected party) v National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Ltd, where a solicitor acts for a protected party, the court—subject to limited exceptions in CPR 46.4(3) and CPR PD 46, para 2.1 (which were not engaged on these facts)—must determine the costs payable by that party to their own solicitor out of damages, pursuant to CPR 46.4(2)(a). That determination follows the indemnity principle as for a typical solicitor–client assessment under CPR 46.9. A litigation friend, or a court of protection deputy, lacks authority to compromise costs, including...
Mergers The Commission approved the following: Nokia Corporation’s takeover of control of Infinera Corporation ( M.11663), after a phase I review—see further, press release the establishment of a joint venture, Naha Cruise Terminal Ltd., by RCL Cruises Ltd. and Cruise Terminal Investment Limited Sarl......
Chelsea Cloisters Management Ltd v HMRC [2025] UKFTT 205 ( TC) Chelsea Cloisters Management Ltd ( CCML) acts as the managing entity for a London property known as Chelsea Cloisters. Although other points were examined in depth, the central issue on appeal concerned the VAT treatment of CCML’s supplies and the consequent obligation to register for VAT arising from those supplies. HMRC concluded that CCML had been providing management services chargeable at the standard rate and, therefore, should have been registered for VAT on a compulsory basis. CCML contended that its supplies were covered by a VAT extra‑statutory concession for domestic service charges ( ESC 3.18), rendering them exempt from VAT, and that it had a legitimate expectation to rely upon that concession in practice. The supplies made by CCML were indeed the subject of the appeal......
Jim Harra, who leads HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC), wrote in a letter to lawmakers on the UK’s Treasury Select Committee stating that last year recorded the highest number of inquiries opened into suspected sanctions breaches. Twenty-seven of these were connected to potential Russian breaches, Harra noted. Those totals contrast with 2023, when 22 cases were opened, with 20 of them linked to Russia. In 2021, no criminal sanctions cases were initiated, the letter added. HMRC oversees the enforcement of sanctions breaches associated with the import and export of goods, according to his correspondence......
Cresta Estates Ltd and other companies v MPB Developments Ltd and others [2025] EWHC 198 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This case examines the Supreme Court’s remarks on the IA 1986, s 123 insolvency test in BNY Corporate Trustee Services Ltd v Eurosail‑ UK 2007‑3BL plc [2013] 1 WLR 1408 ( Eurosail), and maps the later authorities that have developed those observations, with a particular emphasis on applying the test where liabilities fall due a long way into the future. It surveys how those principles have been treated since Eurosail, especially in relation to such long‑dated obligations. As a reminder, under the ‘balance sheet test’ a company is regarded as unable to discharge its debts if ‘it is proved to the satisfaction of the court that the value of the company’s assets is less than the amount of its...
Mergers The CMA approved the proposed purchase of Hashi Corp, Inc. by International Business Machines Corporation...
Samuray v Asanov [2025] CSOH 16 What are the practical implications of the case? Practitioners should note the court’s method for addressing disputes of this kind. The two agreements were said to have been signed contemporaneously, with the SPA thereby incorporated into the SPLA. The Pursuer ( Claimant) argued that, as the SPA formed an integral element of the SPLA, a breach of the pertinent SPA provision constituted an event of default under the SPLA. The Defender ( Defendant) disputed that position. With reference to Fiona Trust and Holding Corporation v Privalov [2007] UKHL 40, the court assessed construction on the basis that rational commercial parties would wish any dispute arising from their relationship to be determined by the same tribunal, and that this assumption should prevail unless the language clearly evidences a different common intention. Although Fiona Trust dealt with...
Early Production of Evidence (‘ EPE’) Early Production of Evidence (‘ EPE’) enables parties to seek the disclosure of evidence from an appointed arbitrator—commonly termed the ‘evidence arbitrator’—through a distinct, self-contained procedure. Effective dispute management depends on identifying the facts that must be proved and assessing the evidence available. As a result, EPE operates as a dispute-prevention measure, fostering settlements and allowing parties to evaluate the viability of their claims before commencing arbitration. This mechanism is vital for scrutinising a case prior to advancing a full claim to an Arbitral Tribunal. Recognised under Brazilian procedural law, EPE is underpinned by the 2015 Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure ( CPC), which authorises its application in specified situations, including circumstances where advance clarification of facts may justify or avoid litigation......
See Q& A: Can an attorney acting under a property and financial affairs lasting power of attorney ( LPA) conduct divorce proceedings on behalf of the donor? Provisions on lasting powers of attorney ( LPAs) are contained in sections 9 to 14 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 ( MCA 2005) and in MCA 2005, Schedule 1. The issue concerns a Property and Affairs LPA under section 9(1) of MCA 2005......
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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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