Efforts to provide more protection and encouragement to whistleblowers in the UK have taken a significant step forward this year – a stark reminder that now is the time for businesses to review their own procedures and policies. [Continue Reading]
Court actions north and south of the border can be different in many ways and one of the main contrasts lies in the production of documents relevant to a case. [Continue Reading]
A brand is one of the most important and valuable assets of any business. It attracts customers to that business or product line, acts as an indicator of trustworthiness or quality, and ultimately is a key touch point for creating customer experiences and loyalty. Any damage to that brand, through copycat products or association with another discredited brand, advertiser or social media influencer, could have a significant negative impact on customer behaviour and, if not dealt with swiftly, could ultimately devalue the brand. That is why it is crucial to choose the right strategy to protect your brand. [Continue Reading]
2018 was the year when data protection law seemed to be at the heart of many big news stories. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May, gathering lots of attention in the media, as organisations worked out what they needed to do to prepare. We have also seen the revelations in relation to Cambridge Analytica and Facebook and use of personal data in political campaigning, as well as major cyber attacks on the likes of Carphone Warehouse and British Airways, to name but a few. [Continue Reading]
It may surprise some that raising and running court actions to a conclusion before a judge is only part of the overall picture in most large dispute teams. Dispute resolution is an area which covers many topics – at Brodies alone, more than 130 people work on delivering solutions for a diverse client base. [Continue Reading]
Speaking to clients, in-house general counsel and those in industry, while all are concerned about the deal that may be struck around Brexit, many have to deal with other uncertainties existing in the current market. The exit negotiations of the UK from the EU are still subject to many turns before, and arguably if, any deal is progressed by March 2019 and that has important implications for key Scottish industries such as financial services, manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries and more widely, the marine and food and drink sectors.
Dealing with residential tenancies has taken on a new meaning in Scotland. On 1 December 2017, the private residential tenancy (PRT) became the new residential tenancy for Scotland and, from 31 January 2018, letting agents of residential dwellings have to comply with a new code of practice and apply to be registered in the mandatory Register of Letting Agents.
Brodies LLP has been ranked the top Scottish firm in an independent planning law survey conducted by Planning magazine.
The survey, published in the current edition of the magazine, asked planning professionals to identify the solicitors, firms and barristers best placed to advise on the legal issues surrounding development projects and plans. The magazine emailed more than 7,000 private planning solicitors, planning consultants, planning officers, developers and local government lawyers to ask them for nominations.
Commenting on the ranking, Neil Collar, Head of Planning at Brodies, said: “We are very pleased that planning professionals rank us as the top Scottish firm for planning law work. This reflects our track record of being involved in high profile projects across a range of development sectors, with a team that has expanded to eight experienced lawyers, all thanks to the continued support of our clients.”
In 2013, Neil was the only Scottish lawyer in private practice named in Planning magazine one-off Power 100 list of the most influential names in planning. Brodies’ planning team is ranked top tier in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 independent legal directories.
Neil sits on the Law Society of Scotland’s planning law committee and is the author of Planning, a highly-influential guide to planning law. He is also a prolific commentator on planning issues and contributor to Brodies’ planning blog.
Law students Georgia Carey and Lauren Kyle from Robert Gordon University (RGU) triumphed last night in the annual Granite City Moot, sponsored by Brodies LLP.
The RGU team were named the 2016 Granite City Moot champions after pitting their wits against Martyn Ross and Anna Black from Aberdeen University in a lively and hard-fought legal debate before Sheriff Alison Stirling, academics and fellow students at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Mooting allows students to demonstrate both their legal knowledge and debating skills in arguing a fictitious case based on a genuine legal problem while adhering to the protocols of a real court.
This year, the scenario involved a prosecution appeal in relation to ‘Gavin Greedy’ who had been convicted at Balbair Sheriff Court of embezzling money from his employer, Betty’s Bakeries. The appeal turned upon police officer evidence under Section 259 of the Criminal Procedure Scotland Act 1995 and whether the Crown had proved the accused appropriated the money dishonestly for an embezzlement conviction. It was claimed that the accused’s human rights under Article 6 rights had been breached with evidence being admitted unfairly.
Val Bremner, Moot coordinator and a law lecturer at RGU, said: “We were absolutely delighted to win this year’s Granite City Moot. Georgia and Lauren are highly motivated students who worked exceptionally hard on their legal arguments for the competition.
“This event is a great opportunity for students to test their skills in a courtroom setting, in front of a real Sheriff and members of the local law community. Public speaking skills and confidence only come with practice and moots are a great way to do this, showing students how their academic knowledge can be applied in practice.”
Malcolm Mackay, a partner in the insurance & risk team of Brodies LLP, presented the winning team with their prize.
Brodies LLP has been named Scotland IP Firm of the Year at the prestigious Managing Intellectual Property Global Awards in London for the third consecutive time.
Partners Robert Buchan and Gill Grassie and Associate Shona Tennant from Brodies’ IP team attended the awards dinner to receive the accolade, which recognised the wide range of specialist advice they had provided to clients over the past year, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector where they were involved in a prominent patent dispute.
Now in their 11th year, the Managing IP Global Awards, held last week at Savoy Hotel, London, are the highlight of the global IP calendar. The winners are chosen by Managing IP’s team of editors and researchers, based on the publication’s world IP survey, recent market developments and client feedback.
Some key work undertaken by the Brodies IP team over the last year includes acting for PRS for Music in its copyright enforcement campaign in Scotland and acting in a multi-jurisdictional patent dispute. The team also advised a leading education and examination provider on the protection and enforcement its intellectual property, both in the UK and internationally. This involved advising on trademarks and logos, and taking action against infringing third parties.
Other highlights over the past year have included acting for TripAdvisor, Krispy Kreme, Facebook Inc., Oil States International, Glasgow Caledonian University, DC Thomson and the Scotch Whisky Association.
The accolade follows Brodies’ ‘Gold’ ranking earlier this year in the World Trademark Review’s global list of the 1,000 leading trademark professionals – also the third consecutive year the firm has achieved this prestigious recognition. For the first time Brodies was the only Scottish firm to be listed in the gold category.
Gill Grassie, Head of IP Dispute Resolution at Brodies, said: “We are delighted to once again be named the Scotland IP Firm of the Year, and for our achievements to be recognised for the third year in a row. Our dedicated IP team is proud to assist our clients in Scotland and abroad in protecting their intellectual property and innovation and we thank them for their continued support, which made this award possible. We certainly won’t be resting on our laurels and this recognition will only encourage us to set the bar for the quality of our service even higher.”
Brodies’ IP team is ranked top tier in both of the leading independent legal directories,Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
