Reputation law: an international approach to protecting brands | Schillings

Legal Briefing

The threat from modern methods of communication is that the potential damage to an individual, company or brand’s reputation is fast and global. As international companies and their brands grow, so does the need for a trusted reputation and the need to protect the brand. The speed at which information travels, especially in this internet …

Rights of light in cities: injunctions and damages | CMS Cameron McKenna

Legal Briefing

As space commands a higher and higher price in our cities, new buildings are being put up ever closer together and reaching ever taller. London, with its record land prices, already has the UK’s largest concentration of commercial skyscrapers. After a slowdown in development during the economic recession, Savills Project Consultancy’s ‘Commercial Development Activity’ (March …

Health, safety and environmental management: the cost of getting it wrong | Bond Dickinson LLP

Legal Briefing

Health, safety and environmental management is increasingly at the top of the corporate agenda. With many companies putting the environment and safety at the heart of their corporate social responsibility policy, the consequences of falling foul of the law are becoming all the more significant, not just in terms of financial liabilities but, more importantly, …

Recent developments in examinership law | Byrne Wallace

Legal Briefing

There have been several significant developments concerning examinerships in the Irish jurisdication recently. In Re Vantive Holdings & ors [2009], the criteria laid down in Vantive Holdings’ applications for the appointment of an examiner have raised the evidential bar significantly. Applicants now have to ensure that they are armed with a very credible Independent Accountant’s …

European cross-border insolvency: an overview and update | Holman Fenwick Willan

Legal Briefing

The EC Regulation on Insolvency proceedings does not make particularly easy reading.1 It is a Brussels-made law in the form of a Directive, which took effect in all EU member states (except Denmark, which opted out) on 31 May 2002. Making sense of its provisions involves understanding some slightly unfamiliar concepts, some containing a rather …

E-tendering | SJ Berwin LLP

Legal Briefing

On 24 March 2010, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) published guidance (‘Implementing e-tendering’ (the Guidance)) on the implementation of e-tendering as part of the public procurement process. The release of the Guidance comes at a time when, in light of the current economic climate, Alistair Darlings’ spending cut targets in the 2010 Budget and …

Withholding tax on cross-border transactions: a judicial conundrum | Amarchand Mangaldas

Legal Briefing

Internationally, most countries require that those who pay interest, dividends and royalties to foreign recipients must withhold the income tax at the time of payment and must deposit the same amount with the treasury. Similarly, under s195 of the Income Tax Act 1961 (the 1961 Act) the Indian domestic tax laws cast a vicarious obligation …

Changes to the PBS | Magrath Sheldrick LLP

Legal Briefing

On 18 March 2010 the UK Border Agency (UKBA) announced changes to Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) of the points-based system (PBS). These changes came into effect on 6 April 2010. These changes will give employers food for thought, particularly when transferring employees from overseas branches to the UK. …

Who’s watching you? Rise of corporate monitoring | DLA Piper

Legal Briefing

The new zealous and robust approach adopted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to combat corporate fraud and corruption offences has been increasingly described as the Americanisation of the organisation. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (equivalent to the SFO and Financial Services Authority (FSA) here) have made anti-corruption …