Managing internal investigations: seven key considerations | DLA Piper

Legal Briefing

By now, everyone is familiar with the stories in the press about prosecutors and regulators. On the one hand there are swingeing budgets cuts, stripping them of resources and affecting their capacity to investigate. On the other, record fines are being handed down and they are taking every opportunity to remind us that they are …

New legislation on genetically modified produce | Burges Salmon

Legal Briefing

The Debate over Genetically Modified organisms (GMOs) has been active for several years now. In 2005 the media regularly depicted protesters against GM trials. The debate may have largely subsided since then but it has risen again recently with news that scientists at Bristol and Liverpool universities have cracked the complete genetic code of wheat. …

Commercial litigation in Scotland: fast and flexible | Brodies

Legal Briefing

Most commercial organisations try to avoid court actions if at all possible. The fear of becoming embroiled in a long-running and potentially intractable dispute understandably puts many businesses off enforcement of their contractual rights through standard legal channels. Alternative means of dispute resolution have sprung up to fill the gap. Mediation, arbitration and adjudication have …

IPOs of Dutch public companies: practical notes | Boekel

Legal Briefing

Dutch Public companies, NVs (Naamloze Vennootschappen), are commonly selected as entities for initial public offerings (IPOs), mostly through conversions of existing Dutch private limited companies (BVs or Besloten Vennootschappen) that are part of the group for the purpose of tax structuring. The purpose of this article is to give in-house counsel a headstart on the …

Protecting corporate reputations during deal times | Schillings

Legal Briefing

Generally speaking, 2010 has not been a good year for the M&A market. According to recent data published by Dealogic, global M&A volumes have dropped to their lowest levels in six years, reaching only £785bn in the first six months of the year, a mere 3% increase on the same period last year.1

Ireland’s outsourcing future: challenges and opportunities | Byrne Wallace

Legal Briefing

Outsourcing is a key strategic decision for businesses, enabling more efficient operation through a focus on core areas, while leveraging the capabilities and scale of specialist service providers to effectively operate non-core areas. The economic downturn has increased the pressure on businesses, in Ireland and globally, large-scale corporations and SMEs, to maximise competitiveness while controlling …