Employment Rights Bill: Government announces implementation roadmap and further changes

On 1 July 2025, the Government published its “Implementation Roadmap” for the Employment Rights Bill, setting out a broad-brush timetable for the phased implementation of the Bill’s provisions. Implementation is due to start in late 2025, with further provisions coming into force in April 2026, October 2026 and then during the course of 2027. The …
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UK Supreme Court unanimously rules legal definition of “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex; For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16

This article was first published on the 16 April 2025. It has been updated following the publication of the EHRC Update on 25 April, and again following the amendments made to that Update on 24 June. On 16 April 2025, the UK Supreme Court reached a unanimous decision, in the case of For Women Scotland …
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Webinar | Branding and Trade Marks: Ask us anything! | 11 September 2025

Do you have a burning trade marking question that needs an answer? Want to learn more about the applied science of trade marks generally? Or do you just want to make our industry-leading Chartered Trade Mark attorneys squirm by asking them something they’ve never thought about? If the answer to any of these questions is …
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New UK immigration work route restrictions from 22 July 2025

The government released a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, confirming that many of the work route restrictions outlined in the May 2025 White Paper will come into effect on 22 July 2025.  These include largely restoring the Skilled Worker minimum skill level to degree level, increasing minimum salaries, and restricting the care worker route …
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Webinar | Strategic litigation funding for charities & NGOs: Managing risk and practical top tips | 11 September 2025

One of the major challenges for any piece of strategic litigation is funding the claim and managing the risk of an adverse costs award. Following the recent report by the Civil Justice Council on the future of litigation funding, join us on 11 September as we discuss strategies for funding claims and managing risk. We’ll …
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Strategic litigation: Driving change and positive impact. July 2025

Welcome to our latest round-up of developments in strategic litigation. In this edition, we cover a range of developments from the UK and overseas. A common theme is the lasting impact that decisions can have in developing jurisprudence, policy, and playbooks for claimants. Last year’s Supreme Court decision in Finch is a case in point: …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 8 July

Our weekly round up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission The Charity Commission has concluded its compliance case into Nottingham Islam Information Point. The case was opened in 2023, following concerns about a …
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Webinar | AI & Publishing – Copyright, licensing and commercial opportunities | 23 July 2025

Join us on 23 July as we discuss the ongoing battle between artificial intelligence companies and the publishing industry. As well as high profile disputes and recent developments, we’ll explore the opportunities for publishers and journal owners to capitalise on AI developers’ desire to use their content.  We’ll provide practical advice, covering:   There will be time at …
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Purpose & Impact: your roundup | July

Welcome to your roundup – a monthly selection of news hand-picked to keep you up to date with what’s going on for businesses and investors working to create positive impact. In this roundup you can find out what’s new in the B Corp, social enterprise, and impact investing spaces, amongst others, collated under helpful headings. …
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Publishing and AI – recent developments

Richard Marke, head of Bates Wells’ Corporate and Commercial team, recently spoke at the International Federation of Computer Law Associations (IFCLA) conference in Madrid on the topic of the ongoing battle between artificial intelligence (AI) companies and the publishing industry. Here we summarise the key developments he highlighted. It is generally acknowledged that AI developers …
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Webinar | Planning and navigating collective redundancies: A practical guide | 10 July 2025

Collective redundancy processes remain one of the most legally sensitive and operationally complex challenges for employers. In this one-hour webinar, we’ll combine legal insights with practical tools, helping you to manage collective redundancy exercises with clarity and confidence, as well as ensuring compliance, reducing risk, and maintaining best practice throughout. Topics we’ll cover include: Who …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 2 July

Our weekly round up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission Risk management guidance Civil Society has reported that the Charity Commission is planning to update its guidance on charities and risk management (CC26). …
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