Karen Collins

The world of work in 2022

We recently hosted a discussion with a range of HR professionals. The aim was to look ahead to 2022 and consider how the working world will continue to change during the next year and beyond and how our roles as HR professionals will continue to evolve. We started off by collectively discussing how the past …
Read more

Charity Commission inquiry into Kids Company concludes with no regulatory action against the former trustees and CEO

Bates Wells successfully represented several of the former trustees in last year’s High Court case. We’re pleased that after completing its inquiry into Kids Company, the Charity Commission has concluded that the legal test has not been met for it to take regulatory action against the former trustees or CEO of Kids Company. The Commission …
Read more

Covid-19 Inquiry: The Inquiry will begin its work in Spring 2022

Yesterday, Labour MPs Justin Madders (Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)) and Fleur Anderson (Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)) each submitted written questions to the Cabinet Office relating to the Inquiry.  In response, Michael Ellis, the Paymaster General, confirmed (this was all already known, but does indicate the Government is still sticking to its proposed timetable …
Read more

Kick starting your return to the office in 2022 – what did we learn?

Our real estate and employment teams recently held a series of roundtables for members of our charity, corporate occupier, and B Corp/ purposeful business network to share their experiences and ideas around returning to the office. What did we learn?
Read more

Immigration compliance MOT

Post-Brexit, EU nationals no longer benefit from Free Movement and must secure immigration status to work in the UK. This is a sea change for employers as well as individuals, and an important time to consider your organisation’s immigration compliance. In particular, have you thought about… Recruitment Right to work issues Licenced sponsors Applying for …
Read more

Responsible supply chain management – our top tips

Responsible supply chain management means considering social and environmental factors when choosing and then managing relationships with your suppliers. So effectively, not just going for the cheapest provider if that means a negative social or environmental impact. More now than ever we are seeing a shift in corporate behaviour towards the concept of responsibility. Environmental, …
Read more

Mediation: An Essential Guide for HR Professionals

Workplace disputes are on the rise, and the importance of mediation is becoming increasingly clear.  The advantages of workplace mediation are significant.  It can assist with: Resolving, what would otherwise be, damaging disputes at an early stage;Preserving and improving important working relationships; andAvoiding the cost (both in terms of time and expense) associated with dealing …
Read more

Bates Wells attends the Federation of Awarding Bodies #fab2021 conference

One of the many highlights was hearing about all the incredible work done by Awarding Organisations, many of whom are our clients, during the incredible challenges they faced navigating the pandemic. A wonderful celebration of an incredible sector. Emma Dowden-Teale, Mindy Jhittay and Rachel Mathieson from Bates Wells delivered topical seminars on Employment status and IR35 …
Read more

Legal solutions to the biodiversity crisis

Over the last 2 years (since Jan 2020) we have worked with a range of people including Michelle Meagher and Ben Metz to consider how the law can be used to provide solutions to tackle the biodiversity crisis. This work has focused mainly on the legal sector. However, there are lessons to be learnt from …
Read more

Sustainability & Wellbeing in Real Estate

This research paper was produced by Shirah Mansaray, PHD candidate at University College London and supervised by Bates Wells partners. It dives into key themes around sustainability and wellbeing in real estate by drawing upon research and case studies from key industry stakeholders. We’re pleased to share a copy of the full paper, as well …
Read more

After Brexit, how attractive is the UK investor visa?

The pandemic has shaken up investment visa programmes. In Wealth Briefing, members of our immigration team (ranked Band 1, Chambers UK 2021) look at the current market, what has changed for HNW’s in the EU, and where it leaves UK attractiveness. Noting that the number of Tier 1 investor visas issued in the UK has …
Read more

Bates Wells represents Kids Company trustees in High Court win

The High Court has ruled against the Official Receiver in his bid to disqualify the former trustees and CEO of Kids Company from acting as directors. In a 225 page judgment Mrs Justice Falk found that the public needed no protection from the ‘highly impressive and dedicated’ trustees and that she was ‘wholly satisfied’ that …
Read more