Karen Collins

Relationship breakdown and immigration status: advice for family lawyers

Family lawyers will often find themselves dealing with a marriage or relationship breakdown where the immigration status of one or both of the parties may be vulnerable. In such situations it will be vital to have a good grip on how the relationship breakdown may impact on the immigration status, as making the wrong move …
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People and culture group discussion: climate change & the workplace

We recently hosted a discussion with a range of HR professionals from fellow B Corps. The session focussed on the issue of climate change & the workplace and what employers can do to support their employees in this space. This note covers: We also hosted group discussions about: Download the below summary of the discussion to find …
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Trade unions – recognition, collaboration and meaningful action

Strike action has become a regular feature of the news over the last 12 months, with strikes across the transport network and NHS receiving a huge amount of coverage and impacting the delivery of key services. We’re also seeing a significant increase in union activity across our client base, including in the education and not …
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Watch again | Employment law update | 18th July

Our employment law update took place on Tuesday 18th July. If you were able to attend, we hope you found it useful. Your participation and engagement were greatly appreciated. If you weren’t able to attend, or want to revisit any of our points, we have included the recording and the slides below. During the session …
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Fuelling positive change: NCVO launches new campaign encouraging charities to divest from fossil fuels

NCVO has launched a campaign encouraging charities to ‘consider moving investments away from businesses involved in the extraction, production, transportation, refining and marketing of fossil fuels. Examples of these are coal, tar sands, oil and gas.’ NCVO will be hosting a series of events over the Autumn to explore the ways in which charities can …
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Bates Wells advises Ripple Energy on £20m co-operative share raise

Bates Wells has advised on the £20m co-operative share offer to fund Ripple Energy’s third project. The transaction is likely to be the largest ever UK co-operative share offer achieved in a single raise and will enable construction of the c.40MW Derril Water solar park in Devon. When built, the solar park will have about …
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Tony’s Chocolonely’s Golden Share Model

A common question we hear from founders is: how can they ensure the longevity of their business’ mission? Dutch B Corp confectionary company Tony’s Chocolonely recently announced its use of a ‘golden share’ model to protect its mission. We consider the benefits of a golden share model for purpose-driven businesses.  It is possible for a …
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Ofqual consults on long-term resilience arrangements – have your say now

If you work for an awarding body, school or college, have your say! Ofqual is jointly consulting with the Department for Education (DfE) on long-term resilience arrangements. This builds on the arrangements put in place for the 2023 exam series (which were consulted separately on). These resilience arrangements are to ensure that, in the unlikely …
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Charities Act 2022 – get ready for the second tranche of provisions due in tomorrow!

As a reminder, the Charities Act 2022 was passed last year, but the provisions did not come into force straight away, primarily to allow time for the Charity Commission to update its guidance and get ready for the new provisions. The provisions are being phased in over about 18 months and the first tranche came …
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Going beyond compliance: Responsible and ethical AI

Bates Wells convenes a regular Impact Counsels’ Forum for senior counsel working within purpose-driven businesses. A recent meeting of the forum discussed the regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence (AI), the risks of using AI in certain contexts and what approaches could help businesses deploy AI responsibly. Inspired by the forum discussion, we share our thoughts …
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In the news: Paul Jennings speaks on the risk of substitution clauses in contracts

A recent Sunday Times investigation found that app-based food delivery companies allow couriers to let out their profiles, but often those who use them are vulnerable, undocumented migrants who are exploited. Paul Jennings spoke with journalist Venetia Menzies about substitution clauses – the loophole which allows those working for app-based courier companies to allow someone …
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In the news: Chetal Patel on the rise in non-EU immigration to UK

Partner and Head of Immigration Chetal Patel was quoted in People Management, Personnel Today and I News last week for sharing her insight on what the rise in non-EU immigration to UK means for the economy and businesses. Figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics have revealed that net migration to the …
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