Victoria Archdeacon

Bates Wells clients file judicial review challenge to Public Order Act regulations

Bates Wells clients Lawyers for Animals and Sole Iriart (a campaigner with Camp Beagle) have filed judicial review proceedings challenging the Home Secretary’s use of a “Henry VIII power” to designate the life science sector – including animal testing facilities – as “key national infrastructure” under the Public Order Act 2023. The designation means that …
Read more

Bates Wells advise the shareholders of Playter on their sale to Shawbrook Bank Limited

Scott Leonard, Helen Ingram and Lucille Moala in our Corporate team recently advised the shareholders of Playter (Imployapp Limited) on their sale to Shawbrook Bank Limited. Playter, a fintech lending proposition that provides established UK SMEs with credit lines and short term cashflow loans, is built on proprietary technology and includes ‘Ari’, its AI-enabled broker …
Read more

Inside our Corporate and Commercial practice | 21 January 2026

Join us for an inside look at our Corporate and Commercial practice at Bates Wells. In this session, our lawyers will unpack what corporate law actually involves. You’ll hear how we support a wide range of clients, from social enterprises and B Corps to mainstream businesses, helping them grow sustainably, navigate complex legal frameworks, and …
Read more

Inside our Charity Law Practice | 5 February 2026

We’re proud to be recognised as leaders in charity law – but what does that really mean in practice? In this session, our lawyers will take you behind the scenes of the legal work that supports charities and not-for-profit organisations. From governance and regulatory compliance to fundraising and structural change, you’ll gain a clearer understanding …
Read more

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 …
Read more

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: …
Read more

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 – ID verification

Posted on 7 March 2025 and updated on 18 November 2025 In this blog, we continue our series on the reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and update you on the new identity verification regime. What is identity verification and who needs to do it? The Act requires the following people …
Read more

Early Neutral Evaluation: A game-changer for resolving sports disputes

Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in UK dispute resolution. While commonly used in business and contractual disagreements, ENE is also gaining traction in the world of professional sports, where legal conflicts often involve sponsorship deals, regulatory issues, and financial disputes between clubs, players, and governing bodies. Recent high-profile sports disputes, …
Read more

Government considers a range of cost protection options for claimants bringing discrimination claims

Most organisations will, at some point, have to respond to a claim (meritorious or not) alleging discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. The usual rule for most litigation before the courts in England and Wales is that the loser pays the winner’s costs (or at least pays a proportion of them). The government is considering …
Read more

Too good to be true? New legislation cracks down on fake consumer reviews.

The new Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act came into force on 1 January 2025, bringing in a raft of changes to competition law for organisations in the UK. In this series we’ll be looking at key sections of the Act, and what this means in practice for businesses and charities.   With more and …
Read more

CS3D – Who’s in Scope?

Since our last article, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CS3D”)[1] was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 5 July 2024, and it officially entered into force on 25 July 2024. EU Member States are required to transpose the Directive into their national laws by 26 July 2026. By way of reminder, CS3D creates: …
Read more

The unsung legal heroes fighting back for wildlife

Since coming into power in Westminster, the Labour Party has been single-minded in prioritising economic considerations. Its packed legislative agenda included measures like the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which aims to turbo-charge the delivery of infrastructure, at the expense of anticipated measures such as a proposed Climate and Nature Bill. Meanwhile, much-needed legislation to outlaw …
Read more