News

Uber CoA case: Paul Jennings and Rachel Mathieson write for The Times

Paul Jennings and Rachel Mathieson from our Employment team have written an opinion piece for Times Law setting out why they believe workers’ rights should not be overlooked by gig employers. Paul and Rachel are representing Claimants James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam in their case against Uber before the Court of Appeal on the 30th …
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Bates Wells represent Uber drivers in landmark case in the Court of Appeal

Ground-breaking gig economy case set to have a significant impact on the rights of 2.8 million On 30 and 31 October London law firm, Bates Wells, will represent the lead Claimants in their landmark Court of Appeal (CoA) case against global transportation provider, Uber. The CoA hearing, follows last year’s ruling by the Employment Appeal …
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Bates Wells is listed in the Escape 100 for a second year running

The Escape 100 list represents the purposeful organisations that are leading the way in putting their people and our planet on a par with profit. Escape the City lists the best organisations to work for in 2021, identified using 6 key criteria: impact, mission, people, planet, innovation and B Corp. Over 15,000 companies were nominated, …
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Accuracy is crucial for drafters of legacies when naming charities – we explain why in Charity Finance.

Leticia Jennings, partner, reviews a recent dispute regarding misnamed charities in an ambiguous will. What are the lessons learned and what should you do if your charity is contacted? This article by Leticia Jennings was featured in the March 2021 issue of Charity Finance following a High Court judgment concerning an ambiguous will in which …
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Bates Wells is the first law firm to adopt the Halo Code

The Halo Code explicitly protects employees who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. Hair discrimination continues to be a source of racial injustice with serious consequences for Black people in the UK. By adopting the Halo Code, we are proactively taking a stand to …
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Employers must ‘tread extremely carefully’ when hiring EU nationals before 30th June 2021

As it stands, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland who are working in the UK are eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). This allows workers and their families to continue living in the UK after 30th June 2021 – when the scheme ends.
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Our climate commitments: annual report 2020

In 2019, we made a commitment to take practical action to fight the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. Here’s how we’ve done so far. Since September 2019, we’ve been working hard to deliver on our climate commitments. We promised to achieve net carbon zero in 2019 and work to reduce our scope 3 emissions. We …
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Supreme court rules small businesses can claim Covid losses on insurance

The one where the big insurance companies lose (again)… Has your business lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic? Perhaps the government’s restrictions meant you had to close your premises to customers? If so, you probably dug out your business insurance policies. You may even have tried to claim. And your insurer probably told you you …
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Bates Wells in The Future of UK Journalism

Lawrence Simanowitz, partner, Bates Wells has been referenced numerous times by The House of Lords in a recent report. The House of Lords has published the report from its inquiry into The Future of UK Journalism. The report referred several times to the submission by Bates Wells partner Lawrence Simanowitz, who made the case for …
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Right to Rent scheme – what new changes do landlords need to be aware of?

Under the revised Draft Code of Practice on right to rent, the Right to Rent scheme now also applies to EEA and Swiss citizens, as of 1 July 2021. We summarise the key changes to the scheme and explain how to carry out a check below. EEA and Swiss citizens will now be required to …
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Positive change: the outcomes of an unprecedented year

What is the impact of the pandemic on charity partnerships and collaboration? Listen to Liza Ramrayka, leading sector journalist, speak with Jim Minton, Chief Executive of Toynbee Hall and Erica Crump, partner at Bates Wells, draw upon their experiences to discuss the impact the pandemic has had on charity partnerships and collaboration over the past …
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VAT implications from the Colchester Institute Corporation case

Were the sums received from the government funding agencies grants, or payments for services? Charities, and those providing education in particular, may find the outcome of this dispute helpful to keep in mind when reviewing their own activities. Colchester Institute Corporation (“CIC) v. HMRC As background, the taxpayer was a Further Education college, which provided …
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