Updates

The tax treatment of settlement agreement payments for discrimination and the (expensive) dangers of getting it wrong

The recent Tax Tribunal judgment in Mathur v HMRC serves as a stark reminder for employers of the importance of getting things right when it comes to the tax treatment of termination payments in settlement agreements, in particular in circumstances where those payments are intended (in full or in part) as compensation for injury to …
Read more

General Election 2024 campaigning resources: catch up on the full series

What do you need to know to campaign effectively within the law in the next few weeks in the run up to the general election on 4 July? Explore our resources on campaigning and get to grips with key rules for charities and other campaigners around spending on campaigning, publishing political statements, and wider political …
Read more

New Charity Commission guidance on Accepting, refusing and returning donations | Bates Wells’ briefing

The Charity Commission’s long-awaited guidance on Accepting, refusing and returning donations was published yesterday (Monday 4 March 2024). There was no consultation on the draft guidance with the sector, which we think would have been a helpful exercise. Accepting, refusing and returning donations is a really tricky area for charities to get to grips with. …
Read more

Setting our science-based target

We have been working hard to reduce our carbon footprint for over a decade now. As a city-based professional services firm, our direct emissions are relatively low, but we are determined to do our bit to reduce any negative impact that we have on the planet and to encourage others to do the same. In …
Read more

Charities Act 2022 – the third phase is here!

A number of significant changes to the Charities Act 2011 will come into force this Thursday (7 March) in the third instalment of the Charities Act 2022’s implementation. The Charities Act 2022 makes technical changes across many areas of charity law and is being implemented in phases, primarily to allow the Charity Commission to prepare …
Read more

B Corp Month UK: Our B Corp journey so far

Happy B Corp month! Next year will mark our 10th anniversary as a B Corp and we’re delighted to see how the movement in the UK has grown from the 60 founding B Corps in 2015 to more than 1,900 with over 81,000 employees. This year the theme is this way forward, highlighting the fact …
Read more

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 explained – New procedures for companies and new powers for Companies House

Updated in November 2024 In the first blog in this series, we flagged that big changes are on the way in 2024 to 2026 for how UK companies, big and small, will be required to submit information and documents to Companies House. In this blog, the second in our series, we explain the changes under …
Read more

Procurement Act 2023

What is it? The new Procurement Act 2023 (“the Act”) was granted Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. It will replace the current Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR”), Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, Concessions Contracts Regulations 2016 and Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 with one single act and represents a significant transformation of public …
Read more

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 explained – An overview

Updated November 2024 The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 – how will it affect your company? Big changes are on the way during 2024 to 2026 for how UK companies, big and small, will be required to submit information and documents to Companies House.  The regulator will also have a wider role and …
Read more

Discrimination, belief and the “fundamental party rights”: the judgment in Ali v Green Party of England and Wales

The County Court has given judgment in the case of Ali v representatives of the Green Party of England and Wales. In doing so, it has set out novel and timely principles on the interaction between the prohibition on discrimination by associations in the Equality Act 2010 and the fundamental rights of members of political …
Read more

Looking to use AI? 10 things for purposeful businesses to consider

With AI tools becoming more powerful and popular, it is important that purpose-driven businesses carefully consider how they use AI. The UK Government recently released a framework for the use of AI within government, much of which is also relevant to businesses. You can find our top ten tips below.
Read more

Strategic litigation: driving change and positive impact

Welcome to our first roundup relating to our focus on strategic litigation and what it might mean for your organisation. We’ll be pulling this roundup together twice a year to keep you informed of key issues, updates and changes in approach. Our litigation team is focused on using its expertise to create a widespread positive …
Read more