Updates

Key considerations for restructuring Social Investment transactions during the COVID-19 crisis

In follow up to ‘Solvency considerations for purposeful businesses – A coronavirus guide’[1], which looked at the regulatory landscape and potential rescue mechanisms, here we take a look at ways in which borrowers and lenders might adjust their terms in order to manage their investments and preserve their social impact objectives, during the crisis. The …
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The climate emergency and change makers

The Climate Emergency demands us to be change makers not change takers. David Hunter urges us all to be change makers, not change takers.
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Trade Marks & Branding Update Spring 2020

In our first ever Branding and Trade Marks update we draw on our own recent experience of managing our own re-brand to share some of what we’ve learned with you. If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this Update, please contact our Trade Marks team.
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An Englishman’s home is his castle (unless he’s BAME) – Court of Appeal ruling on Right to Rent scheme

The government’s hostile environment policies have come under considerable scrutiny in the last few years, particularly since the Windrush scandal. One key element of this policy was the introduction of Right to Rent checks, turning landlords into immigration enforcers.  Last year the High Court declared the regime incompatible with the Human Rights Act, as it …
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What’s new at the Charity Commission?

We report on the latest developments at the Charity Commission, including Commission updates and how it plans to broaden its safeguarding guidance.
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Charity borrowing during the COVID-19 crisis

As charities continue to feel the pressures of the Covid-19 crisis, many will be seeking to raise additional finance. For some, this may involve borrowing – but does your charity have the necessary power? Many charities may be looking to borrow in order to provide liquidity to sustain their operations during the current crisis. Potential …
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COVID-19 and cross-border EU contracts

COVID-19 has impacted most businesses in the EU and around the world. You may be considering what happens if you cannot fulfil your obligations under various commercial contracts. If these are cross-border contracts, the governing law of the contract will be important. If English law is applicable, the impact on the contract is likely to …
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COVID-19 guidance for Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students

On Monday the Home Office published new COVID-19 guidance for Tier 4 sponsors and migrants and for short-term students. It is a 14 page document and provides much greater detail than other guidance published to date, which has so far come in the form of short statements on the gov.uk website, and factsheets circulated to …
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Coronavirus and Real Estate: what do you need to know?

In this week’s roundup, we examine what the evolving coronavirus pandemic could mean for real estate, as well as your own and your organisations property needs.  Fixed fee packages As the coronavirus crisis continues to throw up issues for occupiers, landlords and tenants, we’re offering fixed fee packaged services to help. COVID-19 lease review We …
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7 lessons from the Cathay Pacific security breach

Earlier this year (4 March 2020), Cathay Pacific was fined £500,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a data security breach. The breach affected a number of the airline’s systems from October 2014 until May 2018 – the fine was issued, therefore, under the Data Protection Act 1998 and reflected the maximum penalty that …
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A VAT wish list

Brexit signals an end to the UK’s ties with the European Union VAT regime. Our tax expert Bill Lewis asks the prime minister to rationalise some of the VAT anomalies that beset UK charities.
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Real Estate Update Spring 2020

This update was drafted before the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on climate change and its impacts, in particular on how to manage the process of reducing your property’s emissions. Attention has now inevitably, and appropriately, been diverted to addressing the pandemic, however the articles in this update are still relevant to us all. We start …
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