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Join our bimonthly employment law updates | Free live broadcasts with Q&A

During these bimonthly sessions, we cover recent people, HR and immigration developments which directly impact your role and organisation.  The webinars include: They will leave you with a host of action points and ideas to enable you to add a good degree of extra value. Sign up to our employment mailings to receive invitations directly to your …
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Bates Wells advises space launch company HyImpulse UK Limited, world-leaders in hybrid propulsion technology on new joint venture

Bates Wells has advised HyImpulse UK Ltd (“HyImpulse”), a wholly owned subsidiary of German headquartered HyImpulse Technologies GmbH in its joint venture with Adamant UK Composites Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greek based Adamant Composites Ltd. HyImpulse, who are currently developing world-leading hybrid propulsion technology for vertical rockets, secured €6.5 million in funding from …
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Supreme Court rules on employment status of Deliveroo riders in key case for the gig economy

After 7 years, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (“the Union”) has lost the battle to provide greater protection for Deliveroo riders, as the Supreme Court has ruled that Deliveroo riders are not legally recognised “workers” within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (“TULRCA”). Background On 7 November …
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Spotlight 2023: A summary of the key issues facing the charity workplace in 2024

These past few years have seen a dramatic shift in the look and feel of the workplace. Charities are experiencing new HR challenges, from competing needs and interests, through to managing a workforce that has mixed feelings about the value of the office and more active trade unions. At this year’s Spotlight conference, Paul Jennings, …
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The Rwanda policy – How can charities play a role in bringing legal challenges?

On Tuesday 12 December, the draft Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill passed the second reading stage in the House of Commons. The vote was not the start of the story in relation to the Government’s policy: since the Rwanda policy was announced in April 2022, it has been the subject of much legal …
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Recent immigration updates – what we know so far

They say a week is a long time in politics. When it comes to immigration, that has certainly rung true of late. Last Monday saw Home Secretary James Cleverly announce a new “five-point plan” to reduce legal migration to the UK. On Wednesday, the draft Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill was published, which …
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Assured Unitary Governance Model

The current governance model for large, complex charities is broken and unfit for the current regulatory environment in which volunteer trustees find themselves. In this article Philip Kirkpatrick outlines his alternative vision. Whenever anything goes wrong in a charity in a way that reaches the public ear, people freely express their views about what the …
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Practical tips for deploying AI

With AI integration becoming increasingly common, it is vital that businesses deploy AI systems in a way that complies with data protection law and ensures that outcomes are legal and ethical. Here are our top tips for responsible, lawful implementation:
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In the news: Chetal Patel comments on new UK migrant rules

Following Home Secretary James Cleverly’s announcement on the 4th December of the government’s intention to cut migration numbers with a 5 step plan, Chetal Patel spoke with various news outlets to discuss the consequences of these changes. One of the planned actions is to increase the earning threshold for overseas skilled workers from its current …
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Driving purpose AND driving economic recovery….read on to find out more

Last week saw the launch of a new report produced in collaboration by leading think tank Demos and B Lab UK – The Purpose Dividend – exploring the economic impact of being a purpose-driven business. The journey to become a truly purpose-led business isn’t always an easy one and we understand the key stakeholder pressures …
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Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

Summary Ministers have set out a vision for the UK’s technology strategy.  The UK is to become a “tech superpower” by 2030.  This will be achieved by creating “world-leading pro-innovation regulation” and influencing global technical standards.[1]  However, the former Information Commissioner has pointed out that this kind of “digital growth” will only be possible if …
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ClientEarth v Shell: The ‘End of the Road’ may be just the beginning

Summary On 14 November 2023,[1] the Court of Appeal refused environmental NGO, ClientEarth (CE) permission to appeal the High Court’s July 2023 judgment that CE had failed to make out a prima facie case enabling the court to grant permission under the Companies Act 2006  (CA 2006) for it to continue a derivative claim against …
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