Resources

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Does government ‘do’ God?  The Bloom Review

Four years in the making, stretching to 159 pages, and considering over 21,000 responses from the public, the Bloom Review was published on 26 April 2023 by Colin Bloom, Independent Faith Engagement Advisor.  It is the first of its kind, a far-reaching and independent review into how government engages with faith in a broad range …
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Election ’24: How election law might affect your organisation

For many organisations, general elections are a chance to push forward their agenda and build relationships with potential future MPs, ministers and parties of government. This includes charities and campaigning organisations seeking to promote their issue base and acquire pledges of support from candidates; businesses and trade associations seeking to influence commercial policy; and ‘pop-up’ …
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The New UK Data Protection Bill – A Practical Summary

The UK recently introduced a new data protection bill, titled the Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill (the Bill). The Bill is still at an early stage (second reading), and it remains to be seen how it will be amended, if at all, but we wanted to take the opportunity to give you an …
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FAQ: How Bates Wells’ Parliamentary Agent could help your statutory not-for-profit

After a rigorous application process, Bates Wells’ Mark Abbott has become a “Roll A” Parliamentary Agent, meaning Bates Wells is now one of a small number of firms able to introduce and promote private Acts of Parliament for our clients. What is a Parliamentary Agent? A parliamentary agent is a specialist lawyer who can draft, and help clients to obtain, a …
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UKVI refuses to commit to closing loophole for transgender individuals in right-to-work checks guidance

Employers are required to carry out right to work checks for any new employee or for an existing employee on a time bound visa. UKVI’s current guidance is clear on how right to work checks are to be carried out – but the guidance currently does not address how transgender individuals can adequately address discrepancies …
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Setting up your EdTech company in the UK: What you need to know

If you are an overseas EdTech company considering setting up in another country, there are lots of advantageous reasons for choosing the UK. As well as being a popular jurisdiction for cross-border trades, it is simply really straightforward to set up a company in the UK. In this quick guide, Jean Tsang and Laura Hobbs explore the reasons why …
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Update for sponsor licence holders | Changes to Home Office compliance guidance

New reporting duties have come into effect after the Home Office made extensive updates to its compliance guidance (part 3 of the sponsor guidance) on 31 March. These relate to: Here’s a breakdown of some of the key changes: Work Location There’s now a duty to report where a worker’s “normal work location” changes, including …
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Purpose-driven business: Focusing on responsible supply chains

Bates Wells convenes a regular Impact Counsels’ Forum for senior counsel within impact investors, B Corps, and other purpose-driven businesses. A recent meeting of the forum discussed how purpose-driven businesses are approaching the impact of their supply chain, particularly on the environment. Inspired by the forum discussion, we share our thoughts on how businesses can …
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Remembering Andrew Phillips, founder of Bates Wells

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our founder, Andrew Phillips, Baron Phillips of Sudbury. Andrew died peacefully on Sunday (9 April 2023), after a short illness, with his family at his side. Andrew founded Bates Wells in 1970 and fought tirelessly to use the law as a force for good with both …
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Bates Wells Equity Pay Report 2022

At Bates Wells we aim to create a strong sense of belonging through our culture, which enables everyone across the firm to reach their full potential. We also strive to create a positive impact on our profession and wider society. As a B Corp, transparency is fundamental and this year we have gone above the …
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Take note | Bringing employee values to the table

According to a survey from Deloitte, nearly 2 in 5 young people have rejected a job offer or assignment because it did not align with their values. Another survey from McKinsey has shown that 90% of 18-25 year olds ranked having a positive societal and environmental impact in their career as a priority. Employers are …
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Watch again | Getting to grips with the new Data Protection Bill | 23rd March 2023 

Our webinar Getting to grips with the new Data Protection Bill took place on 23rd March. If you were able to attend, we hope you found it useful. During this session, our Data & Privacy experts analysed what the practical implications are likely to be for your organisation (public, private or third sector), and what you will …
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