Resources

Expertise, events, news and updates –
what interests you?

When AI becomes a management tool: what are the employment law implications?

AI is fast becoming embedded in day-to-day people management. Employers are experimenting with algorithmic tools to shortlist candidates, score interviews, allocate shifts, forecast demand, monitor productivity, flag performance issues, support redundancy exercises and even trigger investigations and dismissal processes. Whilst in recent years, the adoption and integration of AI has been concentrated in large tech …
Read more

Fixed-term contracts: when does expiry mean redundancy?

Fixed-term contracts are a familiar part of workforce planning. They can be useful when an employer needs cover for a project, a temporary funding stream, maternity leave, or a defined piece of work with a clear end point. But their apparent simplicity can be misleading. When a fixed-term contract reaches its end date and is …
Read more

Navigating the refreshed Charity Governance Code: key takeaways from our panel event

On 10 September, we hosted a discussion on the refreshed Charity Governance Code, bringing together Radojka Miljevic, Independent Chair of the Code Steering Group, Mo Wiltshire, Senior Governance Consultant at NCVO, and Mark Abbott, Partner at Bates Wells. The session was chaired by Bates Wells Partner Simon Steeden. As Radojka Miljevic explained, this is the …
Read more

People and Workplace round-up | 17 September

Welcome to our 5-minute round-up of people and workplace updates, hand-picked to help HR teams. Catch up on: EAT clarifies material factor defence in equal pay dispute: market-driven warehouse pay can be justified HR teams should take note of fresh guidance from the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) on how to frame and evidence market-related pay …
Read more

Article 10: A new key to unlock access information held by public authorities

The Upper Tribunal’s recent decision in Cruelty Free International v Information Commissioner and Home Office [2026] UKUT 328 is one of the most important freedom of information judgments in recent years. The specially convened three-judge panel finally recognised that UK law includes a right (under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights) to …
Read more

FAQs: Restricted funds and endowments

What are restricted funds and endowments? A charity doesn’t always have the freedom to use its funds for its general purposes. Sometimes donors impose restrictions which limit the charity’s scope to use the donation freely. There are two main restrictions. Restrictions on purposes A restricted fund is a fund which must be used for a …
Read more

Bates Wells advises on investment templates for newly launched AgDevCo Ventures

AgDevCo Ventures is a newly launched investment vehicle within the AgDevCo group (a specialist impact investor that invests exclusively in the sub-Saharan African agriculture sector) which will target investment specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda with an expected investment size of $1-3m per investment. The AgDevCo Ventures portfolio targets a high proportion of Black …
Read more

Right to Work checks are changing – is your organisation ready? Download our checklist

From 1 October 2026, the Right to Work (RtW) regime expands beyond traditional employment to include worker contracts, individual sub contractors, and online matching services. This critical shift means civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker may extend beyond the direct employer and, in some circumstances, up the supply chain. The new provisions …
Read more

Bates Wells Beyond the Brochure: Inside our Market Leading Immigration Department

Immigration law is complex and impacts people’s lives at many levels; their relationships, their work, their home and their finances. Join us to learn more about our how market leading Immigration practice untangles some of the most complex cases for families and businesses, and gain an insight into what life as a trainee looks like …
Read more

Bates Wells Beyond the Brochure: Life as a Trainee at Bates Wells

Join us to hear from a handful of our current trainees to learn more about what life is really like at Bates Wells. This is your opportunity to find out more about the type of work our trainees take on, what on the job learning really looks life, and to understand how our firm culture …
Read more

Bates Wells Beyond the Brochure: Inside our Charity & Social Enterprise Department

Join us to learn more about our Charity & Social Enterprise Department. You’ll hear from lawyers working across Education, Climate, and Charity Finance to learn more about our diverse make up of clients and matters. When: 9 December 2026, 12:30-1:30pm Where: Zoom
Read more

Bates Wells Beyond the Brochure: What does Purpose & Impact really mean in practice?

Join us to find out what Purpose & Impact really means in practice at Bates Wells. We’ll talk you through some of our recent purpose driven work and how positive impact is so important to us. When: 28 October 2026, 12:30-1:30pm Where: Zoom
Read more