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Bates Wells wins landmark Court of Appeal case against Uber

Today Uber lost its appeal to the Court of Appeal, in a landmark case concerning the employment rights of an estimated 45,000 drivers across London. More broadly, this ruling could affect over 2.8 million people engaged within the gig economy. The Court of Appeal’s decision upholds two earlier legal Judgments and has potentially significant implications …
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Uber CoA case: Paul Jennings and Rachel Mathieson write for The Times

Paul Jennings and Rachel Mathieson from our Employment team have written an opinion piece for Times Law setting out why they believe workers’ rights should not be overlooked by gig employers. Paul and Rachel are representing Claimants James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam in their case against Uber before the Court of Appeal on the 30th …
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Bates Wells is listed in the Escape 100 for a second year running

The Escape 100 list represents the purposeful organisations that are leading the way in putting their people and our planet on a par with profit. Escape the City lists the best organisations to work for in 2021, identified using 6 key criteria: impact, mission, people, planet, innovation and B Corp. Over 15,000 companies were nominated, …
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Crisis communication: top tips for charities

Peter Gilheany, director at Forster Communications, outlines a practical toolkit for communicating in a crisis. Unfortunately, crisis communications is a growth industry within the voluntary sector at the moment for multiple reasons – financial pressures, criticism from government, and chickens coming home to roost around issues like bullying, discrimination (on the grounds of race, disability, …
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Fraud and cyber security – Prepare to Prevent

The risk of fraud – especially cyber fraud – is not going away.   The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Cyber Security Breaches Survey, published in March 2021, records that one in four charities reported a cybersecurity breach in 2020-21, rising to one in two for higher-income charities. There are steps that you …
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Navigating the polarised politics of our times

Politics and public discourse have become increasingly fractured in recent years. More and more charities are bumping into the obstacle of the so-called ‘culture wars’. Navigating these issues can be a minefield for charity staff and trustees, who are pulled in what might be seen as competing directions. Charities’ work risks being seen as controversial, …
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The Charities Act 2022 explained: Charity names

In this blog we look at provisions in the Charities Act 2022 which will extend the Charity Commission’s powers in relation to charity names and, in particular, in relation to working names, possibly increasing the risk of challenges and name disputes. What do you need to know? Currently, the formal or legal name of all …
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Our tips for avoiding contractual disputes over office equipment

We are frequently approached by clients that have found themselves locked into expensive, fixed-term contracts for office devices which they can’t easily get out of. The considerable costs which arise from such contracts are a particular issue at the moment with many charities and companies facing financial difficulties as result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although …
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The Children’s Code is now in place -here’s what you need to know.

The ICO’s new Age Appropriate Design Code (“the Children’s Code”) is now effective. Children are defined widely under the Code as anyone under the age of 18. This marks a significant change in the UK where, for some years, additional data protection obligations have been triggered only in relation to children under the age of …
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Brexit – where are we now?

As the UK moves into a new relationship with the EU, what do charities and social enterprises need to know? Our new briefing provides guidance across key areas of law. The United Kingdom is now in a new relationship with the European Union. After many months of negotiations, an agreement on the future partnership was …
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Accuracy is crucial for drafters of legacies when naming charities – we explain why in Charity Finance.

Leticia Jennings, partner, reviews a recent dispute regarding misnamed charities in an ambiguous will. What are the lessons learned and what should you do if your charity is contacted? This article by Leticia Jennings was featured in the March 2021 issue of Charity Finance following a High Court judgment concerning an ambiguous will in which …
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Diversity in action: A guide for charities – membership charities

When you want to make positive changes to promote greater diversity within your membership or trustee body, you need to know when the Equality Act may apply. In the third section of our diversity in action guide, we explore the practical impact of the Equality Act, looking at the complexities of encouraging diversity in membership …
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