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The Pathway to a UK Global Talent Visa for Award-Winning and Nominated Creatives

How Industry Recognition Opens Doors for Film, TV, and Animation Professionals The start of the year brings a flurry of prestigious events in the film and television industry: hot on the heels of the Golden Globes, the race for predictions is now in full swing and we’re seeing a huge amount of attention on international …
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Subsidy Control: Government Makes it Easier for Public Bodies to Fund Arts and Culture and Community and Regeneration

Last week, the Government introduced two new ‘streamlined routes’ to the subsidy control regime: This followed a consultation last year on the introduction of the two new routes which Bates Wells responded to, wholeheartedly welcoming the proposals. What is the subsidy control regime? The subsidy control regime is the UK’s framework for regulating how the …
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The For Women Scotland judgment: what do charities need to know?

Last year, the Supreme Court was asked, ‘What is a woman?’ for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. It gave a clear judgment last April in the landmark For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] case which ruled that a “woman” means a biological female. This does not include transgender women, even …
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A Guide for Owner-Managed Businesses: Understanding Directors’ Duties

In owner-managed businesses, directors often occupy multiple roles: shareholder, executive, and strategic leader. This overlap can create complexity in decision-making and accountability, especially when personal and corporate interests intersect. Understanding directors’ duties is essential not only for legal compliance but also for maintaining good governance, protecting the business, and shielding directors from personal liability. These …
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Bates Wells advises Arbaro Advisors on sustainable forestry investment in Guatemala

Bates Wells has advised Arbaro Advisors, an investment advisor based in Germany, on a USD 12 million greenfield investment into an establishment of sustainable rubber plantations in Guatemala. The investment will support the development of 1,500 hectares of sustainably managed forestry, contributing to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and rural economic development. The transaction is …
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Gender identity, protected beliefs, and single-sex facilities in the workplace: a review of Lockwood v Cheshire and Wirral NHS Trust & Others

The final months of 2025 saw four Employment Tribunal (“ET”) judgments being handed down in cases relating to gender identity, protected beliefs, and the use of single-sex facilities in the workplace – in the cases of Lockwood v Cheshire and Wirral NHS Trust & Others (ET/240211/24) [2025] (“Lockwood”), Kelly v Leonardo UK Ltd (ETS/8001497/24) [2025] …
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Campaigning ahead of the Holyrood or Senedd Elections this May? Here’s what you need to know as a non-party campaigner

The countdown to the 2026 Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru elections has reached an important milestone: the start of the regulated period on 7th January 2026. If you’re involved in campaigning work around these elections, in an increasingly turbulent political landscape, and weaponisation of regulation, it’s important to be aware of what spending, donations and …
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Bates Wells advises Soros Economic Development Fund on its $7.5 million investment into EcoEnterprises Fund IV

Bates Wells has advised Soros Economic Development Fund on its investment into EcoEnterprises Fund IV, a women-owned and women-led fund manager.  EcoEnterprises Fund IV backs bioeconomy companies that preserve natural capital, combat climate change, and promote inclusive and sustainable development. Operating across South and Central America, the fund targets key sectors including non-timber forest products, …
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Government to fully enforce Electronic Travel Authorisations from 25 February 2026

The Government announced in November that from 25 February 2026, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement will be strictly enforced, meaning that carriers will refuse boarding without one. Background From April 2025 everyone has been required to have digital permission to come to the UK through either an ETA or an eVisa, with some limited …
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UK Immigration in 2025: reflecting on change and looking forward to 2026

2025: A year of change in UK immigration 2025 saw a year of major changes to UK immigration policy. The Labour government described their proposal to double the settlement qualifying period to 10 years as “the biggest shake-up of the legal migration system in nearly half a century”.  Other changes include increased sponsorship costs, reduced …
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Are you ensuring compliance with the duties imposed by Martyn’s Law at your venue and/or events? 

Martyn’s Law – what is it? Martyn’s Law is the informal name for The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (the T(PP)A/the Act), which was introduced to better protect the public from terrorism. The T(PP)A imposes duties on the person responsible for qualifying premises and/or qualifying events to put in place public protection procedures and …
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Mindy Jhittay & Natalia Brownlie discuss how the For Women Scotland judgment affects pupils in Independent Schools Magazine

Mindy Jhittay and Natalia Brownlie have been featured in the December issue of the Independent School of Management, providing their guidance in light of the For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers (2025) judgment in April. Their article covers aspects of school life that may be affected by the judgment, including lavatories & changing …
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