Be a better business – all

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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Environmental sustainability green light: CMA publishes green guidance

The UK now has its long-awaited competition and consumer focussed legal guidance on Green Agreements. It’s a great step forward in encouraging environmental sustainability agreements without fear of breaching competition law. Courtesy of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as of last week we now have our very own UK Green Agreements Guidance. Consumer-focussed …
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Bates Wells’ strategic litigation roundtable – considerations and managing risk

Strategic litigation has the potential to bring about lasting change and develop the legislative landscape. On 27 September 2023 we brought together a group of third sector leaders to explore the role that strategic litigation has in furthering the mission of charities, NGOs and others, and to talk about what barriers there are to taking …
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Environmental litigation: themes, risks and how to evolve in the era of global warming

Climate cases have direct and indirect impacts on decision making at board, policy, judicial and government level. The fallout from this litigation can result in shifts in approach and financial and reputational damage even when cases are unsuccessful. More cases are being filed against corporate actors, litigation about investment decisions are increasing and there has …
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Net zero and the government U-turn – what will you do?

The government announcement on 20 September 2023 has derailed several climate change commitments including in relation to reducing carbon emissions from residential properties. The argument is that this relieves some financial burden for property owners. However, commentators suggest the U-turn on EPCs not only stores problems for the climate crisis but also creates a longer term …
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B interested | Why and how does the B Corp community go against the grain?

This year, the theme for B Corp month is We Go Beyond. As well as promoting our usual resources and social media posts, we’re going even further by putting together a fanzine to give insight into the how and why our B Corp community goes against the grain. So, dive in to hear from radical …
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Consider the Lilies: Giving Nature a Voice in the C Suite

Magazine articles and blogs, conference videos and podcasts, books and films: we are awash with information and ideas, making it hard for any, however good, to break through. Occasionally, one does and, happily, that appears to be the case with Giving Nature a Seat on the Board. The traction this idea is gaining lies in …
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March means B Corp month

This year we’ll be showing you what it means to go beyond business as usual. As a Certified B Corp, we use our business as a force for good, putting people and the planet first. So get ready to find out why – and how – we go beyond the legal essentials. At Bates Wells …
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Bates Wells’ LGBT+ history month roundup

At Bates Wells we see it as vital to promote the work of our LGBT+ people as well as acting as an institutional ally. This LGBT+ history month, we focussed on: Claiming the past – we secured charitable status for London Gay Switchboard in 1974, and we’ve been addressing challenges in the LGBT+ community since. …
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Wanting to introduce plain English contracts in your business and avoid all the jargon?

Have you looked at your legal documents, contracts and terms and conditions and thought that not only are they hard to understand, they don’t really reflect your business and how you want to run it? You’re not alone. Many purposeful businesses want to strip out the jargon from their contracts and get back to using …
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Update | Bates Wells recognises challenges faced by transgender employees when seeking to evidence a right to work

We have been working to persuade UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to close a gap in their guidance for employers who wish to employ someone who has recently changed gender. More than a year and a half on from our first post on this topic, here’s an update on where we are. What are right …
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Be a better business: Download our services guide for certified and aspiring B Corps

Are you on the journey towards empowering your organisation to do business in a way that is values-driven, as well as profitable? As the first law firm in the UK to certify as a B Corp, we bring first-hand insight and experience to our legal advice. We go beyond the legal essentials to fully support …
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