An attempt by the makers of Scrabble to protect its iconic letter tiles from imitations by claiming trademark rights has been thrown out by the Court of Appeal. The ruling, handed down by Lord Justices Lewison, Mummery and Lloyd earlier this month, marks a win for Olswang client Zynga, which had been locked in a bitter […]
Over the past 20 years, UK and US firms have benefited greatly from the growth of Chinese companies and their need to raise capital from foreign stock exchanges. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s proposed multibillion-dollar listing abroad is a good case in point. Many have made cosy friends with the leading Chinese capital markets firms as […]
Michael Conroy Harris, construction expert at global law firm Eversheds, has commented on the latest UK construction output numbers. Harris said: ‘Analysts are anticipating the latest construction numbers with increasing gusto of late, with each fraction of a percentage point being scrutinised to try and divine wider trends. ‘These figures underscore that the industry is […]
David Young, partner and head of health and safety at Eversheds, has commented on the recent National Audit Office report into food fraud. Young said: ‘The report of the National Audit Office in one sense tells us nothing new about the systems for safeguarding the integrity of the food chain in the UK… It articulates […]
Jason Lovell, partner and oil and gas expert at Eversheds, has responded to a report that the US shale gas revolution will see it become the world’s largest oil producer. Lovell said that the US had taken ‘significant steps’ to harness the potential of shale energy and added that the way was open for the UK to […]
The healthcare team at Eversheds has been named Legal Adviser of the Year at the Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare Awards 2013. The awards celebrate excellence in quality and innovation in the independent healthcare sector. The Eversheds healthcare team was recognised for its outstanding client service, sector-leading thought leadership programmes and commitment to innovation.
Conyers Dill & Pearman has been recognised as a leading financial and corporate law firm in the most recent edition of IFLR1000, earning strong marks for its corporate and investment funds practices across the board. Highlights of Conyers’ 2014 performance include top-tier rankings for the Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Hong Kong offices in […]
The recent bankruptcy of a significant number of commercial companies and the subsequent closing of nearly 20 shops in Luxembourg City have shed light on the need for an urgent reform of the legal rules applicable to commercial lease agreements. In this respect, the Council of Government approved on 4 October 2013 a preliminary draft […]
The government’s response to its consultation on TUPE was issued in early September and paves the way for changes to TUPE expected to be introduced in January 2014. In this business insight, Walker Morris examines the proposed changes, their practical implications and what businesses should be aware of at this stage. The SPC rule (which very broadly […]
A new research report by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is designed to help colleges and training organisations take advantage of the new freedoms and flexibilities introduced in December 2011 by ‘New Challenges, New Chances: Further Education and Skills Reform Plan: Building a World Class Skills System’, BIS’s reform strategy for the further education […]
Scottish firm Tods Murray has set out an ambition to grow through joining forces with other firms in Scotland. The firm merged with Edinburgh-based private client boutique Fyfe Ireland in January last year (23 January 2012), a move which boosted Tods Murray’s private client base by 35 per cent. Tods Murray executive partner David Dunsire […]
By Jacques Jacobs, Sophie Devitt, Aaron McDonald and Matthew Ho This update sets out the Future of Financial Advice’s best interests duty: a duty requiring financial advisers to act in the best interests of their clients, placing clients’ interests ahead of their own, subject to a ‘reasonable steps’ qualification. The best interests duty requires financial advisers to […]