Knowledge

As a company reportedly associated with Rebekah Vardy trademarks the phrase ‘Wagatha Christie’, Carly Duckett reminds us that you don’t need to be the first person to use a particular name or phrase to successfully register a trade mark.

Building on our previous article on the subject, we set out some further reflections on some points the CMA might want to consider in making its proposed draft guidance on sustainability agreements more useable.

A discussion of key points provided in the UK Government’s “Powering Up Britain” Manifesto published on 30 March 2023.

In an updated article which compares prescription and limitation in Scotland and England and Wales, Iain Drummond, Partner, and Ryan McCuaig, Solicitor, in our Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure disputes team examine the general position in the relevant jurisdictions.

What happens if croft tenancies are not transferred by succession within the statutory time limits? It may seem reasonable to assume that such transfers would be invalid. The Scottish Land Court, in a recent decision, contended that transfers completed out with the time limit could be terminated at the Landlord’s discretion. This article will examine the recent case of Pattinson v Matheson and what its ramifications might mean in practice going forward.

With less than two months to go until All-Energy 2023, the UK’s largest low carbon energy and full supply chain renewables event, Alex Irwin examines one of the key focuses of this year’s conference: onshore wind.

CCTV and other forms of video surveillance are increasingly common in workplaces. These technologies are frequently used to monitor areas such as building entrances, lifts, workstations and factory floors, but as the use of these technologies grows, businesses must continue to ensure that they are being used fairly and lawfully. In this article we explain the steps you should take to ensure your use of video surveillance keeps you on the right side of the United Kingdom’s data protection laws.

Having celebrated International Women’s Day this month, we take a particular look at the additional health-related challenges women and those with female reproductive systems may experience during their working life and pose considerations for employers on how they may best protect their employees’ health and safety in these circumstances. 

Iain Drummond analyses Lord Sandison’s recent opinion in Atalian Servest AMK Limited v BW (Electrical Contractors) Limited. This Outer House of the Court of Session case outlines the difficulty of challenging adjudicator’s decisions and the importance of precise drafting when deviating from standard form contracts.

In this article, John Vassiliou, Director in our immigration team provides his Initial thoughts on two spring budget migration announcements aimed at tackling labour shortages, particularly in the construction sector.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently published new guidance to game developers and designers to assist them in complying with the Children’s Code. The guidance, described as “Top tips for game designers”, follows several audits of the gaming industry carried out by the ICO, and is intended to build upon the standards imposed within the Children’s Code.

In the recent case of Renfrewshire Council, Applicant 2022 S.L.T. (Sh Ct) 250, the court ordered that none of the three feuding sisters should exercise the functions of ‘nearest relative’ during the period of their mother, HS’s, Guardianship Order. This article examines the issues of this particular case and highlights the importance of having a Power of Attorney in place.

Recently, we have received an increasing number of enquiries from higher net worth clients exploring the use of Family Investment Companies (FICs), as a family wealth planning structure. In this article, we explore what FICs are and why they should be considered alongside other wealth protection and transfer strategies such as Trusts.

With Scotland and the rest of the UK continually missing housebuilding targets, Fraser Mitchell, Partner in our Property and Infrastructure team, asks: what are the roadblocks to building?

Here we explain the main types of security release documents seen in Scotland and England; some of the key considerations to bear in mind when refinancing and releasing security; and how to avoid some common pitfalls when dealing with security releases.

In this article we reflect on the Competition and Markets Authority’s new draft guidance on sustainability agreements, and what this means for industry looking to collaborate to secure environmental benefit without breaching competition law.

In this article, John Vassiliou, Senior Associate in our employment team, comments on several changes to the Skilled Worker visa route announced on 9 March 2023, which sponsor licence holders will need to be aware of moving forward. 

In this article, Daniel Bain, Legal Director, in our property and infrastructure team, discusses a recent decision of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland, which provides further guidance on the valuation of rent under the Electronic Communications Code. 

Yesterday, the Government published its White Paper on the reform of Football Governance in England. The White Paper is the culmination of a process that was intended to empower football fans, but does it achieve that goal? Ross Simpson discusses.

In this article, Jamie Yule discusses the recently approved Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill which will soon replace The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002. While further limits on fox-hunting will not come as a shock to many, landowners may be surprised at the fairly strict requirements contained in the Bill to ensure that illegal hunting is not taking place on their land.

In the final part of our series of articles for Hydrogen Week, Kevin Clancy and Ross Gibson look at how the laws of health and safety are used to ensure the safe production and deployment of hydrogen and how these may develop in future.

In the third of a series of articles for Hydrogen Week, Ashley French and Joanna Rae consider the UK’s proposal to introduce a new certification scheme to verify sustainability of low carbon hydrogen.

In the second of a series of articles for UK Hydrogen Week, Ashley French sets out some of the key implications of BEIS’ update to the Heads of Terms for the Agreement for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Business Model.

The UK’s first official Hydrogen Week starts today and aims to bring together stakeholders across the UK to celebrate and promote the role of hydrogen in reaching net zero. In the first of a series of articles, we set out a high-level overview of the opportunities and challenges presented by hydrogen in the UK.