Insights

Our lawyers are immersed in the industries and sectors in which they operate. Keep abreast of the changing legal landscape with insights from our expert lawyers.

Publications available on this website provide general information only and do not constitute legal advice. See Legal Notices for further information.

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Friday 19th May 2023

Permitting Clarkson’s Farm in Scotland

In this article Caroline McGregor, senior solicitor in our Planning team, uses the recent Amazon Prime Video series 'Clarkson's Farm' to explore "permitted development". The article notes an attempt by Clarkson to open a restaurant within an existing, unused building highlighting the importance of understanding the regulations and of obtaining the necessary permissions prior to any development.

Categories: Planning and Environment , Rural and Estates

Thursday 18th May 2023

Navigating financial insecurities - ten top tips

The current economic landscape is presenting challenges for many businesses. Our restructuring and business advisory specialists have provided a list of ten top tips if your business is facing financial distress.

Categories: Restructuring and Business Advisory

Tuesday 16th May 2023

Unlocking the potential of wind power in Scotland's crofting counties

Scotland has an enviable track record in onshore and offshore wind, and the Scottish Government’s commitment to wind power is a strong basis on which to grow our renewable capabilities. Recently there has been an upsurge in the focus of croft and common grazing land as a source of onshore renewable development, but how do we make this happen?

Categories: Energy and Sustainability , Clean Energy and Renewables , Sustainability , Rural and Estates

Monday 15th May 2023

Owner-managed businesses: how to prepare when disputes arise

In owner managed businesses the lines between the commercial and the personal can often become blurred. We recognise not only the need to provide owner managers with high quality legal and strategic advice to help resolve disputes but also the importance of ensuring that their mental health gets the priority it deserves.

Categories: Litigation and Dispute Resolution , Restructuring and Business Advisory

Monday 15th May 2023

Reinforcing openness and fair-dealing in the public sector

In this article, our Regulatory Risk and Compliance team (RRC team) discusses the increasing need for firms dealing with government to be alert to the impact of transparency and fair-dealing regulations and how changes in these rules pose risks and may also give rise to opportunities.

Categories: Regulatory Risk and Compliance , Subsidy Control , Compliance Monitoring , Public Interest Regulation , Emerging issues in regulation , Public Law Changes , Governance and Decision-Making , Government and Public Sector

Friday 12th May 2023

Have the Brexit winds of change begun to blow?

The government has set out new employment law measures in the policy paper ‘Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy’. The measures include removing reporting requirements from the Working Time Regulations 1998, introducing rolled-up holiday pay, extending the exception for smaller businesses from the need to elect employee representatives under the TUPE Regulations, and limiting non-compete clauses to three months.

Categories: Employment

Thursday 11th May 2023

BVCA remodels its investment documents

The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) has recently published updated model documents for early-stage capital investments. This article summarises the key changes contained in the updated model documents.

Categories: Corporate

Tuesday 2nd May 2023

New draft law changes the game for consumer law enforcement and digital markets regulation: Competition law and merger control

In this article, Scott Rodger, Senior Solicitor in our Regulation and Markets team, summaries the key changes in the long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Bill). In the final update, we focus on competition law and merger control. You can check out our other updates on consumer and digital markets on our website.

Categories: Regulatory Risk and Compliance , Competition Law and Merger Control , Anti-Competitive Conduct , Merger Control and Joint Ventures , Compliance Monitoring , Economic and Public Interest Regulation , Public Interest Regulation , Regulatory Investigations

Tuesday 2nd May 2023

New draft law changes the game for consumer law enforcement and digital markets regulation: digital markets

In this article, Scott Rodger, Senior Solicitor in our Regulation and Markets team, summaries the key changes in the long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Bill). In this second update, we focus on digital markets. You can check out our other updates on consumer and competition on our website.

Tuesday 2nd May 2023

New draft law changes the game for consumer law enforcement and digital markets regulation: Consumer Protection

In this article, Scott Rodger, Senior Solicitor in our Regulation and Markets team, summaries the key changes in the long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Bill). In this update, we focus on first - consumer protection. You can check out our other updates on digital markets and competition on our website.

Monday 1st May 2023

Sheep worrying

In this article Stephanie Hepburn Partner in our litigation and dispute resolution team and Vicky Christie associate in our rural property and business team discuss the current Scottish legislation on sheep worrying, what steps farmers and landowners can take to protect their flocks, the types of penalties that exist, and how our rural disputes team can assist with any related issues.

Categories: Agricultural and Rural Disputes , Rural and Estates

Monday 1st May 2023

Administering Clarity: Adjudications, Natural Justice and Insolvency

Iain Drummond, Partner, and Alejandro Coghill, Trainee Solicitor, in our Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Disputes team examine the recent Technology and Construction Court ("TCC”) decision in J A Ball Limited (in Administration) v St Philips Homes (Courthaulds) Ltd. This case highlights the circumstances in which an adjudicator’s award breaches natural justice and becomes unenforceable. The case also provides insights into the relationship between adjudication and administration, the provision of security, and the status of damages-based agreements (“DBA”).