Press & Media

News, views and comment - RPC in the media.

RPC advises liquidators on the sale of the UK's oldest newspaper Jewish Chronicle to a consortium of new owners

Published on 27 April 2020

City-law firm RPC have advised the liquidators on the sale of the UK newspaper Jewish Chronicle to a newly incorporated company, JC Acquisition Limited, established by a Consortium led by Sir Robbie Gibb, former Head of Communications at 10 Downing Street.

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Placing a moratorium on winding-up petitions will protect retailers and help contain COVID-19 business interruption

Published on 16 April 2020

Placing a moratorium on “petitions” to make retail businesses insolvent would protect retailers and help contain business interruption caused by COVID-19, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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RPC advises on the sale of a majority stake in British luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter to Oakley Capital

Published on 15 April 2020

RPC has advised the owners of British luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter on the sale of a majority stake to the private equity firm Oakley Capital. RPC acted as English counsel, supporting Japanese law firm southgate in its role as global deal counsel.

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RPC advises leading metal processing company Metal Technology Co. Ltd on its acquisition of Sandvik Powder Solutions AB

Published on 08 April 2020

RPC have advised Metal Technology Co. Ltd., a leading metal processing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, on the acquisition of Swedish based Sandvik Powder Solutions AB.

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RPC boosts professional indemnity team with well-respected insurance partner hire

Published on 31 March 2020

UK-headquartered law firm RPC has hired professional indemnity specialist Scott Ashby as Partner to join the firm's leading insurance team in Bristol. Scott joins from Beale & Co, where he acted for a wide variety of national and international firms, defending them against claims brought against lawyers and accountants. Scott joined RPC on 30 March 2020.

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Environment Agency investigations into businesses increase 12% since 2018

Published on 24 March 2020

The number of investigations into businesses launched by the Environment Agency increased by 12% from 5,518 in 2018 to 6,164 in 2019, says RPC, the City-based law firm.

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RPC moves UK offices to remote working

Published on 18 March 2020

International law firm RPC has asked all its people in the UK to work remotely, with immediate effect. The firm will keep its London and Bristol offices open and operational to ensure it can continue to offer the highest levels of service to its clients, but the vast majority of its people will be working away from RPC premises until further notice.

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UK litigation funder “war chests” hit record high of £1.9bn – up 46% in a year

Published on 17 March 2020

The value of court cases and cash directly held by UK litigation funders hit a record high of £1.9bn last year, up 46% from £1.3bn in 2017/18, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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City law firm RPC comments on UK Budget presentation - M&A, the Budget and Entrepreneurs' Relief – time to act?

Published on 11 March 2020

Ahead of today's Budget announcement by the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the city law firm RPC takes a look at its impact for business.

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Understanding insurance megatrends

Published on 27 February 2020

Emerging megatrends in a fast-changing world, increasingly impacted by climate change, pose testing challenges for the insurance industry.

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How will insurers respond to the growing challenge of social inflation?

Published on 27 February 2020

‘Social inflation’ is becoming a major challenge for US insurers, and its effects may soon spread to the UK, says RPC, the City-based law firm at a seminar hosted in conjunction with their US partner firm, Hinshaw and Culbertson*.

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Fighting Financial Crime in the 2020s – Summary of discussion

Published on 26 February 2020

The Centre for Legal Leadership and the law firm RPC were delighted to co-host a panel this morning on the topic of 'Fighting Financial Crime in the 2020s'. The panellists comprised Lisa Osofsky, Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Lord Garnier QC, the former Solicitor-General, and Amanda Pinto QC, Chair of the Bar Council of England & Wales.

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Andy McGregor, Partner and Head of Civil Fraud at RPC, has been named in the Client Choice Awards 2020 as the winner in UK Litigation.

Published on 18 February 2020

Andy has received high praise from long-standing clients, with one describing him as "an elegant litigator and leader". Others praised his "great experience, judgment and strategic acumen" and his "uncanny knack of working out exactly the best way to advance his client's case".

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Coronavirus

Published on 13 February 2020

Businesses and their insurers will be monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak with increasing concern. As the Chinese government switches to crisis mode and the UK government warns that the country is unlikely to escape a "rapidly developing" global outbreak, what are the risks for industry and their insurers?

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RPC advises on purchase of Unika Group

Published on 03 February 2020

RPC has advised US-based IPS Corporation on its purchase of Unika Group, a leading UK manufacturer of kitchen and flooring products and sealants.

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Disputes over trade marks hit record high of 3,600 – up 21% last year

Published on 03 February 2020

The number of challenges to trade mark applications hit a record high of 3,611 last year*, a rise of 21% from the 2,983 filed in the previous year, says City-headquartered law firm, RPC.

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RPC advises Kudan on investment in tech company Artisense

Published on 31 January 2020

RPC has advised Kudan Inc. on its highly complicated multi-jurisdictional investment and eventual acquisition of Artisense Corporation, a leading tech company specialising in artificial intelligence, founded in 2016 and headquartered in California with its main business based in Germany. Kudan now holds a 12% shareholding, to be followed in several stages by the purchase of the remaining shares.

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RPC advises Comhar Capital on minority stake in The Lakes Distillery for £4.25m

Published on 17 January 2020

RPC advised Comhar Capital on the £4.25 million investment in The Lakes Distillery, a Cumbrian-based whisky distiller.

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RPC hires business restructuring partner to bolster restructuring and insolvency capabilities

Published on 16 January 2020

City-headquartered law firm RPC has hired business restructuring partner Finella Fogarty to work across its disputes, commercial and corporate practice. She joins from DWF, where she was head of the firm's Business Restructuring practice, becoming partner in 2014 after joining from DLA Piper.

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Six major global trends in insurance in 2020: RPC’s Annual Insurance Review

Published on 08 January 2020

The fallout from protests such as Extinction Rebellion and the increasing popularity of ‘telemedicine’ – medicine over the internet – are just two of the major trends that are set to impact insurers in 2020, according to RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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48% rise in the value of fines issued to audit firms by the FRC – nearly £25m in 2019

Published on 02 January 2020

There has been a 48% increase in the value of fines issued by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to audit firms in 2019. Fines issued to auditors have risen to £24.9m in 2019 (year to December 31) from £16.8m in 2018*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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Worrying decline in use of HMRC mediation to settle tax disputes

Published on 20 December 2019

HMRC figures show a worrying decline in use of mediation to settle tax disputes in the past year, with the number of cases entering mediation falling 25% from 553 in 2017/18 to just 417 in 2018/19*, says City-headquartered law firm RPC.

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Why we need a super regulator

Published on 17 December 2019

The high street is experiencing a rash of administrations, but could regulators fix the mess?

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RPC appoints Director of Information Technology

Published on 26 November 2019

City-headquartered law firm RPC is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Denison as Director of Information Technology, starting work at the law firm on 6 January 2020.

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Beer trademarks hit record high of 2,500 in a year

Published on 25 November 2019

The number of trademarks registered for beer in the UK has hit a record high in 2018, jumping 6% to 2,519, up from 2,372 in 2017*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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Arrests made by HMRC fall to five-year low

Published on 25 November 2019

The number of arrests of taxpayers made by HMRC for suspected tax evasion has fallen to a five-year low of just 782 in the last year*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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RPC refreshes partnership structure to offer greater choice for lawyers and depth for clients

Published on 19 November 2019

City-headquartered law firm RPC is introducing a number of new senior level roles for lawyers to reflect the changing expectations of its people, the market, and client demand.

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City law firm RPC comments on Labour cyberattack

Published on 12 November 2019

Earlier today media reported that the UK Labour Party became victim of a sophisticated Cyber attack.

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City law firm RPC comments on Saracens fine

Published on 06 November 2019

Yesterday, the Premiership Rubgy fined UK Rugby champions Saracens with a 35 point deduction and £5.36 million for breaching salary cap rules.

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RPC advises Ebury on sale of majority stake to Santander for £350m

Published on 06 November 2019

RPC advised UK based fintech Ebury on sale of a majority stake to Banco Santander, a leading retail and commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. Ebury is a UK-based fintech company specialising in trade and foreign exchange facilitation for SMEs, operating in 19 countries and across 140 currencies.

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No let-up in retail sector insolvencies – 1,252 last year

Published on 30 October 2019

New data published today shows that there has been no let-up in the number of retail businesses entering insolvency, with 1,252 insolvencies in the sector in the last year, up from 1,232 the year before says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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E-retailer takeovers rise as high street decline increases pressure to grow online sales

Published on 28 October 2019

The number of M&A deals for UK e-retailers has risen to 12 in the past year*, up from eight last year, says City-headquartered law firm RPC.

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‘Craft’ spirits boom continues, driving new trade mark registrations to a record high

Published on 21 October 2019

The expansion of the UK craft spirits industry shows no sign of abating, with the industry filing a record number of trade mark registrations in the last year, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm. The number of new trade marks registered for spirits jumped 12% in the past year, with 2,482 filed in 2018, up from 2,210 in the previous 12 months.

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RPC commits to Mindful Business Charter

Published on 11 October 2019

We are proud to report that last night RPC signed the Mindful Business Charter, an initiative developed to mitigate unnecessary stress in the workplace. The Charter is a commitment by the firm to seek to change avoidable working practices which can have a negative effect on mental health and wellbeing. It aims to build trust and effective communication between colleagues, clients and contacts.

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UK allergy-related food recalls jump 20% in a year to 5-year high

Published on 07 October 2019

Food recalls relating to allergens have jumped 20% in the past year, as concerns rise over the dangers of poorly labelled foods, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm. 122 food products were withdrawn from the market in 2018/19, compared to 102 in 2017/18.

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Medical device alerts hit four-year high

Published on 02 October 2019

The number of alerts issued by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has hit a four-year high of 35 in the past year*, up from 32 last year and more than double the 17 alerts issued three years ago, says City-headquartered law firm RPC.

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Russia/CIS disputes Partner to boost global arbitration and litigation capability

Published on 11 September 2019

Law firm RPC's global dispute resolution capability has received a further boost with the hire of Russia/CIS specialist Tatiana Minaeva. A Russian, English and German speaker, Tatiana joins the firm's London office and will have a particular focus supporting clients across Russia, other CIS states and Eastern Europe, as well as in Israel and Turkey.

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65% increase in challenges to rates bills by businesses in the last quarter

Published on 19 August 2019

There has been a 65% increase in the number of businesses challenging their rates bill in the last quarter, with 4,000 challenges made in the first quarter of 2019, up from 2,430 challenges in Q4 2018, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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65% increase in challenges to rates bills by businesses in the last quarter

Published on 14 August 2019

There has been a 65% increase in the number of businesses challenging their rates bill in the last quarter, with 4,000 challenges made in the first quarter of 2019, up from 2,430 challenges in Q4 2018*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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FCA gives payments and e-commerce industry extra time to implement Strong Customer Authentication

Published on 13 August 2019

Jeremy Drew, Co-Head of Retail at RPC, the City headquartered law firm comments: “Retailers are going to be delighted that the FCA is taking a pragmatic approach to enforcement of SCA.”

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Government must act fast to waive UK competition law for food & drink industry to prepare for no deal Brexit, say lawyers

Published on 09 August 2019

The Government must act fast to waive competition laws to allow the food & drink industry to prepare for a possible “no deal” Brexit, says City-headquartered law firm RPC.

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Sales at UK’s leading online retailers rise 16% in just one year

Published on 05 August 2019

Sales at the UK’s Top 20 largest online retailers have risen 16% in the last year to £9.5bn, up from £8.2bn the year before*, shows new research from RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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Retail insolvencies up 6% in a year to 1,260

Published on 31 July 2019

There has been a 6% rise in the number of retail businesses entering insolvency, to 1,260 in the past year (year-end June 30 2019) from 1,189 the previous year*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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RPC Partner speaks to the Westminster Media Forum on the future of UK online advertising regulation

Published on 31 July 2019

Olly Bray took to brandishing his Love Island water bottle at the Westminster Media Forum recently, to illustrate the issues raised by influencer marketing regulation.

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Top risks to the retail industry in 2019: RPC’s Retail Compass Summer edition 2019

Published on 19 July 2019

RPC, the City-headquartered law firm, has launched its Summer 2019 Retail Compass, its guide to the upcoming legal and policy changes affecting the retail industry.

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FCA investigations into individuals double in 2018

Published on 01 July 2019

FCA investigations into individuals have doubled in the last year, with the number of cases involving individuals being referred to the FCA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee (RDC) rising to 27 in 2018 (year end Dec 31) from 13 the year before*, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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RPC adds Partner to Restructuring and Insolvency team

Published on 26 June 2019

RPC has hired restructuring and insolvency partner Paul Bagon to work across its commercial, corporate and disputes practices. Paul has spent the majority of his career practising insolvency and restructuring law in leading international law firms including Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He has worked on some of the largest and most high profile recent global restructurings and insolvencies.

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Football and music disputes continue to dominate UK High Court

Published on 17 June 2019

Football and music bodies continue to be the most active users of the UK High Court, as they crack down on businesses breaching copyright law, shows new research from RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.

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RPC digital marketing executive breaks world powerlifting record

Published on 07 June 2019

Moya Williams – a digital expert in law firm RPC's Brand, Marketing & Sales team – broke the world record for the deadlift* at the recent All England Powerlifting Championship, held in Northampton.

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Royal accolade for Link, the cross industry LGBT+ network

Published on 05 June 2019

Link, the LGBT+ network for the insurance industry, which launched in 2013, has received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE and the highest accolade given to volunteer groups in the UK.

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