Search results

Regulatory Radar: quick takes May 2025

Published on 12 May 2025. By Gavin Reese, Partner, Head of Regulatory

Welcome to the latest edition of our bi-monthly Regulatory Radar: quick takes update, which collates the latest developments from across the UK’s regulators.

What if the CEO asks me about… our exposure to packaging fees under EPR?

Published on 01 Apr 2025. By Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate, Environment and Climate Change Practice Lead and Ciara Cullen, Partner, Retail & Consumer Sector Lead and Harpreet Kaur, Associate

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) (EPR) Regulations 2024 (EPR Regulations) came into force on 1 January 2025. They will affect most businesses that supply packaging in the UK, particularly brand owners of branded packaged products, and those who import branded products into the UK from overseas.

What if the CEO asks me about… the EU's Omnibus Directive?

Published on 19 Mar 2025. By Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate, Environment and Climate Change Practice Lead and Rosamund Akayan, Senior Knowledge Lawyer and Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Thomas Jenkins, Of Counsel and Kelly Thomson, Partner, ESG Strategy Lead

On 26 February 2025, the EU Commission published its proposed Omnibus Directive, aiming to simplify EU rules, boost competitiveness and reduce the perceived regulatory burden on businesses, particularly SMEs. Here, we break down the key takeaways for busy in-house teams and discuss what we can expect next from the EU Parliament and Council.

The EU Compliance headache you don't know you have? A priority primer on the European Accessibility Act

Published on 31 Oct 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner, Technology, Media & Telecoms Sector Lead and Hettie Homewood , Senior Associate

It is now less than a year until the EU Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into force, which will require businesses to ensure a range of products (eg smartphones and computers) and services (eg e-commerce services, consumer banking services, and ebooks) are accessible for persons with disabilities.

Seeing the wood for the trees: preparing for new deforestation due diligence rules in the UK and EU

Published on 24 Oct 2024. By Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate, Environment and Climate Change Practice Lead

Navigating retail's sustainable revolution as ESG shapes the industry's future

Published on 02 Oct 2024. By Kimberley Nanson, Senior Communications Manager and Caroline Copland, Head of Marketing Communications

As the retail regulatory landscape continues to develop at pace and affordability and sustainability remain important for consumers, ESG poses a variety of opportunities and challenges for those in the retail and consumer market.

The EU's Green Claims Directive

Published on 24 Jul 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner, Technology, Media & Telecoms Sector Lead and Ciara Cullen, Partner, Retail & Consumer Sector Lead and Hettie Homewood , Senior Associate and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate, Environment and Climate Change Practice Lead

The EU's proposed Green Claims Directive (GCD) sets out expansive new rules for companies making green claims in the EU.

What if the CEO asks me... about ESG-linked financing facilities

Published on 28 Sep 2021. By Edward Colville, Partner and Sukh Ahark, Partner, Co-head of India Desk

As focus moves from short term lockdown liquidity on to longer term financing needs, loan facilities linked to ESG and sustainability targets are back in the news.

Navigating risk in the energy transition (With Joe Dutton)

Published on 07 Nov 2024.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Joe Dutton, Energy Innovation Lead, at AXIS and in this episode they discuss a recent report Joe co-wrote, Navigating Risk in the Energy Transition.

The insurance of systemic risks (Trevor Maynard)

Published on 23 Oct 2024.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Trevor Maynard, Senior Insurance Advisor at Insurtech Sotera and Vice Chair and Executive Director at Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies. In this episode they discuss systemic risks.

Sustainability and insurance (with Rachel Delhaise)

Published on 01 Oct 2024.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Rachel Delhaise, Head of Sustainability at Convex Insurance. In this episode they discuss her role as Head of Sustainability and what that means for insurance.

A look at climate insurance (With Richard Matsui)

Published on 20 Apr 2022.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Richard Matsui, Co-founder of kWh Analytics, and they will be discussing the insurance of renewable energy sources with a particular focus on solar power.

Insurers need their own Hippocratic Oath

Published on 22 Mar 2022. By Simon Laird, Partner, Insurance Sector Lead and Peter Mansfield, Partner

Does insurance have a role to play in setting the ethical standard for corporate ESG and promoting a ‘do no harm’ philosophy?"

A look at sustainable insurance (a podcast with Julian Richardson)

Published on 20 Jan 2022.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Julian Richardson, CEO of Parhelion Underwriting and our topic for this episode is sustainable insurance.

A look at Flood Re (a podcast with Andy Bord)

Published on 22 Dec 2021.

Welcome to Insurance Covered, the podcast that covers everything insurance. In this episode Peter is joined by Andy Bord, CEO of Flood Re, a specialist UK reinsurer of flood risks. In this episode we will be discussing all things Flood Re.

PLC QTRLY - Q2 2025

Published on 24 Jul 2025. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Chairing your AGM with confidence: Eight practical steps for running successful PLC meetings

Published on 21 May 2025. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial and James Channo, Partner and Rosamund Akayan, Senior Knowledge Lawyer

For UK-listed PLCs, AGMs and general meetings aren’t just procedural milestones; they are legal events governed by detailed rules, which come with shareholder expectations and reputational risks.

PLC QTRLY - Q1 2025

Published on 29 Apr 2025. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q4 2024

Published on 23 Jan 2025. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q3 2024

Published on 15 Oct 2024. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q2 2024

Published on 31 Jul 2024. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q1 2024

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q4 2023

Published on 05 Feb 2024. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q3 2023

Published on 12 Oct 2023. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and James Channo, Partner and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q2 2023

Published on 14 Jul 2023. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial and Rosamund Akayan, Senior Knowledge Lawyer

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q1 2023

Published on 19 Apr 2023. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial and Rosamund Akayan, Senior Knowledge Lawyer

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q4 2022

Published on 02 Feb 2023. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial and Rosamund Akayan, Senior Knowledge Lawyer

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q3 2022

Published on 14 Nov 2022. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

PLC QTRLY - Q2 2022

Published on 26 Jul 2022. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate

This is our regular quarterly update to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

How to comply with the FCA's new diversity and inclusion targets for listed companies

Published on 05 May 2022. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

The FCA has finalised its new rules on diversity and inclusion on listed company boards and executive committees. The rules, which are set out in the FCA's policy paper PS22/3: Diversity and inclusion on company boards and executive management, are substantially in line with the proposals set out in the FCA's consultation paper CP 21/24. In scope listed companies are required to include a statement in their annual financial report on whether they have met specific board diversity targets on a ‘comply or explain’ basis, as at a chosen reference date within their accounting period.

PLC QTRLY - Q1 2022

Published on 13 Apr 2022. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate

Post-Covid and post-Brexit changes are on the horizon for the UK's public companies. This is the first of our regular updates to help our listed company clients and other market participants keep up to date with key developments relevant to issuers on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Balance on the board: Eight things UK PLCs need to know about the FCA's diversity targets

Published on 27 Sep 2021. By Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial and Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate

The Financial Conduct Authority's proposals will mean UK listed companies need to disclose whether their boards and senior management teams meet new gender and ethnic diversity targets.

Takeover Code: What has changed?

Published on 13 Sep 2021. By Emily McGregor, Partner

On 5 July 2021, the most significant changes to the Takeover Code (the Code) since 2011 took effect. The changes are intended to standardise the treatment of regulatory clearances and simplify the offer timetable. An overview of the main changes is set out below.

UK Listing Review wants companies to stay at home

Published on 04 Mar 2021. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial

Recommendations will make it easier to list and fundraise on the London Stock Exchange

Time for public companies to come clean: New UK climate-related disclosures and ESG guidance

Published on 03 Feb 2021. By Connor Cahalane, Partner - Corporate

Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market will need to include a statement in their annual report confirming if they have made climate-related disclosures consistent with the recommendations of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Companies planning to IPO, or move from AIM to the Main Market, are also affected by these new Listing Rules.

Rising to the challenge, how insurers will adapt in 2025

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Simon Laird, Partner, Insurance Sector Lead

The global insurance industry is on the brink of transformation as geopolitical tensions, accelerating AI adoption, and escalating climate crises converge to create a perfect storm in 2025. From navigating a volatile economic landscape to addressing emerging risks in cyber and ESG, insurers face a year of unparalleled complexity and opportunity.

Annual Insurance Review 2025

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Simon Laird, Partner, Insurance Sector Lead and Robert Morris, Partner and Toby Higginson, Partner, Co-head of Clients and Markets (Insurance)

With the Christmas and New Year festivities already becoming a blur in the rear-view mirror, what better way to blow away the few remaining cobwebs and see-off the January blues than to immerse yourself in RPC's Annual Insurance Review 2025.

Financial professionals

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Esme Watson, Senior Associate and Rachael Healey, Partner and David Allinson, Partner and Antony Sassi, Managing Partner

In March 2024 the FCA published the findings from its Thematic Review of retirement income advice, looking at the landscape c. 9 years post-pension freedoms against the backdrop of an ageing population. No fundamental problems were identified but the FCA set out some areas for improvement, from more consistent fact finding to considering the value being provided in respect of any ongoing services.

General liability

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Charles Appleby, Senior Associate and Gavin Reese, Partner, Head of Regulatory and Fiona Hahlo, Partner and Mamata Dutta, Partner and Thom Lumley, Partner

This has been a dramatic year for cases involving fundamental dishonesty. In Williams-Henry v Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd, the King's Bench Division found that the Claimant, who had suffered a moderately severe brain injury, had dishonestly exaggerated her symptoms and attempted to inflate the value of her claim by over £1million. Although liability was admitted and, but for her dishonesty, she would still have been entitled to damages just under £600,000, the Court dismissed the whole of her claim. The Judge found that, given the extent of her deception, there would be no substantial injustice to the Claimant by her losing the genuine elements of her claim along with the dishonest ones.

Health and Safety

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Gavin Reese, Partner, Head of Regulatory and Fiona Hahlo, Partner and Thom Lumley, Partner and Mamata Dutta, Partner

As the single greatest cause of work-related deaths due to past exposure (according to HSE's Annual health and safety statistics 2024.

Accountants

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Patrick Paper-Barclay, Senior Associate

A key trend for the accounting world in 2024 was the sheer number of corporate insolvencies, and the knock-on effect of this in terms of claims against accountants. The number of corporate insolvencies continued to build upon the record levels already seen in 2023, which saw the highest number of annual corporate insolvencies for 30 years. The Insolvency Service's Annual Report in July 2024, for example, reported almost 11,000 new insolvency cases in the previous 12 months, an increase from just over 9,000 the previous year.

International arbitration

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Ana Margetts, Associate (New Zealand qualified) and Jonathan Wood, Partner, Chair of International Arbitration

The Arbitration Bill received its first and second readings in parliament in July 2024. Having first come before parliament in September 2023 under the UK's then Conservative government, it will once again proceed through the House of Lords and House of Commons, before receiving Royal Assent and becoming law.

Intellectual property

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Ciara Cullen, Partner, Retail & Consumer Sector Lead and Joshua Charalambous, Partner

Since our 2021 Review we have returned frequently to Sky v Skykick, a trade mark dispute that has been ongoing since 2016. In November 2024, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal (see here) finding that an inference of bad faith may be drawn if sufficient evidence exists – as there was in this case – that the applicant had never had any intention to supply or provide certain goods or services for which it sought trade mark protection. Once an inference of bad faith has been drawn, this may prove grounds for a mark to be wholly or partially invalidated.

Art & specie

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Karen Barnard-Taylor, Senior Associate

Following reports in 2023 that the British Museum had discovered that around 2,000 artefacts were either lost or damaged, it has this year concluded its internal investigation. The Museum found that it had not been compliant with UK legislation regarding how such artefacts should be kept. The Public Records Act requires all UK museums and libraries to meet basic standards of preservation, access and professional care. The consequences of such failings can mean collections being transferred elsewhere or handed over to the National Archives, although it seems the British Museum may be spared this outcome. The Museum is working with the National Archives to ensure their future compliance. This will include the introduction of new policies, such as defining what comprises its collection, introducing a policy for registering items, and improving its policy for reporting unlocated items.

Aviation

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Naomi Vary, Partner

In this this inaugural aviation chapter of the Annual Insurance Review, it would be impossible not to focus on the continuing upheaval wrought by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The aviation industry, which had largely weathered the disruption of the Covid pandemic, has been faced with new challenges since February 2022. Closure of European airspace to Russian aircraft, and of Russian airspace to aircraft from "unfriendly" countries, has forced route networks to adapt. Western sanctions which prohibited the supply of aircraft to Russian airlines have derailed longstanding relationships between Western aircraft lessors and their Russian customers. Prohibitions on the provision of insurance have similarly impacted aviation business models.

Legal practices

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Richard Breavington, Partner and Daniel Guilfoyle, Partner and Jonathan Crompton, Partner

A crumbling regulator? The SRA is facing difficult questions about its effectiveness as a regulator in the wake of the collapse of Axiom Ince, which led to the disappearance of £62million and the loss of around 1,400 jobs. Initially Insurers received a flood of claims totalling around £33million. In an unpopular move, the SRA announced the profession will cover the loss through a 270% rise in contributions to the Compensation Fund.

Brokers

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Daniel Charity, Associate

The claims inflation seen in the market over recent years continues to pose a significant risk in relation to underinsurance, putting brokers at risk of negligence claims where an insured finds its cover insufficient to compensate for its losses. Industry research indicates that over 40% of commercial properties are underinsured, and claims managers are increasingly having to have difficult conversations with underinsured property owners. The impact of underinsured losses can be catastrophic for customers, particularly when policies contain average clauses. Insufficient property damage cover can also lead to longer business interruption periods, which are also not adequately insured. Brokers are playing a crucial role in seeking to tackle the underinsurance crisis and should continue to have frank discussions with clients and provide detailed advice on the implications of underinsurance in the event of a claim, including the application of average clauses.

Life sciences

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Dorothy Flower, Partner

COVID-19 continued to dominate life sciences headlines in 2024. The COVID-19 Inquiry has continued in earnest. Module 3, which focussed on the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems has recently concluded. Damning evidence has been heard about the immense toll on healthcare staff, and the detrimental impact on NHS waiting times.

Class Actions and Collective redress

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Lucy Dyson , Partner

The UK group litigation/ class action landscape continues to expand, particularly in an environmental and consumer context. Whilst we still have no US-style "opt-out" class action regime for civil claims (opt-out class actions are only viable in respect of competition law infringements), the available mechanisms for seeking redress on behalf of multiple claimants, continue to be tested.