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Thinking - Blog

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

Published on 05 May 2022. By Connor Cahalane, Partner, Head of Public Companies and Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate

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.

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Thinking - Blog

Lloyd's' focus on a more sustainable future

Published on 07 Dec 2021. By Lauren Murphy, Senior Associate

Lloyd's published its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report at the end of last year and while this is a fairly new focus area for Lloyd's it noted that: a) in its history it has a long record of contributing to communities and helping them to recover from disaster; and b) the role that insurance plays in protecting society and supporting global economic growth.

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Thinking - Blog

The rise of ESG finance

Published on 01 Oct 2021. By Sukh Ahark, Partner, Co-head of India Practice

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) finance remains a hot topic and continues to grow rapidly, with Bloomberg predicting the $2.2 trillion ESG debt market to hit $11 trillion by 2025, based on the rate of growth during the past five years.

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Thinking - Blog

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 and Connor Cahalane, Partner, Head of Public Companies

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.

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Thinking - Blog

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

Published on 03 Feb 2021. By Connor Cahalane, Partner, Head of Public Companies

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.

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Thinking - Publication

Insurers need their own Hippocratic Oath

Published on 22 Mar 2022. By Simon Laird, Global Head of Insurance 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?"

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Thinking - Podcast

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.

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Press and Media

The Times recognises RPC among Best Law Firms 2024

Published on 30 Oct 2023.

International law firm, RPC, has been recognised by The Times in its Best Law Firms 2024 report, an annual ranking of the top 250 law firms in England and Wales.

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Thinking - Blog

W&I insurance: Key lessons from recent case law

Published on 22 Aug 2024. By Guinevere Lydia Wentworth, Associate and Charmaine Chew, Senior Associate

Recent case law has highlighted the importance of understanding how a buyer on a share or asset sale has valued the target business and the clear drafting of exclusions. This blog considers the key takeaways for both warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurers and insureds.

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Thinking - Snapshot

European consumer body challenges in-game premium currencies

Published on 10 Dec 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Gowri Chandrashekar, Senior Associate

When does the use of in-app and in-game premium currencies pose consumer regulatory issues? Does this consumer complaint herald a tightening by the EU on revenue streams for game and app developers and platforms?

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Thinking - Blog

The EU's Cyber Resilience Act: 10 on the 10

Published on 10 Dec 2024. By Richard Breavington, Partner and Dorian Nunzek, Trainee Solicitor

Today the EU's Cyber Resilience Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/2847) ('CRA') enters into force. The CRA recognises that the continuously evolving world of smart products is frequently challenged by vulnerabilities which can potentially lead to cyber-security incidents. Whilst most of the Act's obligations will not be applicable until three years from now, 10 December is the day when the EU takes a big step towards it's ten-year Cybersecurity Strategy. To mark the occasion, we have outlined ten key points that entities in scope must be aware of in preparation for compliance with the CRA.

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Thinking - Blog

New Data (Use and Access) Bill

Published on 26 Nov 2024. By Jon Bartley, Partner and Praveeta Thayalan, Knowledge Lawyer

What does the new Data (Use and Access) Bill (the Data Bill) mean for businesses?

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Thinking - Snapshot

New Development: National Cyber Security Centre warns AI is likely to heighten global ransomware threat

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCQH, has published a report on the “near-term impact of AI on the cyber threat” over the next two years, which concludes that: (i) AI is already being used in cyber activity in a malicious way; and (ii) the volume of cyber attacks and the global ransomware threat are likely to be heightened over the next two years.

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Thinking - Snapshot

UK Government publishes response to AI White Paper consultation

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What approach has the UK Government’s adopted in its response to the consultation on the AI regulation White Paper (the White Paper)?

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Thinking - Snapshot

What the AI is going on… December 2023 to March 2024

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

Google launched its newest GenAI, Gemini Nano. Designed specifically for mobile phones it presents new competition to market leaders OpenAI. Gemini Nano will allow AI apps that operate offline as opposed to only on servers and provide improved privacy for users.

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Thinking - Snapshot

Court of Appeal holds Samsung liable for trade mark infringement by third-party apps

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

Can online platforms be liable for trademark infringement by third-party apps?

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Thinking - Snapshot

UK Supreme Court rejects AI as “inventor” under the Patents Act

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What is the scope and meaning of “inventor” in the UK’s patent framework, and will it accept an AI machine as being the sole inventor?

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Thinking - Snapshot

The new EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What can financial services entities and ICT providers expect from DORA and what do they need to do prepare for it?

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Thinking - Blog

Virtual billboards: the future of immersive advertising?

Published on 15 Jan 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and Elizabeth Alibhai, Partner and Nick Lauw, Partner

With the deployment of immersive technologies poised to become the norm, the implementation of infrastructure for "virtual billboards", and the "property digital rights" which they demand, is demonstrating a lucrative gap in the market and huge growth potential.

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Thinking - Blog

Changes to the One Stop Shop

Published on 09 Oct 2023. By Richard Breavington, Partner

In July 2023 the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the 'GDPR' Regulations).

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Thinking - Snapshot

Ethics in the age of AI: new Institute of Directors checklist

Published on 07 Jul 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What are the key considerations for boards regarding the ethical use of AI within their companies based on the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) Checklist for Boards (Checklist)?

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Thinking - Snapshot

Government White Paper sets out UK approach to AI regulation

Published on 07 Jul 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How is the UK Government looking to regulate AI?

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Thinking - Snapshot

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill opens door for stricter regulation of news platforms

Published on 07 Jul 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How might the proposed Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (the Bill) affect news reporting by digital platforms?

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Thinking - Blog

UK Government wants understanding of video games to move to the next level

Published on 12 Jun 2023. By Gowri Chandrashekar, Senior Associate and Zoe Harvey, Associate

On 30 May 2023, the UK Government published a Video Games Research Framework which encourages research on video games and emerging game-related technologies.

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Thinking - Snapshot

DCMS publishes new Code of Practice for app developers and app store operators

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What do app developers and app store operators need to do to comply with the new Code of Practice published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)?

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Thinking - Snapshot

New Metaverse regulation proposal to be discussed by EU Commission

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How does the European Commission (EC) intend to regulate the Metaverse?

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Thinking - Snapshot

Online Safety Bill: Latest amendments increase focus on children safety

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What is the focus of the latest round of amendments proposed to the Online Safety Bill and how will these impact online platforms?

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Thinking - Snapshot

ICO publishes guidance on compliance of game design with the Children’s Code

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What steps can game designers take to ensure their games comply with the Children’s Code?

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Thinking - Blog

AI technology projects – the regulatory landscape

Published on 24 Feb 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ricky Cella, Senior Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

Parties engaged in AI technology projects should be mindful of the regulatory landscape, and the changes taking place within it. A failure to do so could result in an AI solution that is not compliant from a regulatory perspective, the use of which potentially creates risk for the technology provider and user.

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Thinking - Blog

RPC Law x Web3: Gambling regulations – Don't Play Games of Chance with the Law

Published on 22 Feb 2023. By Nick Lauw, Partner and Pu Fang Ching, Senior Associate

This is part of a series of RPC x Web3 articles designed to help Web3 participants and enthusiasts understand their rights in this rapidly evolving space.

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Thinking - Blog

New Digital Regulators on the 2023 Horizon: the Digital Markets Unit and the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency

Published on 02 Dec 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Chris Ross, Partner

For a number of years, the UK Government has been laying the groundwork to bring in a digital markets regime to regulate digital firms designated as having ‘strategic market status’ (SMS). To be designated as having SMS, a firm must have 'substantial and entrenched market power' in at least one activity. Companies having SMS are likely to include the largest tech firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Meta (the so called 'GAMMA' firms).

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Thinking - Blog

Digital services providers—Commission to focus on implementation phase of EU consumer protection legislation

Published on 31 Oct 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Ellie Chakarto, Senior Associate

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are published in the Official Journal and the plenary vote of the European Parliament on the proposed text of the AI Act is expected once amendments are agreed by negotiators. The Commission is now turning its focus to the implementation phase of these landmark regimes. So, what does the future hold for the European tech sector and how might it differ for the UK?

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Thinking - Blog

The EU Digital Markets Act - a focus on gatekeeper obligations and sanctions

Published on 12 Oct 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

What key obligations will the Digital Markets Act (DMA) impose on online platforms designated as gatekeepers?

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Thinking - Blog

CMA ends its investigation into online console gaming subscription practices

Published on 14 Jun 2022. By Jonathan Greenway, Senior Associate and Joshua Charalambous, Partner

The UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has now closed its investigation into subscription practices in the online console gaming sector after key players Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft committed to making improvements to their contract terms with a view to better protecting customers.

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Thinking - Publication

Annual Insurance Review 2025

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Simon Laird, Global Head of Insurance and Robert Morris, Partner and Toby Higginson, Partner and 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.

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Press and Media

Rising to the challenge, how insurers will adapt in 2025

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Simon Laird, Global Head of Insurance

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.

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Thinking - Publication

D&O

Published on 14 Jan 2025.

2024 highlighted the importance of a directors' duty to consider or act in the interests of creditors where a company is insolvent or bordering on insolvency. The claim brought by the liquidators of BHS Group against certain of its former directors following the group's collapse into insolvency in 2016 saw the first time where a court held company directors guilty of "misfeasant trading". The directors were held to have not considered the creditors' interests before entering into an onerous and expensive secured loan which would exhaust the group's assets if it could not be repaid. The directors were therefore found to have acted against their statutory duties by entering into the loan instead of the group going into administration.

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Thinking - Publication

Pensions

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Iain Anderson, Partner and Toby Savage, Partner

A key development in 2024 has been the Court of Appeal's ruling in Virgin Media v NTL Pensions Trustees II Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 843, which has significant implications for contracted out final salary pension schemes. The court confirmed that any amendments affecting guaranteed minimum in these schemes must be accompanied by a so-called Section 37 actuarial conformation. Without this confirmation, the amendment is deemed void, regardless of whether such confirmation would have been granted had it been sought at the time of the amendment.

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Thinking - Publication

Construction

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Alan Stone, Partner and Ben Goodier, Partner and Tom Green, Partner and Zoe Eastell, Partner

This year the new Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (the LFRA) enacted various amendments to the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA), which came into force on 24 July 2024 and 31 October 2024.

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Thinking - Publication

Cyber and data

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Elizabeth Zang, Associate and Richard Breavington, Partner and Daniel Guilfoyle, Partner and Rachel Ford, Partner and Jonathan Crompton, Partner

Last year's edition of the Annual Insurance Review included predictions that 2024 would see a trend towards an increased general level of cyber security given (i) the importance placed on security measures by regulatory bodies such as the ICO and (ii) the focus cyber underwriters had placed on assessing prospective insureds' security before offering cover.

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Thinking - Publication

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, Asia

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.

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Thinking - Publication

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.

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Thinking - Publication

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.

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Thinking - Publication

Asia

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Carmel Green, Partner and Antony Sassi, Managing Partner, Asia and Iain Anderson, Partner and Rebecca Wong, Partner

As the soft market continues, insurance premiums in Asia have consistently declined across all major product lines during Q1-Q3 due to increased competition and challenging economic conditions.

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Thinking - Publication

Medical Malpractice

Published on 14 Jan 2025. By Dorothy Flower, Partner and Sian Morgan, Partner

2024 has seen an increase in the number of physician associates (PAs) working across the medical sector (NHS and private). Employment of PAs is considered a fast and cost-effective method of addressing workforce shortages and ever-growing healthcare demands. In June 2022, there were 1300 PAs in England and Wales, rising to over 3,300 by June 2024. The numbers are expected to increase.

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