Expert Analysis

• Raising Issues In UK Preliminary Hearings Can Be Risky

  

  The hearing of preliminary issues in LIC SAR & Empreno Ventures v. VTB Capital provides important insight into the range of issues that U.K. courts might consider hearing at the preliminary stage, and serves as a warning about potential wasted costs when engaging with complex matters in preliminary hearings, say Galina Usorova and Philip Gardner of Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP.

• 3rd-Party Litigation Finance In UK: To Brexit And Beyond

  

  Despite potential market volatility, England's preeminence as a global litigation center will likely survive post-Brexit. Therefore, the litigation funding sector looks poised to benefit from new opportunities in this jurisdiction and abroad, say Daniel Spendlove and Johnny Shearman of Signature Litigation LLP.

• Can D&O Policies Enhance Presumption Of Innocence In UK?

  

  The presumption of innocence allows U.K. directors access to company indemnities and directors and officers liability insurance when they defend against criminal proceedings. Despite some doubts, the presence of repayment extension in D&O policies should provide directors with additional reassurance, says Francis Kean of Willis Towers Watson.

• Litigation Funding Is On The Rise In Europe

  

  The rising popularity of litigation funding across Europe is a positive force for litigation and arbitration proceedings, but its growth and influence should be carefully managed, say Klaus Oblin and Florian Wettner of IR Global.

• Judging The Financial Conduct Authority 5 Years On

  

  The U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority, 5 years old this month, has had significant success in securing record financial penalties against firms in relation to misconduct, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to hold senior individuals to account, says David Rundle of WilmerHale.

• The Outlook For Anti-Suit Injunctions After Brexit

  

  It remains to be seen whether, after Brexit, the U.K. will issue anti-suit injunctions in relation to proceedings in EU member states. Much will depend on whether the U.K. adopts the common law approach or Lugano Convention, or negotiates a new agreement with the EU, say Nicholas Greenwood and Nicola Kelly of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

• New Tax Rules For Termination Payments In UK

  

  New rules aim to simplify the taxation of termination payments and mean that income tax and national insurance contributions must now be paid on all payments which relate to the notice period, says Justin Tarka of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC.

• EU Ruling Casts Doubt On Bilateral Investment Treaties

  

  In March, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that an arbitration clause in a bilateral investment treaty between two member states was incompatible with EU law. This decision may impact foreign direct investments significantly, as similar clauses are common to almost 200 BITs currently in force, says Charles Goldblatt of Seddons.

• GDPR Will Benefit Financial Services In The Long Run

  

  We are entering the next data age very soon, and the financial services industry must get on board and comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, which provides firms with opportunities to devise new competitive advantage from handling data and cleansing systems, says Phil Beckett of Alvarez & Marsal Holdings LLC.

• IP Considerations For UK Open Banking App Developers

  

  Since January of this year, consumer-facing banks in the U.K. have been required to make customers' banking data available to authorized third parties in a standardized format. As competition between open banking app developers increases, intellectual property rights will become a key legal tool, say Rajvinder Jagdev and Peter Damerell of Powell Gilbert LLP.

• Opinion

  BigLaw Doesn't Have A Diversity Problem

  

  Although the lack of racial and gender diversity among the ranks of the majority of both midsized and top law firms is a major issue, it’s past time to shed light on the real problem — inclusion, or lack thereof, says Marlen Whitley of Reed Smith LLP.

• Equity Partnership Isn't What It Used To Be

  

  To many young attorneys, becoming an equity partner shows a firm's long-term commitment, meaning job security and a voice in important firm matters. However, the industry has changed and nowadays it may not be better to enter a new firm as an equity partner, says Jeffrey Liebster of Major Lindsey & Africa.

• Breaching Policy Warranties Can Partially Void UK Coverage

  

  The U.K. Commercial Court's recent decision in BlueBon v. Ageas highlights the need for policyholders to comply with all warranties, but also indicates that failure to comply may not necessarily invalidate an entire policy, says Richard Mattick of Covington & Burling LLP.

• With The GDPR, The Dawn Of The New Normal Approaches

  

  With the General Data Protection Regulation on the horizon, companies' GDPR governance should be set up to work seamlessly. Those with GDPR responsibilities should ensure that individuals' rights are accounted for and that employees do not become weak links in data security, says Maarten Stassen of Crowell & Moring LLP.

• Issues To Watch For When Brexit-Proofing Your Contracts

  

  While a great deal of uncertainty remains around Brexit, there will be challenges for all contractual parties in the U.K. and the EU as they approach existing and future contractual obligations, say Dipti Hunter and Kirsty O'Connor of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.