Expert Analysis

• Practice Leader Insights

  

  This year, 42 leaders of employment, intellectual property, insurance and transactions practice groups shared thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area.

• How EU Digital Act Could Shape UK Technology Disputes

  

  Noncompliance with the recently effective European Union Digital Operational Resilience Act will add layers of complexity to disputes and litigation for U.K.-based firms servicing EU entities, but international standards may serve as a bridge between jurisdictional and contractual misalignments, says Siobhan Forster at Alvarez & Marsal.

• How EU's Anticoercion Tool May Counter New US Tariffs

  

  The never-before-used anticoercion instrument could allow the European Union to respond to the imposition of U.S. tariffs, potentially effective March 12, and gives EU companies a voice in the process as it provides for consultation with economic operators at different steps throughout the procedure, say lawyers at Crowell & Moring.

• How 2025 Act Refines The UK's Arbitral Framework

  

  The U.K.'s Arbitration Act 2025 marks the regime's first significant reform since 1996 and aligns the nation's approach more closely with international principles, which means practitioners should take note of key procedural and strategic adjustments, including the explicit power of summary disposal, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

• Leaked Docs In Man City Case Raise Admissibility Questions

  

  The Premier League’s claims that Manchester City Football Club fell foul of financial fair play regulations are partly based on documents unlawfully obtained by an activist, which means the independent commission deciding the case will need to weigh whether the evidence is permissible against the principle of open justice, says Stuart Southall at KANGS Solicitors.

• Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

  

  “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

• EU Paper Urges Data Protection And Competition Law Unity

  

  A recent European Data Protection Board position paper calls for closer cooperation among data protection and competition authorities, and provides valuable insight for businesses seeking to ensure compliance across an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

• Key Points From Gov't Consultation On Copyright And AI

  

  The U.K. government’s current consultation on mitigating artificial intelligence input and output risks to copyright holders seeks to facilitate copyright holders in bringing actions against AI developers that make unauthorized use of protected works and mandate consistent labeling of AI-generated content, say lawyers at Deloitte.

• Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Equal Rights Limit State Immunity

  

  The Court of Appeal of England and Wales' recent determination that Spain’s London embassy could not dodge a former U.K.-based employee’s discrimination claims by invoking sovereign immunity reaffirms its position that employment and human rights should come before the privileges of foreign powers, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

• What To Expect As CAT Considers Mastercard Settlement

  

  It is expected that the Competition Appeal Tribunal will closely scrutinize the proposed collective settlement in Merricks v. Mastercard, including the role of the case’s litigation funder, as the CAT's past approach to such cases shows it does not treat the process as a rubber stamp exercise, say lawyers at BCLP.

• Managing Transatlantic Antitrust Investigations And Litigation

  

  As transatlantic competition regulators cooperate more closely and European antitrust investigations increasingly spark follow-up civil suits in the U.S., companies must understand how to simultaneously juggle high-stakes multigovernment investigations and manage the risks of expensive new claims across jurisdictions, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

• What 2025 Holds For UK, EU Restructuring And Insolvency

  

  European Union and U.K. restructuring developments in 2024, with a new era of director accountability, the use of cramdown tools and the emergence of aggressive liability management exercises, mean greater consideration of creditors' interests and earlier engagement in restructuring discussions can be expected this year, says Inga West at Ashurst.

• How GCs Can Protect Cos. From Geopolitical Headwinds

  

  Geopolitical uncertainty is perceived by corporate leaders as the biggest short-term threat to global business, but many of the potential crises are navigable if general counsel focus on what is being said about a company and what the company is doing, says Juliet Young at Schillings.

• What BT Ruling Will Mean For UK Class Actions

  

  The Competition Appeal Tribunal’s recent dismissal of a £1.3 billion mass consumer claim against BT, the first trial decision for a U.K. collective action, reminds claimants and funders of the high bar for establishing an abuse, and provides valuable insight into how pending mass consumer cases may be resolved, say lawyers at Ashurst.

• Exam Board Ruling Expands Scope Of 'Newcomer Injunctions'

  

  The High Court's recent decision granting AQA Education a digital "newcomer injunction" prevents anonymous internet users from distributing unlawfully obtained exam materials, and extends the scope of such injunctions from issues of trespass to the protection of confidential information, say lawyers at Fieldfisher.