UK Expert Analysis


EU AI Omnibus Makes Key Changes But Leaves Uncertainties

The European Council and Parliament’s recent provisional agreement on the artificial intelligence omnibus delivers some simplification to the European Union AI Act and achieves a broadly balanced outcome, but whether it truly improves legal certainty will depend on the commission's ability to deliver the implementing acts, say lawyers at CMS.


What EU Coalition's 6-Point Proposal Means For Market Regs

The European Union’s recent position paper sent to the European Commission from its six largest economies is a serious political signal that businesses should treat as an indicator that European market regulation is heading toward deeper integration and stronger supervision, says Antonio Lanotte at Futura Law.


Generic Drugs Do Not Reach Patients Sooner In The EU

Although the U.S. and European Union take very different approaches to patents, regulatory exclusivities and drug pricing, data shows that the effective market life for brand-name drugs is essentially the same in both jurisdictions, says Margaret Kyle at Mines Paris.


EU Protocol Strengthens Int'l Criminal Asset Recovery Powers

The Council of Europe’s recently adopted protocol to the Warsaw Convention marks a significant evolution in the international asset recovery landscape, signaling a focus on proactive and coordinated methods that require organizations to consider how to respond quickly to unexpected enforcement action, say lawyers at Trowers & Hamlin.


How UK Unfair Dismissal Reforms Could Affect PE Sponsors

The U.K. government’s unfair dismissal rights reforms taking effect from January 2027 could create uncertainty over management incentive arrangements and complicate senior management changes, representing a material shift in the risk landscape for private equity firms, say lawyers at Debevoise.


Series

Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Miriam Bruce

Miriam Bruce, Mayer Brown's head of business protection, discusses how being promoted on the eve of the pandemic was a baptism of fire in leadership, the challenges of multidimensional disputes, and why lawyers should invest in relationships, not just technical knowledge.


A Potent EU Tool To Block Russian Arbitration Interference

The European Union’s latest sanctions package introduces an EU-wide antisuit injunction mechanism that offers businesses a powerful weapon against Russia's efforts to derail international arbitration with forum-shopping tactics, say lawyers at Signature Litigation.


Bar AI Guidance Shifts Verification Duty Focus To Law Firms

The Bar Standards Board’s new guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, following two recent cases highlighting risks of misuse, sends a clear message to law firm leadership that firms’ operational processes and the conduct of those who supervise now sit within the regulatory frame, says Marcella Rich at Williams Lea.


How FCA Proposal Would Change IPO Research Rules

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals for the governance of information flows in equity initial public offerings represent a recalibration rather than a wholesale deregulation of the current framework by maintaining that connected research be grounded in approved disclosure, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.


Nonequity Partner Tier Presents Lawyers With Pros And Cons

While the nonequity partner model may offer law firms' management flexibility and be a genuine stepping stone for lawyers in some organizations, at others the tier functions more as an extended holding pattern whose uncertainty can cause frustration for ambitious lawyers, say Filippo Falchi and Portia White at Major Lindsey.


Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Curial Review Limits In Singapore

The Singapore International Commercial Court's recent decision to dismiss an application for supervisory relief from a Singapore International Arbitration Centre final costs award illustrates the limits of converting adverse financial consequences into public policy objections, even where the commercial result is severe, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.


Guitar Shape Controversy Highlights Nuances Of IP Protection

A recent German case related to Fender's efforts to secure intellectual property protection for its Stratocaster guitar design highlights a structural tension inherent in IP law — the designs that most successfully become embedded in the cultural landscape are the hardest to justify exclusive ownership of, say attorneys at Spencer West.


AI Deals Call For Tailored Approach To Address Hidden Risks

As artificial intelligence deals continue to advance, they raise complex intellectual property questions with hard-to-verify technical facts that require a different approach to due diligence, risk allocation and execution, say lawyers at Katten.


Series

Practice Leader Insights From Covington's David Berman

David Berman, Covington's head of EMEA financial services, discusses how he perceived a gap in the market for practical financial regulatory advice, the challenges of advising Egypt on its new banking law, and how firms that neglect artificial intelligence governance do so at their peril.


EU Foreign Subsidies Report Offers Chance To Take Stock

The European Union’s forthcoming review of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, revealing reassuringly low intervention rates but a burdensome prenotification process, offers the European Commission a timely opportunity to address genuine distortions and be more proportionate in its demands on market participants, say lawyers at Dechert.


Diverging Global AI Rules Raise IP Risks For UK Cos.

Several recent updates to U.K. intellectual property law as it relates to artificial intelligence mark a sharp divergence with approaches in the European Union and U.S., highlighting why a one-size-fits-all IP strategy is not viable for U.K. businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions, say lawyers at Skadden.


EU Directive Recalibrates States' Anti-Corruption Landscape

The European Union's recently adopted anti-corruption directive does not transform compliance requirements overnight, but it will establish a minimum harmonization framework addressing substantive offenses, corporate liability and sanction levels across member states once national legislation is in place, say Katharina Humphrey, Karla Böltz and Maximilian Schach at Gibson Dunn.


'EU Inc.' Proposal Offers Startups Flexibility But With Limits

While the European Commission’s recent proposal for a single corporate framework across the European Union should offer a seamless and more accessible structure for high-growth businesses, seemingly minor variations complicate deal structuring and give rise to legal uncertainty in practice, says Mathieu de Korvin at Alkeom.


Easing Of UK Stablecoin Rules Will Encourage Crypto Growth

The Bank of England’s recent decision to relax parts of its proposed framework for sterling-backed stablecoins balances innovation with financial stability, and will help the U.K. remain competitive with crypto markets across the globe, says Thomas Cattee at Gherson.


New FDI Regs Signal Major Changes For M&A Deals In EU

The European Parliament’s recent adoption of the new foreign direct investment regulation represents a major shift from the European Union's current regime, replacing a voluntary fragmented system with a mandatory baseline for screening and introducing procedural requirements that will bring greater consistency across member states, say lawyers at Covington.



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Practice Leader Insights

Practice group leaders share thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area in this Expert Analysis series.




Opinion


Collective Action Reform Can Save UK Court System

The crumbling foundations of Britain’s legal system require innovative solutions, such as investment in institutional infrastructure to reduce court backlogs, a widening of the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s remit and legislative clarity over litigation funding underpinning collective actions, says Neil Purslow at the International Legal Finance Association.

New US-UK Tech Deal Offers Opportunities To Boost Growth

The recently announced U.S. and U.K. Technology Prosperity Deal, encouraging businesses on both sides of the Atlantic to work together toward technological advance, will drive both investment in U.K. capabilities and returns for U.S. investors, says Peter Watts at Hogan Lovells.