Equifax, one of the world’s leading credit rating agencies is hacked. Personal information of individuals is accessed and many of these individuals have not consciously consented to Equifax holding their data, but have no choice in the modern world. No respectable media outlet, if offered this stolen personal data, would publish it.
It was reported on 23 January 2018 that the US is to impose tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines. China, South Korea and India, among others, were quick to express outrage at these steps. But are investors, exporters and the companies reliant on these imports impotent in such circumstances? And will it lead …
Continue reading “US tariffs: where Trump rushes in, others may fear to tread”
English rules on disclosure (‘discovery’ in many jurisdictions) are set for a major overhaul. Draft rules were published in November 2017. Once approved by the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, the resulting draft is intended to be introduced as part of a pilot scheme lasting two years, potentially beginning in April 2018 and running in the …
Continue reading “Disclosure in English litigation: a sea change is coming”
In 1995, the European Union sought to improve the protection of personal data within the EU member states through introduction of the Data Protection Directive. In May 2018, the directive will be replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation will give individuals greater control over how their data is used, stored and …
Victoria Brett, client knowledge manager at Shoosmiths, provides a summary of some of the proposed legal changes relevant to commercial organisations anticipated in 2018. Freezing of chargeable gains indexation allowance Companies disposing of assets after 2017 will be allowed to use an indexation allowance covering only the movement in RPI from the date of acquisition …
Continue reading “Headline legal changes – what to expect in 2018”
Data centres are increasingly key to the transaction of business all over the world, with more and more companies relying on remote hosting for their IT systems.
Dealing with residential tenancies has taken on a new meaning in Scotland. On 1 December 2017, the private residential tenancy (PRT) became the new residential tenancy for Scotland and, from 31 January 2018, letting agents of residential dwellings have to comply with a new code of practice and apply to be registered in the mandatory …
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The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) (which implemented the 2014 Public Procurement Directive) created a new procedure known as competitive procedure with negotiation (CPN). For those bidding on complex infrastructure projects or other government contracts, the implications of CPN may not be immediately apparent. For a contracting authority, CPN provides an additional procurement option giving …
Directive 2015/2366/EC, known as the recast Payment Services Directive (PSD2), entered into force on 12.01.2016 and requires Member States to ensure compliance with its provisions by 13.01.2018. According to its Preamble, the PSD2 seeks to achieve alignment with the developments in the market and the emergence of new technologies and types of payment services, to …
A is for award! It is essential to start with the end result in mind; the purpose of any arbitration is to secure an award that you can ratify and enforce against the respondent’s assets. An unenforceable award is worthless and unfortunately in the Gulf you have a greater chance of ending up in this …