Knowledge

Companies House has announced that its fees will increase on 1 May. This short note by Christina Sinclair, Senior Professional Support Lawyer in our corporate team, sets out details of the new fees.  

Rural landowners and businesses may be considering diversifying their offerings in order to grow – if this includes alcohol it is critical to understand the alcohol licensing requirements you may be subject to.Extended version of an article originally published in Scottish Land and Estates (p.42).

Battery energy storage systems are critical for the future of renewable energy but they come with their own challenges, particularly when it comes to access.First published in Energy Voice. 

In this article, we focus on the new measures implemented in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCT Act) to hold organisations to account and the extent to which those measures are interlinked with ESG considerations. 

Major reforms to Scottish trust law are on their way following the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 receiving royal assent in January.

If you have been appointed as an attorney, there are some important considerations and next steps which should be on your radar.

As we move away from reliance on fossil fuels, our need for renewable energy only grows and so does the need for necessary policy frameworks to support this development. First published in The Herald.

There are changes in employment law coming into force on 6 April 2024. We outline what changes employers can expect to see and what they should prepare for.

Registers of Scotland is working to replace the first and oldest property register, the General Register of Sasines, with the modern Land Register of Scotland: a digital, map-based register.Madeleine Gill and Melanie McLachlan explain how you can beat the deadline and benefit from a substantial discount through Voluntary Registration.

In this article, Hamish Patrick and Fiona McKerrell, discuss key points relating to ‘post insolvency working capital’ within The Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act.

The First Tier Tribunal has considered the first substantively contested application for a Remediation Contribution Order under the Building Safety Act 2022.Iain Drummond and Nikki Forde discuss the decision. 

One year on from the Building Safety Act 2022 coming into force, Colin Bathgate explains the legislation’s significance for the hotel sector.  

A summary of the top 5 important Health and Safety Prosecutions from 2023, as well as takeaways from recent cases that businesses can learn from.

On 20 March 2024 the EU’s General Court overturned the decision of the EU to impose sanctions on former F1 driver Nikita Mazepin. The decision, which may pave the way for further challenges in the UK and Canada, provides an insight into what constitutes an “association” for sanctions purposes.   

Reforms proposed by the Bill will be relevant to multiple aspects of the use and management of Land in Scotland. Stuart Greenwood breaks down the key areas affected and how the regulations will change.

There are limited circumstances in which there may be a claim against SEPA or a local authority for compensation in relation to flood risk prevention and management operations.

In some circumstances there may be a claim under the law of nuisance if flooding is attributable to the use that a neighbouring landowner is making of their land.

Madgalena MacLean and Alison Hetherington summarise the key issues for developers to consider when deciding whether to implement a planning permission and proceed with construction.

Against the backdrop of a challenging financial landscape for the licensed trade and the hospitality and leisure sector, Kevin Clancy unpacks pertinent matters for insolvency practitioners.

On 22 February 2024 the UK government published its first sanctions strategy. The strategy, titled “Deter, Disrupt and Demonstrate”, highlights the areas being prioritised by the UK government and provides an insight into the changes that can be expected in the UK sanctions regime in coming years. 

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill passed Stage 3 on 21 March 2024 and will be enacted into law. How will the licensing schemes work in practice and what are some key things to consider?

In response to criticism of recent eligibility criteria changes for certain financial promotion exemptions, the UK government announced in the 2024 Spring Budget that these changes would be partially reversed from 27 March 2024.

Nathaniel Buckingham and Hayley Russell discuss our Top 5 Adjudication cases of 2023 and highlight some of the key commercial lessons arising.

Businesses found employing workers without a right to work can now be fined at significantly higher levels.