Practical Law

Several recently announced consultations will be of interest to in-house lawyers this month. These include a call for evidence into the admissibility of computer evidence generated by software in criminal proceedings, a consultation on proposals to reduce the threat posed by the criminal infection of computer systems with malicious ‘ransomware’ software, and an inquiry into forced labour in global supply chains. The deadline for responses to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) consultation on the UK Stewardship Code is 19 February 2025. Read more [subscription required].

Provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), including Part 1 (Digital Markets) and Part 2 (Competition), come into force on 1 January 2025. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on the new digital markets competition regime and updated other guidance documents to reflect changes introduced by the DMCCA. In-house lawyers should also be aware of several corporate governance developments and the government’s response to the House of Lords Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA 2015) Committee report on the impact and effectiveness of the MSA 2015. Read more [subscription required].

In a recent Centre for Legal Leadership webinar, hosted in conjunction with Thomson Reuters, Will Morris, General Counsel – Corporate at Rolls-Royce plc and Alex Kuczynski, former General Counsel and Executive Director of Corporate Services at the Financial Reporting Council, shared their insights on personal effectiveness. These ranged from acting with honesty and integrity, asking plenty of questions, and being adaptable, to understanding the business, making the most of networking opportunities and asserting yourself.

This article explores the central themes discussed.

Two consultations that close in early 2025, on the UK Stewardship Code and third party litigation funding, are among the most significant issues this month. Publication of the Data (Use and Access) Bill and new failure to prevent fraud offence guidance, together with several climate change developments are also noteworthy. Read more [subscription required].

Publication of the government’s Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is the key development this month. In-house lawyers will be evaluating the impact of the 28 employment law reforms contained within it and considering whether to the respond to the four six-week consultations arising from proposals in the ERB, which are due to close in the first week of December. Read more [subscription required].

I recently attended the Thomson Reuters Legal Innovation Summit 2024, and I’ve published a short article that focuses on the key themes discussed at the event.  These included navigating GenAI regulation, developing AI literacy, tips on implementing AI in both small and large legal departments, law firms’ approach to AI adoption and concerns about AI.