The Spring 2024 Budget is on Wednesday 6 March 2024. Publication of guidance on the 2024 UK Corporate Governance Code, the launch of a consultation on digital assets and the government response to its AI White Paper consultation are also noteworthy. Read more [subscription required].
GC100 (the association of general counsel and company secretaries in the FTSE 100) is extending an invitation to general counsel (GC) peers in other companies, with an interest in Commercial Court disputes, to an “in conversation” session with Commercial Court judges and other key stakeholders.
The event will take place on Thursday 8 February 2024, from 8am-10.15am, at the Commercial Court in the Rolls Building in London.
It will start with an introduction from Peter King, Legal Director at HM Treasury. Participants will then explore what is working about the Commercial Court for GCs and what can be done to prepare for challenges ahead. Suggested topics include AI, climate change litigation, commercial litigation funding and greenwashing, plus a practical focus on impactful GC engagement on pro bono.
Please RSVP to the GC100 Secretariat.
Highlights this month include the publication of a new version of the UK Corporate Governance Code and a call for views on a draft Cyber Governance Code of Practice. The government has also published a Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy. Read more [subscription required].
Please join us on 17 January 2024 (2.00pm – 3.00pm) for a webinar hosted by The Centre for Legal Leadership that will look at how in-house lawyers can be influential in their roles.
A key aspect of any in-house lawyer’s role is influencing your clients. The most obvious example is in relation to your legal advice. However, getting your advice accepted is not just a matter of what you say or write but how much influence you have in the relationship and generally in the organisation. This webinar will explore what influence means for in-house lawyers and legal teams, and how you can become more influential in your relationships with clients, colleagues and other key stakeholders.
The discussion will be led by our speakers, Sinead Murray, General Counsel at Ofgem and Mandy Kaur, General Counsel at Pizza Express.
The Financial Reporting Council is expected to publish a revised UK Corporate Governance Code in January 2024. In-house lawyers are also likely to be interested in the UAE Consensus, the main outcome of COP 28, and recent developments in greenwashing and artificial intelligence. Read more [subscription required].
We would like to invite you to join a Future Forum meeting on the topic of “presenting yourself” for early-career in-house lawyers, at 1300-1400 on Wednesday 13 December, via Teams webinar. Continue reading
Corporate reporting is a big theme this month, with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) publishing an update on its consultation on revisions to the UK Corporate Governance Code and its annual review of corporate governance. In-house lawyers will also be digesting the implications of the 2023 Autumn Statement and the King’s Speech. Read more. [subscription required]
Please join us on 22 November 2023 (2.00pm – 3.00pm) for a webinar hosted by The Centre for Legal Leadership that will look at the current challenges facing in-house lawyers.
In recent years, in-house lawyers have navigated an array of financial, political, environmental and pandemic events that impacted their organisations. In responding to these challenges, in-house lawyers have had to reconsider their roles and sometimes alter the ways in which they work. This webinar will examine the extent to which these changes have been temporary, borne of necessity, and those which are likely to become business as usual. It will focus on whether an in-house lawyer’s ethical responsibilities have changed, the scope of their role and the impact of new technology.
The discussion will be led by our speakers, Sonya Branch, General Counsel, Bank of England and Richard Hill, General Counsel for Downstream and Renewables at Shell.
The Chancellor will deliver the 2023 Autumn Statement on 22 November 2023. In-house lawyers should also take note of the withdrawal of the draft Companies (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, publication of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and consultations on non-financial reporting, regulatory reform, audit reform and atypical working.
The latest Centre for Legal Leadership webinar, hosted in conjunction with Thomson Reuters, focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Jenny Block, General Counsel and Board Secretary at Ofwat, the economic regulator of the privatised water and sewerage industries, offered a regulator’s perspective. Christy Baker, General Counsel and Data Protection Officer at the multinational transport company, FirstGroup, provided a view from a regulated business. Read more.