REUTERS | Dominic Ebenbichler
May 25, 2017

GDPR: one year to go and counting – what you need to do now

In the wake of the recent national ransomware attack and significant fines being imposed on Facebook and WhatsApp, it seems that data protection is hitting the front pages more frequently than ever before (see Legal update, Commission fines Facebook for providing misleading information about acquisition of WhatsApp). This is a trend that is only likely to increase as cyber attacks grow in ferocity, strength and impact, and with the advent of rigorous compliance requirements and substantial fines under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which becomes effective a year today. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Phil Noble
April 27, 2017

What’s on the agenda for in-house lawyers in May 2017?

Theresa May’s announcement of a general election on 8 June 2017, and the accompanying period of “purdah”,  will have an impact on several issues that in-house lawyers have been tracking recently, in particular the various proposals on corporate governance reform. Other notable developments this month include final guidance on gender pay gap reporting and two consultations on the General Data Protection Regulation.

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REUTERS | Kacper Pempel
April 6, 2017

The rise of the machines: new technology and its impact on the professions

I have recently attended two events organised by Thomson Reuters. The first was a day dedicated to knowledge management – specifically management of legal know how; the second was devoted to analysis of trends and developments in insurance law.

Despite their different subject matters, significant portions of both days were given over to the common theme of “the impact of technology” and methods of planning for and capitalising on new technologies available – with consideration being given to the longer-term consequences of computers’ increasing ability to outperform humans for the future of roles in the legal profession.

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REUTERS | David Mdzinarishvili
April 3, 2017

Anti-competitive whistleblowing: new measures from the European Commission and the Competition & Markets Authority

Businesses should review their competition risk assessment in light of new measures announced in March. These encourage individuals to recognise and anonymously report anti-competitive practices at both the European and the national level. If they are a success, these measures could lead to an increase in investigations and reduce the availability of leniency programmes.

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REUTERS | Mark Blinch
March 27, 2017

What’s on the agenda for in-house lawyers in April 2017?

Key items on the agenda for businesses in April include the start of the first reporting periods for large companies on payment practices and performance, the countdown to go-live for the Small Business Commissioner’s complaints function and data gathering in anticipation of the first gender pay gap reports.

April is typically a busy month for employment and tax developments, and this year is no different with, among other things, the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

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