REUTERS |

We’ve all had those weeks where we feel like we’ve been in constant meetings and, probably more than once or twice in your working life, you may have found yourself lamenting to colleagues that: “I’m in meetings so much, I just don’t have enough time to get any actual work done!”

Part of making meetings effective starts right here: with a shift in attitude towards them. If we approach meetings as being outside of the day job, a necessary evil, as opposed to one of several important elements of our work, we’re already on the back foot, with the chances of executing them effectively slim to none.

Continue reading

REUTERS |

In a recent case coming out of the administration of high street retailer HMV, the High Court has held that a tenant may not assign its lease to its guarantor. The decision, if followed, will reduce the options for organisations carrying out intra-group reorganisations of their property portfolios, making it critical that a lease is granted to the “right” tenant company at the outset.

Continue reading

REUTERS |

One of the first questions when a dispute arises, regardless of the merits of the claim, is: “can we afford to fight this?” Faced with potentially large costs, many businesses are forced to consider compromise, particularly if the costs in money and management time are likely to be disproportionate to the sum in dispute. And, let’s face it, taking the settlement option when you have a strong claim can be galling; particularly if the main reason for avoiding court proceedings is the potential legal bill or the time it might take to resolve the issue.

Continue reading

REUTERS | Kacper Pempel

The European Parliament has today adopted the data protection reform package, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This follows adoption by the European Union’s Council of Ministers on Monday and brings the European legislative process to a close.

Continue reading

REUTERS | Sukree Sukplang

This week, a colleague shared with me a new white paper entitled Artificial Intelligence in Law: The State of Play 2016 by Michael Mills of Neota Logic. The paper looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented right now in areas such as legal research, compliance, contract analysis, case prediction, and document automation.

Continue reading

REUTERS | Nikola Solic

We had a great couple of days last week at the GC Leadership Forum, which I chaired for Practical Law. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the excellent speakers and to everyone at the Forum who contributed to some fascinating discussions and debates.

One of the highlights for me was the keynote speech by Will Hutton, chair of the Big Innovation Centre and Principal of Hertford College Oxford, on what he described as the new age of turbulence.

Continue reading