‘We cannot regulate cyber threats away,’ top lawyer warns Tech British businesses are facing a growing compliance burden as governments race to respond to rising threats and the rapid spread of AI, but regulation alone may not solve the problem. “We cannot regulate cyber threats away”, partner and head of data and cyber at international law firm RPC Cavan Fabris told City AM. “There’s a [...]
Former Tory MP set to call Sunak in libel spat with Hancock Lawsuit The Court of Appeal is set to hear the latest chapter in a libel claim brought by expelled Tory MP Andrew Bridgen against former ex-health minister Matt Hancock MP. The legal battle between the ex-politicians erupted in January 2023, when Hancock posted on social media about Bridgen after the Tories suspended him over a “disgraceful” [...]
Mike Ashley wins trademark appeal, throwing out eye-watering damages bill Legal The retail empire of business tycoon Mike Ashley has won an appeal challenging damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim, sidestepping paying a potentially stinging bill. The judgment follows a longstanding legal dispute between the discount sports retailer and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which argued Ashley’s Sports [...]
Mike Ashley appeal case confronts ‘unjust’ trademark claims April 21, 2026 Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley‘s company, Sports Direct, is back before the court today as it seeks to challenge damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim. The appeal follows a long-running dispute between Sports Direct and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which claimed Sports Direct had infringed its trademark through products [...]
Regulation isn’t cost-free and not every problem can be fixed with a new rule March 24, 2026 Politicians all too often reach for the regulation lever because “something must be done” – it could be costing businesses £70bn a year, says Cory Berman As of this September, all new building applications over 18 metres must include a second staircase. The rule was introduced after the horrific Grenfell Tower tragedy, to improve building [...]
MPs urge government to escape ‘regulation by default’ March 18, 2026 Ministers should overhaul the government’s approach to regulation as adding new rules has become an “easy” tool, according to a report backed by MPs from across the political spectrum. Researchers at Re:State, a non-partisan think tank focusing on growth and Whitehall governance, said justification for new red tape should have a higher bar and be [...]
Business groups warn against axing ‘fundamental’ red tape watchdog March 16, 2026 Some of Britain’s largest business groups have urged the business secretary not to scrap a body responsible for scrutinising business regulation, saying it plays a “fundamental” role evaluating the impact of red tape on British firms. The intervention comes as the Department for Business confirmed to City AM that ministers are “considering the role” of [...]
‘What do they have to hide?’ Ministers must not scrap regulatory watchdog March 16, 2026 The Regulatory Policy Committee keeps a close eye on government red tape, and scrapping it would be a serious mistake – says Andrew Griffith. Red tape is strangling British business. A survey just out from the Federation of Small Businesses has found small firms and entrepreneurs collectively spend 379 million hours a year complying with [...]
Exclusive: RPC to lose Mike Ashley’s ‘rainmaker’ lawyer February 13, 2026 City law firm RPC is set to lose one of its highest-billing lawyers, who represents the retail titan Mike Ashley. Long-term partner Jeremy Drew will leave the firm after nearly 20 years in the solicitor’s retail and commercial department, which he also co-led. The star lawyer has been a long-term adviser to Mike Ashley, the [...]
Rayner resigns: Legal advice excuse falls flat in tax duty scandal September 5, 2025 Angela Rayner threw her lawyers under the bus over her brewing tax scandal, but the lawyers rebutted, citing the “arrows stuck” in their backs, as experts insisted she shouldn’t have hid “behind legal advice”. When it emerged that Rayner had underpaid £40,000 in tax on her £800,000 property in Hove, it prompted calls for her [...]