HMRC names barrister in tax avoidance list for first time September 4, 2025 In an unprecedented move, HMRC has added a practising barrister, identified as the ‘designer’ of a tax avoidance scheme, to its list of tax avoidance promoters. Tax barrister Setu Kamal, with 20 years of experience, stands accused of designing four tax avoidance schemes and producing the contract templates crucial to their operation. Those schemes were [...]
Ex-wife of sanctioned former Russian PM wins divorce appeal September 4, 2025 The former Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Potanin, is set to face a multi-billion-pound divorce case in England after his ex-wife won her case at the Court of Appeal today. Natalia Nikolaevna Potanina was married to Potanin for around thirty years before divorcing in Russia in 2014. However, she had argued that the Russian court’s [...]
Has the legal market pulled the brakes on the NQ pay war? September 4, 2025 ‘City lawyers are the new bankers‘. This became a common refrain in the legal market as pay wars ramped up. However, the sentiment within the market suggests that the tide may be changing. Over the past several years, the pay war over newly qualified (NQ) lawyers has been a major talking point in the market, [...]
Employment Bill: Here is everything that has happened since its inception September 3, 2025 The third reading of the Employment Rights Bill, a controversial piece of legislation, commenced at the House of Lords on Wednesday. Rushed out within 100 days of Labour taking office, the Bill has faced fierce debate and criticism from multiple stakeholders. The Bill, which formed a significant part of Labour’s manifesto, was laid before Parliament [...]
Employment Bill sparks SME fear over costs and red tape September 2, 2025 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have voiced growing concerns over the government’s sweeping Employment Rights Bill, warning that the reforms could place a disproportionate strain on firms already grappling with rising costs and a challenging economic climate. The legislation, billed as the most significant upgrade to workplace protections in a generation, is due for its third reading [...]
Justice secretary granted new veto powers over ‘independent’ public body September 2, 2025 The justice secretary has been granted the power to sign off on any new guidelines for prison sentences as part of a push for Parliament to have a say in the justice system, following political backlash earlier this year. As part of the Sentencing Bill, set to be introduced to the House of Commons today, [...]
Businesses have one defence amid ‘seismic shift’ in UK fraud law September 1, 2025 Fraud laws have received a major shake up and businesses have been sent a stark warning to be weary of the “hidden danger”. New failure to prevent fraud offence, which came into effect today, mean firms could face prosecution from fraud committed by employees – even if management was unaware of it. Large firms will [...]
Big Brother: Can your employer monitor your whereabouts? September 1, 2025 As businesses grapple with the current economic challenges, the support measures previously offered to employees during the pandemic are being tightened. However, as companies adopt more stringent monitoring practices, the question arises: where is the line drawn between necessary oversight and the invasion of employee privacy? Headlines have been lighting up over the last year [...]
Law firm launches internal probe after Church of England victim data leak August 29, 2025 City law firm Kennedys Law has launched an internal investigation after the personal details of Church of England abuse victims were leaked. The Church has been battling its failures as it was accused of covering up decades of child abuse committed by prolific child abuser John Smyth. The Makin Review, published last November, found Smyth [...]
Tribunal filing shows UK pushed for wider back-door access to Apple data August 29, 2025 A new court document reveals that the UK government sought broader “back-door” access to Apple’s private customer data amid ongoing controversy over the impact of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act. According to the Financial Times, a new legal document has been filed with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that reviews complaints against [...]