Issa brothers’ Asda takeover hits roadblock as watchdog probes petrol station competition concerns April 20, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the acquisition of Asda by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital over concerns that it could drive up petrol prices. The companies have said they will work with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to find a resolution within the first stage of the probe. The [...]
Brexit and European Union Trade Mark registrations April 20, 2021 On 1 January 2021, as part of Brexit, the UK left the EU Trade Mark (EUTM) system administered by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Since it was established in 1996, several thousands of UK and non-UK businesses have taken advantage of the cheap system for registering a brand across the EU. With the UK [...]
CMA teams up with Australian and German authorities to tackle problematic mergers April 20, 2021 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has teamed up with its Australian and German counterparts to better enforce mergers, with healthy competition crucial to post-pandemic economic growth. The CMA, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Germany’s Bundeskartellamt have signed up to a statement which said that “without strong merger control regimes, there is a [...]
Treasury Select Committee chair calls out UK banks for treatment of SMEs during Covid crisis April 20, 2021 Treasury Select Committee chair calls out UK banks for treatment of SME during Covid crisis
Suits you, sir: can bespoke tailoring survive the pandemic? April 20, 2021 One of the dominant themes to emerge as we fight our way out of the Covid pandemic is what the future of the workplace might look like. Will employees still feel safe congregating together to share that quicksilver creative spark? Will businesses reduce their footprint and have teams at home two or three days a [...]
UK scraps post-Brexit Kent permit for lorries April 20, 2021 The UK has decided to scrap the post-Brexit Kent Access Permit required for lorry drivers to enter the county on their way to the EU. The government has said the permit is no longer necessary as lorry companies are now used to new customs rules and are coming prepared with the right paperwork for border [...]
Netflix lookahead: What to expect from the streaming giant’s earnings April 20, 2021 Netflix is leading the charge in a busy schedule of US earnings today, reporting first-quarter figures after the bell. The Silicon Valley streaming giant, which now has more than 200m subscribers, has cashed in on higher demand for at-home entertainment during the pandemic. With most lockdown measures still in place in the first three months [...]
UK court clears William Hill’s £2.9bn Caesars takeover April 20, 2021 William Hill today said its £2.9bn takeover by US casino group Caesars Entertainment had been cleared by a UK court despite shareholder protests. The bumper merger had been held up by a court hearing after minority shareholder HBK Capital Management raised concerns about disclosures relating to the deal. HBK and fellow US hedge fund GWM [...]
No, minister, really: the David Cameron lobbying scandal and the death of advice in Whitehall April 20, 2021 The revelations of potentially undue influence on ministers over the past couple of weeks have been a happy hunting ground for purveyors of hyperbole and clutchers of pearls. A story which began with David Cameron texting the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on behalf of a company which employed him has blossomed ferociously into a soup-to-nuts scandal [...]
Dogecoin might have started as a joke, but is anyone still laughing? April 20, 2021 Yesterday’s recovery after the weekend’s flash crash was short lived and hopes of an immediate return to sustained upward momentum faded fast, but Bitcoin is still changing hands at around $55,000.
