Last year, we wrote about Nestlé’s decade-plus efforts to achieve EU trade mark registration for the three-dimensional shape of its Kit Kat chocolate bar (certainly very distinctive here in the UK!), and setbacks in 2016 both with an adverse ruling from the EU General Court and with the UK High Court ruling against UK trade mark protection for the shape. We also noted that Nestlé’s nemesis in all of this has been Mondelēz International, a group whose brands include Cadbury....
It is good news that the Prime Minister is on a mission to emphasise the opportunities of more trade with Africa. ...
Recent weather and its impact on the food chain has seen quite a bit of media coverage over the last couple of months. However, the increased use and experiments with AI in all aspects of the food and beverage sector has also proved topical....
The use of AI software in providing audit and compliance roles, conversational interfaces (“chatbots”) and analytics to identify and match clients best positioned for particular investments is and has been in operation for some time in the commercial banking sector....
In light of the increasing number of retailers entering insolvency proceedings the spot light is again on the administration process. This article summarises the administration process and reflects on why it has received recent bad press....
Head of Corporate, Ashan Arif supported by Kirstin Parker, Caroline Lendrum and Martha Craven, advised BMW Group UK on its recent acquisition from H.R. Owen. Details of the transaction are confidential. ...
The Introduction of GDPR and the new Data Protection Act 2018 has already been the subject of many an article and discussion....
In a hugely significant judgment for businesses, the Supreme Court has tightened the flexibility traditionally enjoyed by contracting parties to vary the terms of their contracts (Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB Business Exchange 2018)....
Advances in technology have been one of the major causes of the significant impact that we have had on the resources and natural balance of the planet, specifically the energy that we use (think planes, trains, cars, air-conditioning and so on). ...
House of Fraser is the latest high-profile CVA in the retail sector but it’s not just the retail sector which has been inundated: the latest government statistics show that there has been an 85.5% increase in the use of CVAs.[1]...
The cryptowave is only going to build more momentum in the next 12 to 18 months. Just two weeks ago Barclays announced a partnership with a leading crypto company to facilitate payments to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, the most established crypto assets. This may reflect a trend of major financial institutions moving away from outright denunciation of cryptocurrencies to a cautious participation, marking a significant shift in their approach and making these assets much more accessible to new investors....
Admittedly, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) may not be the most exciting piece of legislation… however, with just over six weeks until it comes into force, the time for ensuring you are fully compliant is NOW!...
There’s often, understandably, a bit of uncertainty about whether (and how) a party to a contract can “assign” (transfer) its rights, or pass on its obligations, under that contract, to another person....
Business owners face a host of risks, so you need to prepare for the worst....
British Prime Minister Theresa May brought along a 50-strong business delegation to China. Deals worth an estimated $12 billion are expected to be signed. As the terms of a Brexit remain uncertain, United Kingdom businesses are looking to tap into the Chinese market, more so than ever....
Released in 2009 as open source software, Bitcoin has quickly become one of the world’s most notable cryptocurrencies and payment systems. The digital currency is so lucrative because it’s decentralised by design, meaning it doesn’t need access to a central bank or administrator....
Poundland’s Twin Peaks chocolate bar has recently gone on sale and it’s already creating a buzz, with a rival issuing legal proceedings. Why all the fuss?...
Since the PSC Regulations came into effect in June 2016, changes to a company’s PSC information have been filed annually at Companies House on the Confirmation Statement....
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are schemes run by the government offering generous tax breaks to encourage SME growth and investment in such companies....
We are often asked by directors (both exec and non-exec) of clients about whether their company should have D & O liability insurance in place, and what it does and does not cover....