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Historic holiday pay claims: Supreme Court decision in Agnew
04 October 2023The Supreme Court has released its long-anticipated decision in the case of Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland v Agnew. It is now clear that a gap of three months between underpayments of holiday pay does not automatically break the chain of a series of deductions. If these are factually linked, the net can be cast much further back.
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Lewis Silkin receives nine Tier 1 practice rankings and 15 new individual rankings in Legal 500 UK 2024
Press Release
04 October 2023We continued to receive strong recognition in the latest edition of the Legal 500 UK, released today. We earned 15 new individual rankings this year – bringing the total number of colleagues mentioned to 96.
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Former Gleam Futures COO joins Lewis Silkin as partner
Press Release
02 October 2023Lewis Silkin has appointed Phil Hughes as a partner in the firm’s Digital Commerce and Creative (DCC) team.
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Ads & Brands Law Digest: September 2023
02 October 2023Welcome to the September 2023 edition of our Digest, covering legal and regulatory developments from the last few weeks relevant to advertising, marketing and brand-owning businesses. As usual, for each item we provide a succinct summary accompanied by a link to the full text of the relevant official source or our own report.
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Lewis Silkin’s Belfast office sees rapid growth in first two years
Press Release
02 October 2023Lewis Silkin Northern Ireland has generated around 30 new jobs since being established two years ago, bringing the size of the firm’s Belfast team to 48.
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It’s a jungle out there: Biophilic design in the workplace
29 September 2023As the summer draws to an end and we contemplate the darker, winter months ahead cloistered within our workplaces, many might yearn for the connection with nature and the outdoors they’ve enjoyed over their holidays and sunny weekends. Biophilic office design is one way we can achieve a re-connection with nature: a design principle that places nature at its centre and focuses on bringing the outside indoors.
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Financial Promotions Gateway goes live – are you impacted?
29 September 2023The FCA has introduced a new regulatory gateway to provide greater oversight of the approval of financial promotions. Companies that approve financial promotions for third parties will need to consider whether they need to apply to be included in the gateway or whether their activities are exempt.
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COT3 or settlement agreement? Spot the differences.
28 September 2023An agreement to waive claims – whether theoretical or about to be aired in an employment tribunal – is commonly recorded in either a settlement agreement or a COT3. Although circumstances often dictate which is used, there are in fact differences between the two types of agreement which are important for employers to be aware of.
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Pay Transparency Directive: What is a Joint Pay Assessment?
27 September 2023The Pay Transparency Directive will bring gender pay gap reporting to the entire EU and introduce sweeping changes to the equal pay landscape. A key part of the package of measures is the mandatory “Joint Pay Assessment”. This article explains when Joint Pay Assessments are required and what they will involve.
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The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act has been passed
27 September 2023The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act, which gives certain workers, agency workers and employees a new statutory right to request a predictable working pattern, received Royal Assent on 19 September – although it seems that it won’t actually come into force for another year.
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Building Safety Act 2022 - Leaseholder Protections and Remediation Costs
26 September 2023The Building Safety Act 2022 and its accompanying legislation seek to address issues regarding building safety brought starkly into view by the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Beyond the tragedy of the fire itself, the event (and subsequent inquiry) highlighted the need for building safety remediation works to many higher-risk buildings and the potentially profound implications to leaseholders if required to contribute to the cost of those works under the terms of their leases.
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Building Safety Act 2022 – Landlord Duties
26 September 2023The Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023 were made on 11 September 2023 and bring into force, as from 1 October 2023, various sections of the Building Safety Act 2022.
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Towards Net Zero in London's Bankside Yards
22 September 2023Overlooking the iconic St Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern, Lewis Silkin hosted another fantastic ESG focused event “FutuRE Proofing the Office: Journey to Net Zero”. The event, held at the stunning new Lewis Silkin office with its panoramic 360-degree views, brought together Native Land, the Carbon Trust, Lewis Silkin, and a group of invitees from across various business sectors. The purpose? To engage in a conversation about proactive strategies for future-proofing buildings, achieving net-zero emissions, and enhancing landlord’s and tenant’s sustainability credentials.
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Spotlight on PCD Group Founder, David Bell
21 September 2023David Bell is the Founder of PCD Group, a network which promotes business development between advisors to high-net-worth clients. The network executes events in key financial hubs around the world.
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Northern Ireland – social media workplace headaches
21 September 2023The Belfast Industrial Tribunal has recently rejected two claims of unfair dismissal following sectarian chants posted on social media. We look at the implications of clashing views on social media and the practical steps that employers can take to address these issues.
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Tom Heys comments for International Employment Lawyer on how to continue closing the gender pay gap
Press
20 September 2023A new analysis of official data shows that the UK’s gender pay gap reporting rules have led to an encouraging rise in female representation at higher pay grades. In this article, gender pay gap reporting expert, Tom Heys, offers insight into what employers should and should not be doing to attain women in these roles.
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Lewis Silkin announces new charity partnership with the Sutton Trust
Press Release
20 September 2023We are proud to announce our new charity partnership with the Sutton Trust, an organisation dedicated to fighting for social mobility.
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Oliver Fairhurst writes for World Intellectual Property Review on the IP implications surrounding the release of Barbie
Press
19 September 2023Following its premier, Barbie’s increased popularity also comes with the complexity of protecting its intellectual property. Oliver Fairhurst comments on Barbie’s IP value and the increased efforts of its brand protection teams.
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Lewis Silkin continues to strengthen IP offering with partner hire
Press Release
18 September 2023Lewis Silkin has today announced the appointment of specialist patent partner Jonathan Hewett to its market leading, full-service IP practice.
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UK immigration fee rises from 4 October 2023
18 September 2023The UK Government has confirmed substantial immigration fee rises will apply from 9:00 am on 4 October 2023. The fee for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has also been set at £10. In this article we focus on what these changes mean for employers.