As the ‘permacrisis’ of the last few years follows us into 2023, the construction industry is likely to experience further instability and economic uncertainty – driven by labour shortages, material and price fluctuations and the geopolitical landscape. Economic conditions It’s not all bad news, however. In December, the Office of National Statistics published its Construction output in Great Britain: October 2022 ...
2023 is set to be a landmark year for the real estate industry, with major legal developments expected and new legislation coming into force. These changes are analysed below, with Shoosmiths’ experts examining the legislation and its implications on developers, investors, occupiers and others operating across the real estate sector ...
Shoosmiths' Living sector co-heads, Judy Fawcett, Kathryn Jump and Lisa Tye examine what 2024 might bring for the UK’s residential landscape. The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA) is set to reshape the planning system and wider residential landscape in 2024. The Act introduces significant changes to the planning system, hinting at a shift toward centralised decision-making in the planning process – impacting all areas of the UK’s living sector ...
January 2, 2024 By: Braeden Mansouri and Alicia Guerra The California Legislature’s laser focus on addressing the state housing crisis did not subside during the 2023 legislative session. While legislators proposed over 150 housing bills, only a fraction of those bills were approved by both chambers. Still, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 56 housing bills into law ...
The Site Report has extensively discussed the developments of 3-D printing building construction and its impact on the construction industry. 3-D printing structures is becoming more commonplace. Last month, Iowa State University began designing 3-D printed housing for rural Iowa. ICON Technology, Inc., an Austin, Texas company, is currently planning to build an entire subdivision in Texas using its 3-D printing technology ...
On September 14, 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the "CAC") released an exposure draft of the Decision on Amending the Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft for Comment) (the "Draft") ...
February 2, 2023 By: Manuel Fishman In what may turn out to be a lesson on the limits of the application of equitable doctrines supporting rent relief in the face of good lease drafting, a California court of appeal panel in San Diego has taken a narrow view on the application of the doctrines of quiet enjoyment, frustration of purpose, impracticability and impossibility as a defense to the payment of rent under a lease following State and local closure orders issued in response to the COVID 1
In Abbey Healthcare (Mill Hill) Ltd v Simply Construct (UK) LLP, the Court of Appeal recently determined that a collateral warranty, signed four years after completion, was a construction contract that applied retrospectively, therefore an adjudication award applied to the dispute under the warranty and was enforceable. The court’s decision provides clarity that a collateral warranty can be sufficient evidence of contractual obligations to seek enforcement of an adjudication award ...
With the recent and rapid spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., government contractors have already started experiencing contract performance delays, which inevitably will have a significant financial impact ...
What is a JPUT? A Jersey Property Unit Trust (JPUT) is a legal structure whereby legal ownership of assets (primarily non-Jersey real estate) is vested in one or more trustees who hold the assets on trust for the benefit of unitholders upon the terms of a written trust instrument. What are the benefits of a JPUT? JPUTs have many plus points: Familiarity: JPUTs are generally recognised and accepted by investors, lenders, advisers, regulators and tax authorities in the UK and elsewhere ...
Trends in leasehold transactions during 2021 and expectations for 2022. Now that the decorations are back in the loft, retailers are announcing their Christmas trading updates. There is a general consensus that the retail sector had a difficult time in 2021 as has been the trend in modern years and whilst some retailers will be announcing positive news to the markets, there are undoubtably some that are likely to continue to have a challenging time in 2022 ...
December 2023 By: David J. Elkanich and Amber Bevacqua-Lynott There is no question that the practice of law has evolved over the past decade. At one time, lawyers would meet mostly with clients in person in their “brick and mortar” offices, and would principally represent clients in their home jurisdiction (where the client was physically located and where the lawyer is licensed). But times have changed ...
The recent takeover of Capital & Regional by NewRiver REIT marks the latest example of consolidation in the UK REIT market, following other notable deals such as the LondonMetric takeover of LXi, as well as the merger between Tritax Big Box and UKCM. This wave of corporate activity has been driven by several factors. One trend is the shift towards specialisation, with REITs increasingly differentiating themselves to investors by focusing on specific sectors ...
The Digital Economy Act 2017 introduces a new electronic communications code, intended to facilitate widespread connectivity and address some of the critical issues that currently beset the telecoms industry. The current electronic communications code was issued in 1984 and it was designed to facilitate the installation and maintenance of fixed line communications networks ...
NPF4 forms part of the statutory development plan taking precedence where it postdates local development plans. Tesco argued that the local planning authority failed when considering whether the store was "small scale neighbourhood retail development". Tesco has successfully challenged a decision by Perth and Kinross Council granting planning permission to Aldi for a store at Pitheavlis, Perth. The store was intended to be a direct replacement for Aldi's existing store at Glasgow Road ...
The Belgian takeover market is currently undergoing a full transformation. Three experts from the independent law firm, ALTIUS, share their insights about the new dynamics in the field of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). “We see clear links with restructurings, bankruptcies, and the evolution of the real estate market.” The new dynamics currently driving the takeover market in our country are the result of various factors ...
Overview Jersey property law is derived from a mixture of local statute and customary (common) law. Jersey's customary law has evolved from Norman-French law and is primarily contained in the judgments of the Royal Court of Jersey and the writings of local and French jurists. In Jersey law property is either "movable" or "immovable". These classifications are broadly similar to the English classifications as "personal" or "real" property ...
The Technology and Construction Court (“TCC”) decision in National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (Trustees of) v AEW Architects and Designers Ltd [2013] EWHC 2403 (TCC) was published last month. In his decision, Mr Justice Akenhead shows much pragmatism in assessing the heads of quantum put forward by the Claimant, which some may view as particularly widely casted ...
This is the second of a three-part report on “public private partnerships.” Also known as “PPP” or “P3” projects, there is an increasing amount of press regarding these projects, some of which is contradictory and some of which is just plain confusing. The purpose of this three-part report is to provide you with some useful information in identifying and analyzing P3 opportunities. The first part of the primer provided an introduction to the P3 concept ...
Part I of a III Part Primer: An Introduction This newsletter is the first of a three part report prepared for our public finance clients with respect to “public private partnerships.” Also known as “PPP” or “P3” projects, there is an increasing amount of press regarding these projects, some of which is contradictory and some of which is just plain confusing ...
HMRC publishes updated guidance on termination fees and compensation payments and confirms the VAT treatment of dilapidations. On 7 February 2022, HMRC published Revenue & Customs Brief 2 (2022) (the 2022 Brief), its long-awaited updated guidance on early termination fees and compensation payments ...
The High Court has ruled on water neutrality – an issue impacting the determination of planning applications across West Sussex and beyond - for the first time ...
"The best things in life are free, the second best things are very, very expensive."—Coco Chanel Think of the most expensive cities in the world to live and places like London, New York and Paris come to mind. These cities epitomize the pinnacle of sophisticated and luxurious living, as romanticized all too often on the silver screen ...
[!<CDATA[ Moratoriums on foreclosures due to COVID-19 ended this summer, prompting concerns of a shock similar to the 2008 housing crisis. While there are numerous differences between today and the previous recession, financial service providers can stay a step ahead by arming themselves with a few lessons learned ...
A recent wave of consolidation in the telecommunications sector has seen TPG Telecom acquire iiNet for $1.6 billion, Vocus Communications acquire Amcom Telecommunications for $653 million and Vocus acquire M2 Group in a 'merger of equals' valued at $3.0 billion. These three transactions have now created two industry powerhouses – TPG and Vocus. All three transactions were implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement between the notional target and its shareholders ...
