As the pandemic persists and the disruption of the previous two years continues to impact projects, the construction industry faces a continued period of uncertainty in 2022. Further disruption The pandemic and issues around the availability of materials may continue to disrupt projects into 2022 leading to higher costs and further delays ...
If 2020 marked the beginning of the pandemic, 2021 was the year it became fully imbedded in our personal and working lives. What does 2022 have in store? For the pandemic, only time will tell, but when it comes to employment law things are a little clearer. Employment Bill Perhaps unsurprisingly, the long-awaited Employment Bill did not progress in 2021 ...
By all accounts, in common with 2021, broad uncertainty will remain a key theme for the UK economy in 2022. Statistics from 2021 are an unhelpful indicator for 2022. But all signs currently point to a slowing of the UK economy in 2022 following an undeniable 2021 bounce-back as people matched unexpected savings with spending on goods, services and holidays ...
As we go into 2022, the future direction of the planning system in England remains uncertain. Planning Bill The planning white paper proposals for a hybrid mix of discretionary decision making and codified zonal planning have proved particularly controversial with concerns about what could be seen as a ‘top down’ approach contributing to the outcome of the Chesham and Amersham by election ...
Keeping up to date with the shifting property landscape is never easy. So, what do property professionals need to keep in mind for 2022? Developers Building Safety Bill Residential developers will need to pay close attention to the progress of the Building Safety Bill through parliament ...
The persisting spectre of the pandemic continues to create uncertainty in the market. Over the last 18 months, insolvency figures remained consistently low due to the government support which has been in place. With the prospect of that support coming to an end there is likely to be a reckoning, but when that will begin is unclear. Overall, this next year is likely to be one of resolving loose ends and tidying up before the economy can take off afresh ...
After the highlights of the Environment Act 2021 and COP26 in 2021, what does this year hold for environmental law and policy? Here are our top five predictions. 1. The Office for Environmental Protection gets down to work The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is a new independent body, established by the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021), tasked with holding public bodies to account for the environment ...
A look at trends and influences which we expect to impact mid-market banking and finance in 2022. Last year’s article heavily featured COVID-19, its impact, and expected patterns of recovery. While the pandemic continues to have a huge impact on our lives, most stakeholders have learnt to live with this uncertainty and businesses have adapted accordingly ...
A summary of the key takeaways from a recent webinar on 2023 Changes to the Immigration Rules. The webinar was hosted by Pavan Sumal and Rachel Harvey and a recording of the webinar can be found below along with a summary of the key takeaways ...
“With the energy crisis likely to continue throughout 2023 and pressures on governments, businesses and individuals to take action to tackle climate change, I expect that, whilst government funding may be limited, there will be no shortage of capital for investment in clean energy projects ...
Looking back at last years’ predictions for 2022, which covered the potential contributions of data, AI and automation, quantum computing, digital health, VC activity and the Future of Work, it is clear to see the tech sector has advanced considerably in the last 12 months. James Klein, head of the technology sector at Shoosmiths, comments on how his previous predictions fared and outlines upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2023 ...
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 ...
With the war, supply chain issues, rising energy costs and skills shortages, many employers will want to put 2022 firmly behind them. What does 2023 have in store? For the economy only time will tell, but for employment law things are a little clearer. Employment Bill The long-awaited Employment Bill is still to appear in draft form and it is doubtful this will materialise in 2023, at least in the early stages ...
Having experienced unprecedented levels of M&A activity in 2021 and the first half of 2022, followed by the market uncertainty of Q3 and Q4 of 2022, what can we expect from the M&A landscape in 2023? Here are some of our key predictions ...
We have recently seen reports about the unbelievable amount of pressure on the NHS, including inaccessibility to GPs; a high degree of emergency admissions; and bed-blocking within hospitals where vulnerable patients cannot be discharged safely. These factors have exacerbated the pressure on our healthcare system to almost unprecedented levels. Medical technologies or MedTech could be the way forward to ease some of the pressure ...
In the world of privacy and data, after another whirlwind year, what are the safe bets and the long shots for change in 2023? Like the technology driving it, privacy and data law moves fast, and covers many territories, so it’s not always easy to keep track of developments. Long-awaited rulemaking - such as an overarching US federal data protection law – can get stuck in the weeds, while unexpected developments in technology and politics can serve up some complete surprises ...
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 ...
The retail industry has faced numerous challenges over the last year including recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, responding and adapting to inflation as well as supply and distribution issues as a result of the war in Ukraine. Throughout these disruptions, the retail industry has also benefited from the growth of digitalisation and technology, and we explore the opportunities, threats and trends that will continue to emerge in 2023 ...
With the new year in full swing, we look at what we can expect in the employee incentives space in 2023. Board discretion for enterprise management incentive (‘EMI’) options: A key development last year was the arrival of the long-awaited HMRC guidance on the use of board discretion in the context of EMI options in October 2022. The uncertainty around HMRC practice had been causing hesitation in advice and delays on corporate transactions ...
Most commentators agree that the equity capital markets are not in robust health as we enter 2023. Investors have sustained significant losses in recent months and the combination of war, inflation and recession mean that investor confidence is at a definite low. There are however some signs that the outlook for 2023 may not be as bleak as the headlines might suggest ...
The year ahead will see a better resourced FCA announcing and implementing reform in many different markets. It will see a focus on protecting consumers in the current economic climate and a focus on understanding newer and faster paced markets, particularly those where consumer detriment is a real risk. In a written statement to Parliament on the 9 December 2022, the chancellor set out an ambitious list of reforms that, at any other time, the financial services sector would run towards ...
James Wood-Robertson, head of the energy & infrastructure sector at Shoosmiths, comments on some of the upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2024 for the sector. Corporate Power Purchase Agreements ("PPAs") Before the conclusion of 2023, the European PPA market had already achieved a ground-breaking record, thanks to a market-driven procurement strategy that played a pivotal role in fostering the much-needed expansion of renewable energy capacity in the region ...
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 ...
Shoosmiths’ Technology Sector Group comments on upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2024 for the sector. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Alex Kirkhope – IT & Tech Partner With Collins Dictionary naming “AI” its word of the year, there is no disputing that artificial intelligence has been the world’s most talked about technology of 2023 ...
Jon Bew and Wayne Gibbard, co-heads of the Financial Services Sector at Shoosmiths, comment on upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2024 for the sector. Everyone is feeling it, the rumbling of a technological storm. The immergence of generative AI, RegTech and increased fraud and cyber risk, have swept clouds of uncertainty across the Financial Services Sector… ...
