In a changing social landscape, PE firms should conduct corporate culture due diligence while also ensuring the implementation of robust complaints procedures. By David Berman, Sarah Gadd, Joe Farrell, Nell Perks, David Walker, Tom Evans, and Catherine Campbell As global businesses react to the pandemic and social movements, PE firms should remain watchful for whistleblowing … Continue Reading
By Catherine Drinnan and Shaun Thompson This year has seen a significant number of business failures, particularly on the high street, as businesses have struggled in the face of market fragility and Brexit uncertainty. When a UK portfolio company is underperforming, the presence of a defined benefit pension (DB) plan with a large deficit can … Continue Reading
By Catherine Drinnan, Shaun Thompson, Richard Butterwick, Terry Charalambous, and Catherine Campbell This year has seen a significant number of business failures, particularly on the high street, as businesses have struggled in the face of market fragility and Brexit uncertainty. When a UK company is underperforming, the presence of a defined benefit pension (DB) plan … Continue Reading
By Stuart Alford QC, Daniel Smith and Clare Nida The English Court of Appeal provides further guidance, approving ENRC, on when litigation privilege will not apply to information gathering materials. The English Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) has ruled that litigation privilege does not apply to a statement an employee makes to his employer’s solicitors … Continue Reading
By Matthias Rubner, Denis Criton, Olivia Rauch-Ravise and Bénédicte Bremond President Macron recently unveiled employment and tax reforms to increase France’s appeal for deal makers. While France ranks highly as an investment destination for private equity firms, complex and inflexible French employment laws have been perceived as a hindrance — perpetuating the belief that France can … Continue Reading
By Sarah Gadd and Katie Campbell Companies operating in the “gig economy”, using a largely self-employed workforce, have enjoyed enormous growth in recent years and have made popular M&A targets. In the UK, these companies have come into conflict with long-established employment law. In our view, current laws are not fully equipped to deal with … Continue Reading
By Oliver Browne and Daniel Smith Following Three Rivers (No 5) [2003] EWCA Civ 474, the High Court has held that notes of interviews of employees, prepared as part of certain internal investigations by a bank’s solicitors, for the purpose of enabling the bank to seek and receive legal advice are not protected by legal … Continue Reading
