THIS ISSUE
Corporate foundations are popular vehicles for businesses to support their ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments. But how do you make sure a foundation is right for your business, and when might alternatives such as becoming a B Corp or partnering with an existing charity be more suitable?
Volunteers are akin to employees when it comes to vicarious liability, the Supreme Court held in Trustees of the Barry Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses v BXB
The number of wills and inheritance disputes has risen in recent years
The COVID inquiry, chaired by Baroness Hallett, has been beset by ‘an esoteric dispute’ with the government over the withholding of documents and information, John Gould, senior partner, Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ
Who gets to decide what information the COVID inquiry should see? John Gould suggests that the government, by objecting to handing over material, may have forgotten its proper role in supporting the work of a public inquiry
A financial claim in divorce cannot proceed if one spouse dies, the Supreme Court has held
Law practices are prime targets for cyber criminals due to their handling of highly confidential, commercially sensitive and often personal information, a major report by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has highlighted
Fees for attending meetings with case managers cannot be included in a costs budget, the High Court has held
The overrepresentation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic solicitors in complaints about solicitors may be due to conscious and unconscious perceptions or expectations on the part of those making the complaints, a review has suggested
The Countess of Wemyss, Amanda Fielding has lost her appeal against an art dealer over a painting sold for £1.15m that later re-sold for £8m more
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Cripps—Radius Law
Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire
Switalskis—Grimsby
Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire
Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury
Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments
NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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