HMRC has announced that the extension of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Statutory Adoption Pay to 52 weeks, and the introduction of Additional Paternity Leave and Pay, has been delayed.

On 30 November 2006 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) published draft guidance on the UK Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) regime.

Tier 1 General is a immigration permission for highly skilled migrants which allows an individual to work for any employer in the UK or on a self employed basis (except as a Doctor in Training).

Our recently published guide to coverage defences in Europe provides an overview of the key coverage defences under the law of England and Wales and the extent to which these defences are available to insurers in other European jurisdictions.

In Russia, December was by far the most eventful month of 2011. United Russia's poor showing in the December 4th parliamentary elections and the street demonstrations that followed undoubtedly sent a jolt to the leadership.

A number of tax regulations in China have recently been updated.

Since the last update, a number of tax regulations in China have been updated due to changes in government policy.

On 9 August 2012 Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, vetoed the amendment to the Energy Management Act (406/2000 Coll.), which governs obligations connected to energy performance certificates of buildings.

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Carrefour’s final appeal against its fine for not complying with the conditions imposed on its 2007 takeover of Ahold.

From 1 August 2012, energy companies must obtain shareholder approval for their price proposals, including changes and supplements, before submitting them to the Office for Regulation of Network Industries for approval.

From 1 October 2012, subsidiary companies will no longer need to have their annual accounts audited provided that, among other things, their parent company agrees to guarantee all liabilities of the subsidiary that are outstanding at the end of that financial year.

The Bribery Act came into force just over a year ago, amid much fanfare and media speculation. Some said it went too far and would stifle business, others said it did not go far enough.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 are to undergo re-drafting by the HSE and reissue during the course of 2014.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served an Improvement Notice in relation to a cooling tower at Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh for allegedly failing to adequately control the risk of legionella.

The EMI individual limit increase from £120,000 to £250,0000 announced in the 2012 Budget will come into effect on 16 June 2012.

News about shale gas continues to dominate the energy press.

Recent changes to the CEA required under the Dodd-Frank Act are likely to significantly increase the number of UK fund managers who will be required to register as a CPO with the CFTC.

On 25 July 2012, the FSA published Consultation Paper 12/15 which proposes a number of minor alterations to the Client Asset rules for oversight and reporting (CASS 1A).

On 4 June the European Commission launched a public consultation on procedures for notifying and acting on illegal content hosted by online intermediaries.

The clever scheme to acquire the freehold of Dolphin Square has been held at a red light since September 2011