Payment Innovators Network Podcast By Shoosmiths: Ep1 With Richard Ambrose

With significant inheritance tax changes for pensions taking effect in April 2027, this comprehensive guide examines five essential areas of estate planning that families should review this autumn. From pension arrangements and regular gifting strategies to education funding, lasting powers of attorney, and digital asset management, discover practical steps to ensure your financial affairs remain aligned with your objectives and compliant with evolving tax legislation.

Explore how wealth extends beyond financial metrics to encompass values, culture, possessions, and philanthropy. This collection examines the broader dimensions of legacy planning, from values-led investing and cultural perspectives on succession to the emotional significance of heirlooms and passion assets, offering insights into creating meaningful and lasting legacies.

High net worth individuals are increasingly investing in art, watches, wine, classic cars and other collectibles as passion assets. These assets combine personal enjoyment with financial value, requiring careful legal and practical consideration across acquisition, lending, financing and succession planning to protect both their emotional significance and long-term worth.

The UK government has introduced significant changes to trust registration requirements, affecting both the Trust Registration Service and the Register of Overseas Entities. These new rules expand registration obligations for overseas trusts holding UK land while providing exemptions for certain low-value trusts, requiring trustees to review their compliance status and take action by specified deadlines.

The FCA has published its wealth management survey report 2026, providing firms with data and sector insights to help them understand the market, compare their approach and raise standards.

Gary Stevenson has taken the case for a UK wealth tax from YouTube to his recent Channel 4 documentary, How to Get Filthy Rich. The Labour government continues to face pressure to shift more of the tax burden from work towards assets and accumulated wealth, even though a comprehensive wealth tax is not currently government policy.

In many family businesses, there is a clear line of sight over the company’s finances. Performance is tracked closely, decisions are tested against strategy, and risk is actively managed. What sits outside the business is often far less defined.

This article examines recent UK legal developments affecting estate planning and trust structures, including landmark court decisions on trust registration and HMRC challenges, expanded reporting requirements for overseas entities and trusts, and significant changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief allowances that impact wealth preservation strategies.

Information has become one of the most valuable assets a family office manages, yet many families underestimate the risks associated with their digital footprint. From due diligence databases...

The Financial Times recently highlighted how some institutions pursue high-net-worth clients through lavish hospitality and concierge services, yet this approach fundamentally misunderstands what truly preserves multigenerational wealth. While exotic perks and luxury experiences may attract attention, the real foundation of lasting family office success lies in something far more substantive: trust as an active institutional framework that governs decision-making during both prosperity and crisis.

The UK Government has launched a consultation proposing significant changes to the withholding tax regime on interest payments to overseas lenders. The proposed reforms would shift from HMRC's current gatekeeping role to a self-assessment system where UK borrowers independently determine treaty relief eligibility, fundamentally altering compliance responsibilities and risk allocation in cross-border lending arrangements.

What happens when a disgruntled employee from a notorious brokerage firm decides to exercise their data protection rights? This podcast episode examines the intersection of privacy law and corporate misconduct through the lens of one of cinema's most infamous financial scandals, exploring how a simple data subject access request could have exposed a web of illegal activity.

How do the futuristic vehicles in films like I, Robot and Minority Report reflect real-world privacy challenges we face today with connected cars? This podcast episode examines the intersection of science fiction and data protection, exploring how our vehicles collect and share information that could affect everything from insurance rates to targeted advertising.

The London Stock Exchange has implemented sweeping reforms to the AIM Rules, fundamentally reshaping admission requirements, transaction thresholds, and governance obligations for companies on the Alternative Investment Market. These changes eliminate longstanding requirements like working capital statements and corporate governance codes while introducing new features such as capital access windows and special voting shares, marking the most significant overhaul of AIM regulations in recent years.

London's AIM market has introduced a new Express Market route designed to streamline admission for established overseas companies. The reforms replace the previous Designated Market framework with a broader, more proportionate approach that recognises regulatory scrutiny and public company experience already demonstrated in qualifying international markets. Will this create a genuinely compelling pathway for international issuers seeking access to UK growth capital?

The ongoing commercial rivalry between fast-fashion giants Shein and Temu has evolved into one of the most significant intellectual property disputes in the e-commerce sector. This landmark case examines critical questions about copyright ownership, platform liability, and the legal responsibilities of online marketplaces in the digital age.

The UK government's Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026 proposes sweeping changes to corporate modern slavery reporting, introducing mandatory content requirements, financial penalties up to £1 million or 1% of turnover, and enhanced board-level accountability. Organizations that have taken a minimal compliance approach to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 face significant reputational and regulatory...

The UK venture capital market has rebounded from its 2022-2024 downturn, with funding activity recovering and larger rounds returning, particularly for AI and DeepTech businesses. However, despite improved market conditions, investors maintain strict deal terms focused on founder alignment, governance protections, and exit control. Analysis of proprietary deal data reveals how capital concentration, leaver provisions, liquidation preferences...

As businesses navigate technological advances and significant employment law reforms, workforce planning has become critical to success. But what happens when organisations fail to forecast future skills needs, and how can the legal risks of poor planning be minimised in an evolving regulatory landscape?

The 2026 NPPF reshapes planning policy, strengthening support for infrastructure, energy, data centres and economic growth while maintaining housing delivery as a core priority.