Law360, London: An insurer has denied having to cover £4m in losses run up by the operator of the Dirty Martini cocktail bar chain during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, saying that the business interruption policy covers only the first national lockdown.

The Insolvency Service has jailed director Aleksander Staskiewicz, 35, from Southampton, for eight months for offences contrary to the Fraud Act 2006 and the Companies Act 2006. In May 2020, Staskiewicz overstated his company's turnover to obtain a £20,000 Bounce Back Loan (BBL) designed to support businesses through the pandemic.

Although VAT is a tax that is ultimately borne by the final consumer, the responsibility for paying VAT to HMRC lies with VAT registered suppliers of goods and services. For more details, see below: How is VAT collected? This Practice Note provides an introduction to the mechanics businesses must use when paying VAT to HMRC. This Practice Note includes reference to EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC. The UK ceased to be an EU Member State on 31 January 2020. On this date, the UK entered an implementation period (IP), during which it continued to be treated as a Member State for many purposes, and remained bound by EU law. The IP ended at 11 pm on 31 December 2020. On that date, a body of EU-derived rights and legislation, known as retained EU law (REUL), was converted into domestic UK law. For more on REUL and tax, see Practice Note: Retained EU law and tax. On 1 January 2024, REUL that remained in force after the end of 2023 was recategorised as ‘assimilated law’.

Manufacturers of medicinal products must comply with certain minimum standards in their production processes. These minimum standards are known as good manufacturing practice (GMP). GMP requires that medicines are of consistent high quality, are appropriate for their intended use and meet the requirements of the marketing authorisation (MA) or clinical trial authorisation (CTA). The principles of GMP are applicable to the manufacture of both human medicinal products and veterinary medicinal products, as well as the active substances used in medicinal products and investigational medicinal products (IMPs) (ie medicines used in clinical trials). This Practice Note explores the legislation and guidelines that govern the manufacturing of medicinal products for human use, active substances and IMPs in the EU and in the UK. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic significantly impacted the regulation of the manufacturing of medicinal products which falls outside the scope of this Practice Note. The extraordinary regulatory flexibilities for medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic addressed supply challenges and have now been phased out while lessons from the pandemic have driven proposals for

Law360: An Italian reinsurer has lost its challenge against French insurer Covéa Insurance Plc's coronavirus business interruption (BI) claim, with a London appellate court on 30 September 2024 upholding findings that the pandemic met the definition of 'catastrophe' used in the policy.

Law360, London: The chancellor said on 3 December 2024 that Tom Hayhoe, a health service and regulatory veteran, has been appointed as the coronavirus (COVID-19) corruption commissioner to claw back money wasted in pandemic-era fraud with a potential cost of up to £7.3bn.

Law360, London: The UK Supreme Court has blocked an effort by insurers to overturn a landmark insurance test case ruling involving the Excel exhibition centre in London, with thousands of policyholders now in line for payouts for losses from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic almost five years ago.

Law360, London: A group of claimants suing AstraZeneca over death and injury allegedly caused by side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine said on 9 April 2026 that they hope an inquiry into the response to the pandemic will recommend that the UK's vaccine compensation scheme is reformed.

The Insolvency Service has published its monthly insolvency statistics for April 2024 on company and individual insolvencies. The data shows that 2,177 company insolvencies were registered, 18% higher than in April 2023 and higher than during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and between 2014 and 2019. For individuals, the total number of insolvencies in April 2024 was 9,651, 5% higher than in April 2023.

Dispute Resolution analysis: Mediation specialists, In Place of Strife (IPOS), consider the pros and cons of remote mediations in light of their own experiences, particularly augmented by the move to remote working in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They also consider where remote mediation will be in a post-coronavirus world, whenever that may come.

Law360, London: A London judge on 9 June 2026 ordered Fertitta Entertainment Inc. and related entities whose brands include the Golden Nugget hotel and casino chain and the Rainforest Cafe to end litigation in Louisiana in a long-running and bitter dispute with a Chubb unit over coverage for losses that occurred during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Law360: Health and safety is the top risk for directors and officers worldwide, according to a survey published 20 March 2024, in a 'surprise' result partly attributed to the lingering impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on businesses and increasing mental health considerations.