Law360, London: A law firm that became part of now-collapsed Axiom Ince has settled its claim with Aviva in a dispute over its business interruption insurance policy that erupted in the wake of national lockdowns imposed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Law360, London: An English appeals court agreed with London's ExCeL exhibition centre and other policyholders on 6 September 2024 that national lockdowns during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic triggered 'at the premises' clauses in their insurance policies in a test case likely to bolster thousands of other claims.

The Home Office has introduced several changes to the Student sponsor guidance documents as of 19 March 2025. These changes primarily focus on remote delivery provisions, emphasizing the need for in-person learning for student sponsorship beyond the measures adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Details of the new remote delivery provisions are set out below.

Attending criminal hearings remotely can be a challenging task. Long hours spent in front of a screen or on the phone concentrating hard are more tiring than sitting in a court room with all the participants present and this is likely to affect listening. This Practice Note provides corporate crime practitioners appearing in remote hearings by live link (audio or video link) in the criminal courts with practical guidance and useful information. This Practice Note should be read in conjunction with Practical tips for remote attendance at criminal hearings—checklist. Will my hearing go ahead remotely? The criminal courts in England and Wales have the power to allow a person to attend a hearing in the criminal courts remotely via live audio link or live video link. For information on when remote attendance may be granted and the procedure for the making, variation and revocation of live link directions, see Practice Note: Remote hearings in the criminal courts. In the criminal jurisdiction, the power to hold hearings remotely derives from various legislation.

Restructuring & Insolvency analysis: The latest edition of Corporate Rescue and Insolvency (August 2023) is now available in Lexis®Library (subscription required). This edition features, among others, articles looking at restructuring plans as an ever-evolving tool in the restructuring market, the rise of corporate insolvencies pre-pandemic and claims under section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Law360: A legal battle between rival developers of coronavirus (COVID-19) jabs over the technology underlying the vaccine could set the tone for future litigation, as intellectual property lawyers expect a pledge made by Moderna at the height of the pandemic to dominate proceedings.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published its evaluation of digital reforms across seven civil, family and tribunal services. The study found digitalisation generally improved access to justice and case timeliness, with uptake boosted by mandatory use for professionals and pandemic-driven increases in digital confidence. However, persistent technical issues, uneven user experience, and language barriers limited benefits for some groups.

The Insolvency Service has published its monthly insolvency statistics for March 2024 on company and individual insolvencies. The data shows that 1,815 company insolvencies were registered, 17% lower than in March 2023 but higher than during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and between 2014 and 2019. For individuals, the total number of insolvencies in March 2024 was 8,708, 9% lower than in March 2023.

General guidance regarding the implications of coronavirus (COVID-19) on dispute resolution can be found in Practice Note: Coronavirus (COVID-19) implications for dispute resolution [Archived]. In response to the current coronavirus pandemic, a new Practice Direction 51ZA (CPR PD 51ZA) has been implemented to make provisions for parties to agree extensions of time to comply with procedural time limits set out within the CPR, Practice Directions and court orders. CPR PD 51ZA is effective from 2 April

ICO’s approach in light of coronavirus (COVID-19) On 15 April 2020, the UK’s supervisory body for data protection, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a statement and document setting out how it shall be adjusting its regulatory approach during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with a focus on safeguarding information rights in an ‘empathetic and pragmatic way’ as a result of: • staff and capacity shortages organisations are facing, with furloughed employees • acute financial pressures that

The General Guidance on PDF Bundles (the Guidance) from May 2020 was created by Mr Justice Mann, Lady Justice Thirlwall and Sir Andrew McFarlane to aid practitioners coming to terms with the requirements of working during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and to achieve a level of consistency in what judges were being presented with. At paragraph six of the Guidance, it states that ‘All pages in a bundle must be numbered’,

This week's edition of Competition weekly highlights includes, from a UK perspective: (1) the High Court’s judgment holding that France is the correct place to bring a damages claim arising from cartels in the supply of car air conditioning and engine cooling components to car manufacturers, (2) the Court of Appeal’s judgment dismissing an appeal concerning emergence communication services, and (3) CMA publishing blog by Doug Gurr on how the CMA can drive investment and growth. This week’s highlights also includes, from an EU perspective: (1) the Commission’s announcement that it has launched a consultation on the Transfer Technology Block Exemption, (2) the Court of Justice’s judgment in a national reference from Italy concerning whether a 90-day time limit on the Italian Competition Authority to launch investigations may breach Article 102 TFEU, and (3) the General Court’s judgment dismissing Ryanair’s action against the Commission’s readopted decision approving rescue aid to TAP SGPS in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.