This Practice Note considers the power of the court to adjourn a hearing under CPR 3.1(2)(b) and a party’s ability to apply for such an adjournment. In particular, it sets out the five specific ‘Fitzroy Robinson’ factors the court will consider when determining an application to adjourn or bring forward a hearing, together with consideration of cases in which the Fitzroy factors have been applied. It also looks at other factors the court may take into account, including the timing of the application to adjourn, and examines the ill-health of a party or witness and what medical evidence must be provided when applying to adjourn on such grounds. For examples of court judgments that provide illustrations as to the approach of the courts to applications to adjourn the trial, see Practice Note: Adjourning trial—illustrative decisions. Depending on the court in which the matter is proceeding, the relevant court guide may provide further guidance which should be complied with—see: Court specific guidance. For information on: • adjourning an interim hearing, see Practice Note: Adjourning interim hearings

Access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will be via HMRC. The CJRS is a scheme designed for employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus to claim reimbursement for wages paid to employees who have been placed on furlough. Eligible employers will need to submit information to HMRC about their employees that have been furloughed, and their earnings, through an online portal specifically created for this purpose. For further information about which employers are eligible for the scheme, see: • Practice Note: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (original version to 30 June 2020) [Archived] • HMRC guidance: Guidance for employers: Claim for your employees' wages through the coronavirus job retention scheme The SEISS scheme applies only to those individuals who are self-employed or members of a partnership. Other relevant criteria include that they must have a trading profit of less than £50,000 in 2018-19

Law360, London: The US-Israel conflict with Iran may give rise to complex commercial disputes in England similar to those following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine, according to lawyers reporting increased client demand for advice over the evolving conflict.

Law360, London: A judge ruled on 9 May 2025 that AIG does not have to pay the two owners of bars and hotels in Cornwall for losses suffered during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic because the policy did not specifically cover the COVID-19 disease.

Law360, London: A Lloyd's of London syndicate has agreed to a settlement with another syndicate in a US$90m dispute between insurers and underwriters over losses it allegedly suffered when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to trade and entertainment venues being shuttered across the world.

Where an employee wants to cancel a pre-arranged period of holiday, in the absence of a contractual right to do so, they will need their employer’s agreement. The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR 1998), SI 1998/1833 do not give employees a statutory right to cancel a pre-arranged period of holiday, and it is unusual for holiday provisions in an employment contract, or a holiday policy, to allow for this. In most cases, therefore, it is likely to be down to the employer to decide whether or not to agree to the request. However, there are competing interests to consider, particularly in the context of coronavirus (COVID-19): on the one hand, an employee who has had a holiday cancelled because of coronavirus will want to save their holiday entitlement until such time as they are able to re-schedule

Law360, London: A group of businesses on 4 November 2025 argued that Liberty Mutual Insurance should pay out for disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) and subsequent lockdowns, on the opening day of the latest trial in a series of cases to examine insurance firms' policies in the wake of the pandemic.

Law360, London: The owner of a string of boutique hotels has said Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd must pay out over £20.4m for failing to arrange adequate insurance cover that allegedly left it short when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took hold and shuttered sites.

Law360: Claimants pursuing legal action against the UK tax authority in England and Wales will continue to be able to serve documents by email, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said on 18 March 2024, making the process it introduced during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic permanent.

MedCo has updated its Examination Guidelines, removing provisions for remote examinations that were implemented during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The updated guidelines reinforce that medical examinations must be conducted in neutral, professional environments that are confidential, private, safe and secure. The guidelines explicitly prohibit examinations from taking place at premises belonging to the instructing party.

Introduction This Practice Note focuses on types of placings and certain matters that require consideration when a placing is being carried out by a company: • admitted to listing on the official list (Official List) of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) (Main Market) (listed company), or • admitted to trading on AIM, a market operated by the LSE (AIM company) It does not cover open offers or rights issues. For information on these transactions see Practice Notes: Open offers, Rights issues—key considerations and Rights issue—procedure for a listed company. Basic structure and types of placing The basic structure of a placing is: • an issue of new shares • made to selected investors (who may or may not be existing shareholders) • made on a non pre-emptive basis, in the sense that the new shares being issued are not first offered to all existing shareholders in the company on a pro rata basis, and • subscribed for in cash or non-cash

Cyber risk, like any other risk to your business, needs to be managed properly and considered a high priority risk for the internal compliance or legal team. It is a business risk that must be managed within an overall information and risk management and crime prevention framework, and should not be left just to the IT department. This Practice Note outlines: • the issues surrounding cybercrime (ie why it needs to be on your radar) • the threats posed to commercial organisations by cybercrime, and • key vulnerabilities This Practice Note reflects information security and breach notification requirements in the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2016/679 but is not intended to cover specialist sector-specific requirements in the: • Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018 (NIS Regulations), SI 2018/506 • Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR 2003), SI 2003/2426 (as amended), and • Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Handbook What is cybercrime? Cybercrime is simply a crime that