Additional reading Hill, T, Operations Management (2nd edn, 2005), Palgrave Macmillan Johnston, R, Clark, G, and Shulver, M, Service Operations Management (4th edn, 2012), FT Prentice Hall Juran, JM, Juran’s Quality Handbook

This introductory guide was originally produced in partnership with Cranfield School of Management and subsequently enhanced by Beth Pipe, OnLive Learning. Project management is no longer a narrow, specialist activity only run by trained project managers. Many organisations are reaping the benefits of using programme and project management techniques to implement all kinds of change. This Practice Note provides an introduction to project management, the key parameters of a project, and the key players in projects. For guidance on the key phases of defining, planning, implementing, and closing a project, along with suggestions of alternative techniques that can be used by project managers to deal with or manage complexities that are likely to arise that will impinge on almost all project plan, see Practice Note: Project management: Project lifecycle and set-up and Project management: key documents—checklist. For guidance on the difference between project management and programme management, see Practice Note: Programme management

This Practice Note deals with the principles behind rent review provisions. For further guidance in relation to drafting and negotiating rent review clauses, see Practice Notes: Negotiation guide—rent review clauses—commercial leases and Drafting index—linked rent review clauses. Onerous provisions Before getting to the rent review clause itself, it must be borne in mind that the other provisions in a lease can have an impact on the reviewed rent. Points that were hard-fought for when negotiating a lease can have unwelcome consequences when the rent comes up for review. In a weak market, the presence of onerous provisions in a lease can entirely wipe out the uplift in rent that would be achieved by a lease that was more reasonably balanced. In a rising market, any well-advised tenant seeking to limit rent increases at review will argue for a discount to reflect unfair or burdensome terms. While some terms are always regarded as onerous, others shift their status and effect depending on prevailing market conditions. The following are those terms most likely to be used by

This Practice Note provides an overview of the agreement for the sale and purchase of shares in a private limited company (target), namely the share purchase agreement (SPA). The SPA records the terms by which the buyer agrees to purchase from the seller(s) shares in the capital of the target (sale shares): either the entire share capital of the target or a partial share sale. The buyer agrees to pay to the seller the purchase price for the acquisition of the sale shares (consideration) in return for which the seller transfers title in the sale shares to the buyer (by executing a stock transfer form). This takes effect at completion of the transaction (completion), which will occur either at the same time that the SPA is executed or upon an agreed later date (where there are conditions to completion, see further below). Since the buyer acquires title to the sale shares upon completion, it also thereby acquires all liabilities attaching to the target. The buyer will be concerned to ensure that it obtains ‘full title

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. This practical guidance relates to the pre-Procurement Act 2023 regime This Practice Note contains guidance relevant to public procurement exercises commenced before the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) came into force on 24 February 2025. In-scope procurements begun on or after this date are governed by PA 2023. Under the transitional and savings provisions for PA 2023, the previous public procurement regimes continue to apply to the extent necessary to allow contracting authorities to complete and manage procurements commenced before PA 2023 came into force (ie ongoing procurements). This Practice Note should be read in that context. For background reading, see Practice Note: Introduction to the Procurement Act 2023—PA 2023. Further practical guidance on PA 2023 is set out in a separate subtopic, see: Procurement Act 2023—overview. Promoting sustainable development via public procurement Historical EU context The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), SI 2015/102 implemented Directive 2014/24/EU, the EU Public Contracts Directive in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

For parties and lawyers conducting arbitration proceedings seated in England and Wales or Northern Ireland (England is used here as a convenient shorthand) and/or seeking enforcement of domestic or international awards in English and Welsh courts, understanding the Arbitration Act 1996 (AA 1996) and its potential governing role over the arbitration proceedings seated in England is fundamental. Unlike the arbitration legislation of some other leading seats of arbitration, for example Hong Kong’s Arbitration Ordinance (Cap 609), the AA 1996 does not transpose or is not largely based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (the Model Law), although the AA 1996 does owe much to that instrument. The AA 1996 is divided into four parts and four schedules: • AA 1996, Pt 1, which contains the basic principles of the law of arbitration in England including, among other matters, what amounts to an arbitration agreement, the appointment and role of the arbitral tribunal, the conduct of the arbitral proceedings and the court’s supervisory powers over arbitration proceedings • AA 1996,

Construction analysis: The Building Safety (Wales) Bill was introduced to the Senedd by Housing Minister Jayne Bryant on 7 July 2025. It deals with the building safety regime which covers the occupation and ongoing management of multi-occupied residential buildings in Wales. In this article, Rebecca Rees, Property litigation expert and partner in the Dispute Resolution team at Hugh James, provides a detailed guide to the key provisions of the Bill.

Insurance contracts have always had an aura of mystery about them in the eyes of law students and lawyers. This is because they are contracts of the utmost good faith. They are different from other contracts: they need to be handled with extra special care. The main component of the obligation of the utmost good faith, as laid down in the Marine Insurance Act 1906 (MIA 1906), is the duty of the policyholder to volunteer information to the insurer that would ‘influence the judgment of a prudent insurer’ in deciding whether to take the risk and what to charge for it (see: MIA 1906, s 18). This has always been a tall order. It calls on the policyholder to try to work out how the mind of an insurer works and make disclosure accordingly. The insurer, meanwhile, was entitled to sit back, with no obligation to give the policyholder any clues or prompts. It was easy for the policyholder to breach this obligation with very harsh consequences:

Immigration analysis: The Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026 would establish a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority to replace the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), introduce substantial reforms to Article 8 ECHR claims and deportation appeals, create a temporary ‘core protection’ model for refugees, reform asylum support, and make extensive amendments to the modern slavery framework. This analysis examines the Bill's key provisions and the implications for immigration practitioners. Written by Zoe Bantleman, barrister.

It has been assumed that: • A’s interest under the trust holding a 50% share of the house is a qualifying interest in possession (QIIP) • A’s interest under the trust does not fall within section 5(1B) of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 (IHTA 1984) • the release of A’s interest in possession will terminate the trust • B is not a settlor of the trust The termination of the QIIP and the gift of the other 50% share are both potentially exempt transfers (PET) made by A, which will become chargeable to IHT if A dies within seven years. See Practice Note: Qualifying interest in possession trusts—IHT

In this scenario, a person (the owner) is the freeholder (or long leaseholder) of the whole of a mixed use building. The owner lets part of the premises to a head tenant, and gives a covenant to repair the retained parts. Part of the demised property is then underlet

See Practice Note: Land registration—restrictions on title under the Land Registration Act 2002, which notes that an interest under a trust of land can only be protected by a restriction. A restriction makes it apparent from the register that either: • the powers of the relevant proprietor are limited, or • a condition must be met before a disposition can be registered Where there is a restriction