EU Law analysis: On 27 November 2024, the European Parliament formally approved the new College of Commissioners presented by the recently re-elected Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. The new Commission took office on 1 December 2024. The renewed institutions will now face the continuing challenge of pursuing the regulatory framework for tech and digital while promoting innovation and defending EU competitiveness. Marc Schuler, partner, and Julie Dumontet, associate, at Taylor Wessing look at what to expect in 2025.

Immigration analysis: This analysis from Ben Maitland, senior associate at Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law, looks at what the recently elected Labour government has said will be its approach to legal migration, including its ‘new approach’ on skills.

Employment analysis: Following the General Election on 4 July 2024, the Labour Party will form the new government. The Labour Manifesto was published on 13 June 2024 and promised a number of reforms for working people and a commitment to implement, in full, pledges made in the earlier ‘Labour’s Plan to make work pay: Delivering a new deal for working people’. Just a few of the key reforms expected include the removal of the qualifying period for bringing unfair dismissal claims, an extension of employment tribunal time limits for bringing claims from three months to six months, and significant reforms relating to trade unions. Employment legislation is expected to be introduced within the first 100 days of the new parliament.

Environment analysis: : In January 2026, the UK Environment Agency published the report Developing thresholds for managing PFAS in the water environment. This was quickly followed in February 2026 by the policy paper, ‘PFAS Plan: building a safer future together’. These publications represent a push by the government towards action on PFAS. The paper acknowledges that PFAS may be challenging to replace, but outlines initial steps towards reducing use and mitigating harm. These include the restriction of PFAS in certain circumstances, including firefighting foam, along with specific types of PFAS, namely long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids. It outlines research to be undertaken over the next two years, with the aim of aligning UK REACH with international standards by December 2028. Written by Francesca Fitzgerald, Sustainability & Communications Coordinator at Ardea International.

Law360, Expert analysis: On 29 September 2025, the Council of the European Union reimposed a comprehensive set of restrictive measures against Iran, which had been lifted in 2015 with the entry into force of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Guy Soussan, partner; Algirdas Semeta, legal consultant; and Ana Amador, associate, all at Steptoe LLP, have contributed to this analysis, examining the implications of the reimposition of sanctions across multiple practice areas, including international trade, corporate crime and compliance, financial services, and the insurance sector.

Law360, Expert analysis: On 31 January 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published consultation paper CP25/2, which sets out further proposed changes to the UK listing rules under the Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024. The proposals follow from CP24/12,[2] which was published in July 2025, and continue the FCA's goal of streamlining the listing process for companies wishing to have securities admitted to UK-regulated markets. Nicholas Pellicani, partner, Vera Losonci, counsel, and Toby Wenham Rogers, associate, at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, summarise the key proposals in CP25/2.

Law360, Expert analysis: On 28 March 2024, in Zephyrus Capital Aviation Partners 1d Ltd v Fidelis Underwriting Ltd, the Commercial Court, King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales rejected jurisdiction challenges brought by international reinsurers that had sought to rely on Russian exclusive jurisdiction clauses in their reinsurance contracts with Russian airlines. Written by Samantha Zaozirny, senior associate at Browne Jaconson LLP.

Law360, Expert analysis: As of 30 September 2024, the UK's overseas funds regime, or OFR, is open for applications. This follows the publication of the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) policy statement on implementing the overseas funds regime. This article written by Richard Frase, senior counsel, Simon Wright, counsel, and Philippa List, professional support counsel at Dechert LLP, looks at the changes made, how OFR will be implemented and what fund operators and their legal advisers should be doing now to comply with the regime.

Environment analysis: COP16, the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (better known as biodiversity), will take place between 21 October and 1 November 2024. COP16 will take place in Cali, Colombia. It was originally due to take place in Turkey but in July 2023, the Turkish government withdrew from hosting the conference due to three major earthquakes in the country in February 2023. In December 2023, Colombia offered to host the conference and in February 2024, the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, announced that Cali was chosen as the host city, ahead of Bogota. COP16 will be presided over by Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad. Prior to her career in politics, Muhamad was a respected sustainable development consultant. Written by Nick Harding, senior associate at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

Law360, Expert analysis: Since 2023, the UK government has engaged with the cryptoasset industry as part of its efforts to develop a regulatory regime for cryptoasset activities and services. On 29 April 2025, HM Treasury published a draft statutory instrument to create new regulated activities for cryptoassets, and on 2 May 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a discussion paper on regulating cryptoasset activities. Mark Chalmers counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, discusses the main takeaways from these recently published documents.

Law360, Expert Analysis: On 10 July 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its Secondary International Competitiveness and Growth Objective (SICGO) Report 2024/25, outlining its progress in embedding growth and competitiveness into its regulatory framework. Charlotte Rendle, senior knowledge lawyer, Matt Handfield, consultant and Rosie MacArthur, managing associate, at Simmons & Simmons LLP set out the key highlights from the SICGO report, the July 2025 Mansion House speech, the Growth and Competitiveness Strategy and the Leeds Reforms, and what they mean for firms. They give their take on the proposals and what they think are the key practical issues that firms need to consider.

Is there an actionable claim? Note: private competition actions remain largely regulated by national law and procedural and substantive rules across the EU may vary significantly, therefore assessments in individual jurisdictions will need to be made when planning competition litigation. Possible causes of action • Consider if there is an infringement of any relevant competition law, bearing in mind that many courts can determine issues of foreign law in appropriate circumstances but that the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) only has jurisdiction in relation to infringement of UK competition law (and EU competition law prior to the end of the Brexit transition period). ◦ Consider whether the loss suffered can be attributed to an agreement or concerted action between undertakings, especially competing undertakings (see further, The prohibition on restrictive agreements). ◦ Consider whether the loss might have been caused by an entity that is arguably dominant typically with a large share of a relevant market, and could be said to have abused its dominance contrary to Chapter II of the Competition