Articles in ‘Corporate’ Category

Next up in our series of blogs focusing on the provisions introduced by the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Bill, we turn our attention to managing commercial contracts during temporary company moratorium and insolvency situations.

In the third article in a series on protecting buyers’ value in M&A deals, partner James Worrall in our Corporate team discusses tax covenants – how they differ from warranties and indemnities, when they are used and what function they have in a share purchase agreement.

Associate Charlotte Ebbutt summarises the key points of the Children’s Code, the new statutory code of practice aimed at protecting children within the digital world.

With the post-Brexit transition period ending in 31 December 2020 and talks between the EU and UK about a Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) continuing, businesses need to continue to prepare for the key challenges ahead.

Completing an M&A deal is a very exciting moment for all parties concerned. A great deal of hard work has been undertaken by the buyer to find the right target to purchase, analyse the benefits, synergies and cost-saving opportunities, carry out due diligence, negotiate the key documents and finally complete the deal.

China has become the first nation to develop and launch a central bank digital currency, with the Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP) being rolled out across major e-commerce platforms within the country, including the multinational corporation Alibaba Group Holding Limited.

Our Corporate team, led by Partner Katharine Mortimer, has advised Nashville-based Designworks Collective on its purchase of the men’s gifting and lifestyle brand, Gentlemen’s Hardware.

With the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement now having been signed, what does this mean for the financial services industry, a sector which contributes 7% to the UK economy.

Whilst 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic has forced lenders to embrace new practices, the financial services sector has tried to remain resilient during the turbulence at the same time as providing support to their customers who need it. At the end of 2020, the British Business Bank reported that the Coronavirus loan schemes had supported a total of over 1.5m facilities to businesses, providing over £68 billion of finance.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Mavern House Nursing Home in the hamlet of Shaw, near Melksham in Wiltshire, to Welford Healthcare. RWK Goodman acted on behalf of the sellers.

During September 2020, the GC100, a forum for general counsel and company secretaries working in FTSE 100 companies, conducted a poll amongst its members seeking their views on hybrid and virtual general meetings and the limitations of the current format for AGMs.

Following this, a discussion paper was published on 28 January 2021 providing a company perspective on these issues.

The recent judgment in Travelport Ltd v Wex Inc [2020] EWHC 2670 (Comm) has provided guidance on how material adverse event clauses in share purchase agreements will be considered in the context of the pandemic.