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No need for Brexit panic over IP laws, says Freeths

Business leaders dealing with the Brexit fallout have been told not to panic over the possible impact on intellectual property, trade marks and copyright laws.

Leading national law firm Freeths is advising clients that nothing will change immediately.

Freeths partner Simon Barker, head of intellectual property based at the firm’s Birmingham office (pictured), said: “While the formal process of leaving the EU will take at least two years, we appreciate that there will be an appetite for early information about how businesses are going to be affected.

“We are providing clients with the best information that we can offer at this stage about how the UK’s departure from the EU may impact the intellectual property rights of businesses.

Latest PI measures condemned by lawyers’ leader

Government plans to plough ahead with reforms to personal injury claims have been branded ‘baseless’ and ‘frustrating’ by the new president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Greater Manchester solicitor Neil Sugarman said: “The government’s apparent determination to make life harder for people with personal injury claims is both disappointing and deeply frustrating.”

He was reacting to remarks from justice minister Lord Faulks at the association’s annual conference in Birmingham.

He continued: “The government continues to give the impression that injuries which don’t attract a great deal of compensation, such as whiplash injuries, are somehow ‘trivial’ or ‘unnecessary’ and that people suffering with those injuries should not be allowed damages for their pain and suffering at all. But anyone who has had such an injury knows just how painful and debilitating it can be.

Accuracy strengthens its international project advisory and disputes team with a senior hire and team leader in London

London, May 3, 2016 – International financial advisory firm Accuracy is pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart Appelbe as Partner in the Project Advisory and Disputes (PAD) team in the London office of the firm. Stuart joins from PwC where he worked as UK Head of Construction Disputes.

As a leading project advisor in the construction sector, Stuart specialises primarily on transport infrastructure, including road, rail, ports and airports, building, power as well as oil and gas downstream facilities. He advises industrial groups, law firms, owners, investors, debt providers, insurers and other third parties on transactions, disputes and any kind of decision making related to capital projects. At Accuracy, he will lead an international team on expert witness testifying appointments and advisory engagements on time, cost and management issues related to projects.

Charities Bill would make Charity Commission ‘judge, jury and executioner’

Leading charities and legal experts call for amendments to the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill to be adopted by a House of Commons Bill Committee today, citing serious threats to the independence of charities and charity trustees.

Despite being debated for nearly two years, charity law experts maintain there are still a number of clauses in the Bill that would seriously damage charity independence. The charity Directory of Social Change (DSC) has joined Acevo, Bond, ACF, CFG and law firm BWB in briefing MPs and proposing amendments to the Bill (see notes).

ZANE

ZANE – Zimbabwe A National Emergency is a UK registered charity working to help the most destitute, vulnerable and impoverished people in Zimbabwe. The lack of media reporting could lead one to think that the emergency in Zimbabwe is over. Sadly, this is far from the case. Zimbabwean society continues to implode with malnutrition, untreated illness, escalating unemployment and fractured families.

Zimbabwe’s average per capita income in 2013 was less than £400 and 90% of the population is unemployed, making it the second poorest country in the world. Much of the population is surviving on under 35 pence a day. For a nation that was, just twenty years ago, the ‘bread basket of Africa’, this is a shocking statistic.

ZANE is the largest supplier of financial aid to elderly people in Zimbabwe, supporting over 2,600 impoverished pensioners. It also funds a club foot correction programme for children living in the high density areas in extreme poverty.