What is truly notable about the Court’s decision has nothing to do with Excalibur and its facts. Instead, it is the complete acceptance of litigation finance as an integral part of a modern justice system. The very first line of the Court’s decision asserted, simply: “Third-party funding is a feature of modern litigation”. Click here for more

One need only mention the case of Bernard Madoff, who was sentenced to 150 years’ imprisonment in the United States, and the “Carbon Scandal” in Europe (relating to CO2 emission levels according to the Kyoto Protocol).

On 22 November 2016, the European Commission published a Proposal for a Directive on preventive restructuring frameworks, second chance and measures to increase the efficiency of restructuring, insolvency and discharge procedures and amending Directive 2012/30/EU (2016/0359 (COD)) (the "Proposed Directive").

Prior to the UK referendum on EU membership, executives of several leading airlines came out in public support of the UK’s continued membership of the EU, citing freedom to fly across Europe as the foundation of modern low-fare air travel. In this article, antitrust, competition and regulation partner, Ian Giles, considers the significant expected impact of Brexit on flying rights as well as airline ownership regulations. He also looks at additional areas including Regulation 261/2004 and concludes with a brief consideration of areas which are likely to remain unchanged.

As from 1 January 2017, the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register ("RCS") will charge additional fees for the late filing of annual and/or consolidated accounts. Companies whose financial year ends on 31 December and which have yet to file their 2015 annual accounts will incur a late filing fee of EUR 500 (per entity) if they file them in 2017.Read more.

The highlighted article this month is: TPR’s guidance statement for trustees on market volatility following EU referendum The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has issued a Guidance Statement to trustees of pension schemes in relation to the market volatility following the UK’s vote to leave the EU.

Interest in blockchain technologies has grown dramatically over the last twelve months. This has triggered growth in investment in businesses operating in this area and marked engagement from all industry sectors (and financial institutions in particular) in blockchain technologies and their disruptive potential.

Today, the Luxembourg Parliament adopted long-awaited Bill No. 5730 modernising Luxembourg company law. Certain market practices now have a formal legal basis, and discussions on a number of questions have been put to rest.

Essential Pensions News covers the latest pensions developments each month in an ‘at a glance’ format. End of DB contracting out: DWP publishes guidance on alternative quality requirements for DB schemes o ered for auto-enrollment Read more.

The UK Government has launched a consultation on options for reform of the corporate insolvency regime. Read more.