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25 November 2010 / Robert Amaee
Issue: 7443 / Categories: Opinion , Company
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Dawn of new ethics

It is hard to think of a piece of legislation in recent times that has caused as much interest and consternation, among the business community, as the Bribery Act 2010...

The Bribery Act 2010: wholesale behavioural change, says Robert Amaee
It is hard to think of a piece of legislation in recent times that has caused as much interest and consternation, among the business community, as the Bribery Act 2010 (the Act), which is expected to come into force in the early part of 2011. Much of the coverage and commentary though has to date focused on the risks associated with the provision of gifts and corporate hospitality and the making of facilitation payments. These topics, while clearly of importance, are in my view the least of the concerns arising from the Act for many boards of directors.

Hospitality

Corporate hospitality, as the Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC made clear in a speech in September, is largely a matter of simple common sense. He used the example of a company flying a foreign official

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’

Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

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Firm promotes senior associate and team leader as wills, trusts and probate team expands

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Manchester real estate finance practice welcomes legal director

NEWS
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
From cat fouling to Part 36 brinkmanship, the latest 'Civil way' round-up is a reminder that procedural skirmishes can have sharp teeth. NLJ columnist Stephen Gold ranges across recent decisions with his customary wit
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