Legal briefings from the world's leading law firms

Users of the Employment Tribunals will have to get to grips with a new set of procedural rules. The new rules have now been published and aim to simplifying the existing rules which have been criticised for being inadequately drafted in places and not very "user friendly".

In the recent case of Belfairs Management Limited v Sutherland, the Court of Appeal examined how far the scope of a warranty may extend. Shoosmiths outlines how the decision highlights the Court's preference when faced with two alternatives to construction of a contractual provision.

Fan fiction - new stories such as 50 Shades of Grey inspired by popular books, shows, movies, comics, music, and games - is not new. This briefing from Shoosmiths reviews what the Kindle Worlds 'fanfic' deal means in the context of traditional publishing models.

In an interesting recent case, Sergio Azevedo v Imcopa Importacao, the validity of 'consent payments' offered to loan note holders to secure their votes in favour of certain amendments to the terms of the notes was considered, and the result may be surprising to some.

The EC has conducted a consultation on proposed changes to the technology transfer block exemption and accompanying Guidelines, which exempt certain technology licensing agreements from the EU/UK competition law ban on anti-competitive agreements. The current TTBE is due to expire in April 2014.

After considerable Parliamentary ping-pong and various political manoeuvrings in light of the Leveson inquiry recommendations, Royal Assent has finally been given to the Defamation Act that purports to balance protection of reputation and freedom of speech. Shoosmiths outlines what has changed.

Organisations should manage the risk applicable to its business in the event of a disaster. A commonly used preventative management technique is the inclusion of a business continuity disaster recovery plan as part of the organisation's risk strategy and within its key commercial contracts.

Drafting references can be a legal minefield for employers. This has not been helped by recent confusion over whether ex-employees are protected against victimisation if they receive a negative assessment. Shoosmiths explains why employers need to have a consistent policy in place for references.

When a key employee leaves, even on friendly terms, employers can find themselves facing difficult practical and legal issues over who to replace them with. Shoosmiths offers their top tips for succession and underlines the importance of re-examining retention strategies and policies.

The digital shift is changing the broader world of business, and consumer products and services too. In this article, Shoosmiths outlines ten overriding, interlinked themes characterising this shift and shaping digital media's legal agenda.