Opinion

Andrew Scott takes a look at the value of search orders when enforcing intellectual property rights. Most companies are now aware of the value to their business of intellectual property (IP) and the various ways in which to protect those IP assets. However, protecting the asset is only half the stor

Stephen Farrell takes a look at whether sports governance bodies are doing enough to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion. As the countdown begins for the Tokyo Olympics 2021 it has been reported that FINA, the International Swimming Association, has made a decision that could have damaging

To mark the end of Pride Month, Beverley Addison, a senior solicitor in BTO’s family law team, takes us on a journey through the history of family law in Scotland for LGBTQ+ people. In the third and final part today, she looks at adoption as well as fertility law – before thinking about

Looking at the number of adverts on Scottish Legal News recently it would appear that as we come out of the pandemic (here’s hoping) that quite a lot of you are. Recruitment in my discipline of family law is not easy, and I know that’s also the case for many other private client-focussed

In 2019 a survey of Americans found that 55 per cent believe they will not receive their full social security benefits from the government, the US equivalent of the state pension. The primary reason for this belief is that there will not be enough money in the social security pot to pay out because

Jennifer Skeoch looks at indirect sex discrimination following the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision, Hughes v Progressive Support Limited. Over the past year or so, we have heard a lot about the far-reaching effects of the pandemic and recent research has suggested that working women, in p

To mark the end of Pride Month, Beverley Addison, a senior solicitor in BTO’s family law team, takes us on a journey through the history of family law in Scotland for LGBTQ+ people. See part one here. The road to equality in marriage has been another long struggle for LGBTQ+ people. This inequ

To mark the end of Pride Month, Beverley Addison, a senior solicitor in BTO’s family law team, takes us on a journey in the coming days through the history of family law in Scotland for LGBTQ+ people. It is hard to believe that homosexuality was only fully decriminalised in Scotland 20 years a

Money’s notoriously tight in Scottish football. So, could new transfer rules see clubs yield better value for money by signing the best talent from further afield? writes John Kiely. In most circumstances, it’s now easier for African and South American players to be endorsed – in o

Elizabeth Denham, the UK Information Commissioner, discusses data extraction from phones as the rules catch up with reality.  There are few regulators that have as broad a role as the ICO, with our data protection work particularly impacting every business and public authority.

The UK's data protection regime has been given a pass by the EU, for now. Paul Motion explains the details. The European Commission has adopted two data “adequacy decisions” for the UK. This action resolves a major concern after Brexit, that whilst personal data flowing from the UK to th

Iskander Fernandez, partner at law firm BLM, discusses HMRC's role in leading over 12,000 interventions into the use of UK government Covid support schemes. Research by BLM into the various coronavirus-related fiscal support schemes revealed that at the close of Q1 2021, HM Revenue & Customs (HM

Bob McIntosh, the Tenant Farming Commissioner, spoke at a conference on agricultural law at the beginning of June and gave a useful update of his activities and a range of issues surrounding agricultural tenancies. Hamish Lean has the details. He had received 139 inquiries from agricultural landlord

As the Bribery Act 2010 approaches its 10th birthday on 1 July, Tom Stocker explains why it is widely recognised as an excellent piece of legislation which transformed the corporate compliance landscape. The Bribery Act simplified the law of bribery by making it clear that bribery arose when a perso

How much are you charged by your financial adviser? It seems a very simple question, doesn’t it? However, it is often avoided, dodged or circumvented by financial advisers. Fees should be simple. There are three main ways of charging as a financial adviser: charge a fixed fee per annum, charge