Olswang on Brexit

United Kingdom

This article was produced by Olswang LLP, which joined with CMS on 1 May 2017.

With the UK voting 52% to 48% in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, we face a period of unprecedented commercial and legal uncertainty. In this series of articles, Olswang considers some of the practical contingency planning that companies might consider at this time....

‘Olswang on Brexit':

  • Article 50 Hearing Live Blog Monday 5 through 8 December, the Supreme Court will hear the government’s appeal against the High Court’s decision in the case of R (on the application of Miller & Dos Santos) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. The appeal will consider whether the Government is entitled to give notice of a decision to leave the EU under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union by exercise of the Crown's prerogative powers and without reference to Parliament. Follow live updates at: www.ukscblog.com.
  • Brexit and international television: TBI Podcast What does the British vote to leave the European Union mean for television markets around the world? Victoria Gaskell joins Television Business International on its latest podcast...(18 July)
  • Brexit and the new legal order The elevation of Theresa May to prime minister may make much more likely the possibility of the UK becoming in some form a member of the European Economic Area, writes Dan Tench for The Times' The Brief... (14 July)
  • Brexit: Implications for data protection law For months, data protection lawyers have been warning businesses in the UK to make preparations for the pending General Data Protection Regulation (the "Regulation"), due to come into force in May 2018. The Regulation provides for a ratcheting up of data protection obligations and a hefty new fining regime for breaches of these obligations of up to 4% of global turnover… (7 July 2016)
  • Brexit's impact on the media sector: BBC Radio 4 - The Media Show News of Brexit has created uncertainty in the media industry. The financial repercussions began immediately after the vote, with stocks in the media sector falling further than the wider market on Friday. Analysts predict that advertising and marketing budgets will undoubtedly be cut if there's an economic slowdown. There's also concern that changing current EU broadcasting regulations, which experts say makes doing business easier, will no longer apply. BBC's Steve Hewlett was joined by John Enser...(6 July)
  • After the vote: Issues for the Life Science Industry to Consider With the UK voting to leave the European Union, we face an extended period of commercial and legal uncertainty. For the moment, though, nothing has changed in the legal framework within which the industry operates, and it will not change in the immediate future... (5 July 2016)
  • Brexit strategy: the EU referendum and construction contracts With the UK's construction industry heavily dependent on the EU for materials and labour, the consequences of Brexit will weigh heavily on long-term procurement arrangements. We've written a note for Practical Law on the implications...(4 July 2016)
  • Brexit: Initial thoughts on adtech impact Whilst British politics hangs in the balance and the country begins to come to terms with its decision, ADTEKR looks at what some of the implications for the adtech industry might be and what our clients should be considering… (1 July 2016)
  • After the vote: What will Brexit mean for real estate in the UK? Now that the vote is for Brexit, the impact, from a real estate perspective, is more likely to be of a commercial nature rather than legal. This is because the UK has its own set of laws for real estate which, environmental and climate change laws aside, have not been greatly influenced by EU law... (28 June 2016)
  • Impact of Brexit on UK Telecoms The UK's vote to leave the European Union on 23 June 2016 will have limited impact on the regulation of the UK telecoms sector for at least the next two years whilst the terms of Brexit are settled... (27 June 2016)
  • After the vote: What will Brexit mean for film and TV businesses operating in the UK Olswang's Media group examines some of the key potential outcomes of that result for media businesses operating in or from the UK in its latest report... (24 June 2016)
  • A patent attorney on Brexit... The UK has voted to remove itself from the ever tighter political union in Europe. It is likely to remain a full Member of the European Union (EU) for two years or so while it negotiates a new relationship with the EU. European patents validated in the UK will continue to have legal effect and European Patent Attorneys based in the UK will continue to enjoy full rights to represent clients before the European Patent Office and PCT authorities, even after formal exit... (24 June 2016) ***
  • Brexit (and other risks): Have you done your planning? As the vote day looms, there are very few certainties. The only clear facts are the effects on sterling and stock markets now. Whether that is a response to Brexit or other factors, investors are clearly responding to heightened risk... (15 June 2016)
  • Beyond trade concerns, Brexit poses questions over data rules Olswang's Dan Tench suggests that "All roads lead to probably having to comply with the (EU) General Data Protection Regulation in one form or another..."... (First published on Reuters.com on 10 June 2016.)
  • Brexit: what might it mean for contracts and disputes? A vote for the UK to leave the European Union on 23 June could have significant implications for businesses' compliance and contractual obligations and disputes. As the referendum draws closer, we consider the potential impact of a Brexit and how this might be determined by the exit model adopted by the UK Government… (19 May 2016)
  • Brexit – preparing for financial uncertainty Coming at the same time as a period of global economic volatility, the fact of the Brexit vote itself is having a detrimental effect. In April 2016, the IMF cut its growth forecast for Britain for this year to 1.9%, noting that the uncertainty caused by the referendum was already hurting the domestic economy... (06 May 2016)
  • Are you ready for tenant insolvency risks in light of a Brexit scenario? Research by data compiler Real Capital Analytics shows that worries over a possible Brexit contributed to an £8 billion slump in spending on UK commercial property in the first three months of 2016... (06 May 2016)
  • Brexit – Implications for IP owners and practitioners As the Brexit debate gains momentum, Olswang explores the most likely outcomes for IP owners and practitioners if the UK were to leave the European Union... (12 April 2016)
  • The Brexit Conundrum: What would an ‘out’ scenario mean for UK employment law? British employers and employees should consider the potential employment law implications if the British people vote for a Brexit... (12 January 2016)

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with the Olswang Brexit Task Force.