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The UK Government has launched a new Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups (VFRS4SU), aimed at reducing the cost of hiring international talent in key growth sectors. This is a targeted funding opportunity for eligible businesses and may be of particular interest to employers already holding a sponsor licence. What is the scheme? The scheme allows qualifying UK scale-ups to recover visa-related costs for sponsoring overseas workers and their dependants. Eligible businesses may be able to claim up to £25,000 per year, with up to £5,000 available per individual hire, including dependants. Funding is limited and will be allocated on …

If you live with your partner but are not married or in a civil partnership, the law in Scotland may not protect you as you expect if they die without a Will. Unlike spouses and civil partners, cohabitants do not automatically inherit anything. Instead, a surviving partner must apply to the court under section 29 of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006. The court then decides, on a discretionary basis, whether to award anything at all. What has changed? Recent reforms introduced by the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 have altered the order of priority on intestacy. Under the …

Regulatory Update | UK Immigration Sponsorship Compliance for STEM Sector Employers In brief: On 20 April 2026, the Home Office published revised sponsor guidance clarifying that right to work checks are required for workers a sponsor employs or sponsors and removing earlier wording that had extended the apparent scope to certain unsponsored workers. For STEM employers, including technology businesses, engineering firms, life sciences companies, research institutions and universities, the change is particularly relevant where workforce models rely on sponsored talent, contingent specialists, project-based consultants and collaborative delivery arrangements. Sponsors should consider whether internal guidance, training and compliance processes require updating …

Recent reports have suggested that Scott Mills is considering legal action against the BBC following his abrupt dismissal this year. Whilst no formal claim has yet been announced, media speculation has focused on whether the broadcaster acted fairly after allegations emerged against the radio star. The case also reignites debate around the changing landscape of UK employment law, particularly as the new unfair dismissal reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 begin to take effect. Summary of allegations against Scott Mills According to press reports, the BBC terminated Scott Mills’s contract in March 2026 after what it described as concerns …

As a corporate lawyer, your focus is naturally locked on the commercial interests of your client’s business. There are many creative ways that you may use to ensure tax efficiency and ongoing commercial success for your client’s business ventures. But there is also a silent and potentially destructive variable to consider that rarely appears on your client’s balance sheet: the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985. Without even realising it, your standard corporate maneuvers can trigger catastrophic family law consequences for your clients. By reshaping a company’s capital structure, you may inadvertently transform a completely protected, excluded pre-marital asset into “matrimonial …

Regulatory Update | UK Immigration Sponsorship Compliance In brief: On 20 April 2026, the Home Office has published revised sponsor guidance clarifying that right to work checks are required for workers a sponsor employs or sponsors and removing earlier wording that had extended the apparent scope to certain unsponsored workers. Sponsors should consider whether internal guidance, training and compliance processes require updating in light of the change. The Home Office has reissued the principal sponsor guidance documents, together with the glossary and Appendix D, in a further update to sponsor compliance guidance. The publication appears to reverse a material change …

Data is increasingly being treated as an important business asset in corporate transactions. Whether a business is being acquired, involved in a merger, seeking investment, or undergoing restructuring, the type and quality of the data it holds can have an impact on valuation, how the deal is negotiated and what happens post‑completion. But data behaves very differently from traditional assets, creating unique challenges for everyone involved in the transaction. Data isn’t “owned” in the traditional sense, and its use is heavily regulated Unlike other assets, data can’t be owned outright. Instead, businesses usually hold a bundle of rights to use, …

For years glasses which could secretly film others and perform facial recognition, cross-referencing individuals’ social media content were the preserve of James Bond and Ethan Hunt. No longer. The release of smart glasses by Meta and a number of other players in the AI market has changed the landscape and offered those of us with a more sedate lifestyle the chance to experience a little of the spy world. With that, however, comes concern about privacy and how recordings made using the glasses will be shared with others. The issues raised by filming in public places is not new. Particularly, …