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Mackrell International (MI), the global legal network of which BTO is a long‑standing member, has been ranked Band 1 in the Chambers Global Guide for the 14th consecutive year, as BTO prepares to represent Scotland, UK at the network’s annual general meeting in Munich later this month. This continued recognition reflects the strength, quality and collaboration of firms across the network and is based on independent research and client and peer feedback across more than 190 jurisdictions. BTO is pleased to be part of a community that consistently operates at the highest level internationally. Keith Heddle, MD of MI, commented: …

Few phrases in employment law carry quite the same weight as “gross misconduct”. It sounds definitive – the sort of behaviour that makes dismissal not just justified, but inevitable. The reality is less clear-cut. “Gross misconduct” is, at the end of the day, a matter of opinion. In each case, whatever the “label” applied by an employer, the question for an employment tribunal, considering a claim of unfair dismissal, is whether the employer acted reasonably in dismissing for misconduct. Take the recent widely reported case of the Waitrose employee dismissed after intervening to stop a shoplifter. A long-serving worker, frustrated …

According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company report, AI has become a mainstream feature in the workplace, with 76% of employees using it by 2025, up from 30% in 2023. It is reshaping not only how work is performed, but also the nature of tasks and decision-making. For employers across the UK, this shift introduces significant legal risks and requires a more proactive and structured approach to governance. The use of AI in the workplace raises a range of legal concerns. In particular, the “red lines” for deploying AI in HR functions centre on discrimination and bias, data protection and …

Artificial intelligence is continuing to evolve and remains a buzzword in many businesses around the UK. The UK Government’s recent ‘AI Skills for Life and Work: General Public Survey Findings’ found that 73% of the public have used AI in their day-to-day life (as at the date of the survey). Despite developments in technology and increased use, there is currently no general statutory regulation of AI in the UK and there is no centralised AI regulator in place. Instead, the UK relies on existing regulators and legislation to govern the use of AI in the UK. This article focuses on …

On 6 March 2026, the Home Office issued substantial updates to the sponsor guidance, marking one of the most significant tightening of compliance standards in recent years. The reforms introduce a new eligible role test, strengthen reporting obligations, expand salary compliance rules, and impose express duties relating to worker welfare. For sponsor licence holders, the changes materially heighten compliance risk and necessitate urgent review of internal HR, payroll, and governance procedures. The UK sponsorship system has long relied on a model of shared responsibility between sponsors and the Home Office. While the regime has always imposed rigorous duties, historic enforcement …

As the end of the financial year approaches, employers are once again preparing for a series of annual adjustments affecting payroll, HR processes and statutory payments. April is always a key point in the employment law calendar, but this year is particularly significant due to the wider reforms introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025, many of which begin to take effect over the coming months. The annual changes to compensation limits and statutory payments for the forthcoming tax year (April 2026 to April 2027) have now been published. The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2026 was made on …

Flexible working has shifted from a workplace perk to an expected norm and flexibility is increasingly used as a tool to support recruitment, improve retention and promote employee wellbeing. Recent research into post-pandemic workplace patterns shows that flexible working has now become a core part of many businesses organisational strategy with hybrid arrangements now embedded in many sectors. Young workers continue to express a preference for hybrid working over a fully remote model. They value flexibility but also recognise the benefits of being physically present in the workplace. What are an employer’s obligations? It is an area of employment law …

When parents separate, few issues are as emotionally charged as child contact. Many people come into the process with assumptions about how the law works, what they are entitled to, and how decisions by the court will be made. No two cases are the same, and sometimes you will get advice from a well-meaning friend or family member who had a different set of circumstances. Unfortunately, some of these incorrect assumptions can make an already difficult situation even harder. In this blog post we will go over some of the most common things parents get wrong about child contact cases …