Expert Analysis

• UK Unexplained Wealth Orders: More Bark Than Bite So Far

  

  This month, the U.K. National Crime Agency successfully resisted a challenge to its first unexplained wealth orders. This is a victory, but the agency has some way to go to show that UWOs will be a meaningful tool in the U.K.'s anti-money laundering arsenal, says Fred Saugman of WilmerHale.

• GDPR Compliance Questions For Blockchain Firms

  

  The General Data Protection Regulation applies to blockchain networks that directly store personal information. However, blockchain technology can make compliance challenging, and also raises questions regarding who bears responsibility for compliance, say attorneys at Covington & Burling LLP.

• Knowledge Management: An Unsung Hero Of Legal Innovation

  

  As technology evolves, law firms are increasingly looking for ways to improve communication, transparency and service for their clients. Firms should put knowledge management at the core of their value proposition to create a competitive advantage, says Rob MacAdam at HighQ.

• Uncertainty Concerning The UK's Proper Purpose Rule?

  

  The U.K. Supreme Court's judgment in Eclairs v. JKX seemingly opened the door for a broad interpretation of the proper purpose rule, but despite the confusion, the rule will continue to operate as a useful legal safeguard for shareholders, say Nick Hoffman and Conal Keane of Harney Westwood & Riegels LLP.

• How Europe's AML Regime Is Tackling Virtual Currencies

  

  The use and provision of virtual currency services have remained largely unregulated in the European Union, but its newest anti-money laundering directive could be the first step to tougher regulation, say Chris Warren-Smith and Paul Mesquitta of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

• UK Ruling Signifies Greater Cross-Border Sharing Of Data

  

  In KBR v. SFO, the U.K. High Court confirmed that the Serious Fraud Office can require foreign companies to produce documents held outside the U.K. as long as there is a sufficient connection between the company and the jurisdiction. This judgment will embolden other agencies with similar compulsory document production powers, says Andrew Smith of Corker Binning.

• Why Law Firms Should Monitor The Dark Web

  

  Dark web monitoring allows law firms to see what sensitive information may have made its way onto the thriving global underground marketplace where cybercriminals buy and sell exposed data. It can also help lawyers advise clients on a wide range of legal and business matters, say Anju Chopra and Brian Lapidus of Kroll.

• Lessons From UK's Data Backlash

  

  Tesco Bank and British Airways are the latest British icons to find themselves in legal difficulties regarding data breaches, exemplifying the breadth of breach-related risks beyond the established route of the Information Commissioner's Office, says Kim Roberts of King & Spalding LLP.

• Tech, Media, Telecom Investor-State Arbitration Is On The Rise

  

  Disputes between foreign investors from the technology, media and telecommunications sector and host states are a substantial feature of the investor-state claims landscape. The recent growth of investor-state arbitrations in this sector could be explained by several factors, says Florencia Villaggi of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

• Treat GDPR Compliance As A Marriage, Not A Wedding

  

  Earlier this year, many businesses were so focused on ensuring that their privacy notices and customer lists were compliant by May 25 that they forgot that General Data Protection Regulation D-Day was just the first day of a new regime, rather than a one-day event, say Ben Pilbrow and Joanna Boag-Thomson of Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP.

• New UK And US Regimes May Deter Foreign Investment

  

  Newly proposed U.K. rules and the amended regime for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will radically change how the two governments review sensitive transactions, which will affect the likelihood of deal clearance, deal timing and the drafting of appropriate contractual provisions, say Robert Bell and Jennifer Mammen of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

• UK Employees May Soon Gain The 'Right To Disconnect'

  

  Several European countries have recently incorporated the "right to disconnect" from work into their domestic legislation. Currently, there is no equivalent law in the U.K., but as stress levels continue to rise, it is likely that U.K. legislators will follow suit, says Sarah King of Excello Law.

• Q&A

  A Chat With Faegre Client Development Chief Melanie Green

  

  In this monthly series, Amanda Brady of Major Lindsey & Africa interviews management from top law firms about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Melanie Green, chief client development officer at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.

• UK's Proposed Investment Scrutiny Powers Are Far-Reaching

  

  The recently issued National Security and Investment White Paper proposes a significant expansion in the U.K. government's powers to scrutinize foreign investments. If the proposals are brought into force, the U.K. regime will be one of the most stringent in the world, say Douglas Lahnborg and Matthew Rose of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

• Relief For Cos. Conducting UK Internal Investigations

  

  After almost a year and a half of uncertainty, the U.K. Court of Appeal has restored the eminently sensible position that documents created in an internal investigation are capable of being covered by litigation privilege when a criminal investigation or prosecution is in prospect, say Simon Airey and Joshua Domb of Paul Hastings LLP.