Wedlake Bell Insights

    • Insights
    • Feb 2, 2026

    The Employment Rights Act: what’s already in and what’s coming up first

    On Royal Assent – December 2025 The ERA 2025 repealed the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which previously allowed the Secretary of State to set minimum service levels for strikes in “relevant services”, such as health, transport and education.

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    • Insights
    • Jan 21, 2026

    Under the hammer – the auction process in M&A

    STAGE 1: Auction opening and indicative offers The starting point in M&A auctions is usually the preparation of an information memorandum by the seller about the target and the opportunity to acquire it. This is circulated – subject to a

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    • Insights
    • Dec 8, 2025

    Selling your business: 5 steps to optimise your exit strategy

    Below are five essential steps to help you maximise value and minimise risk during your business sale. 1. Start Planning Early Where possible, exit planning should start years before you intend to sell.  Early preparation gives you the flexibility to

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    • Pensions Compass
    • Oct 1, 2025

    Part 2 – Key Wedlake Bell international pensions and employee benefit projects

    Project Nemo: navigating global pension complexities in a share sale Project Nemo involved WB and i-Global Law acting for a US-headquartered cloud computing specialist in the Sale of its global communications division to a leading provider of share registration services.

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    • Pensions Compass
    • Oct 1, 2025

    Part 3 – Inheritance Tax and Pensions

    HMRC’s draft legislation issued on 21 July 2025 for Technical Consultation features the points of principle in the adjacent box. Many comments have been made in response to the Consultation. We now await the Finance Bill which may contain changes.

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    • Insights
    • Oct 1, 2025

    Part 4 – Pensions Ready Reckoner October 2025

    PARLIAMENT Effective Date Effect Bills (and Acts not yet in force) FINANCE BILL 2025/2026 HMRC published draft IHT legislation on 21 July 2025 The Bill will be introduced in Parliament following the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget on 26 November 2025 including

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    • Insights
    • Sep 9, 2025

    The implementation of compulsory identity verification: Autumn 2025

    Who needs to verify? The ID-V regime will apply to all new and existing company directors (modified for other registered business vehicles), PSCs and anyone filing on behalf of UK companies. The aim of targeting these key individuals is to improve

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    • Insights
    • May 23, 2025

    Neonatal care

    On April 6, 2025, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 introduced significant changes for parents of new-borns requiring neonatal care. This new legislation aims to alleviate the stress faced by parents during challenging times, ensuring they can focus

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    • Insights
    • Apr 29, 2025

    Employment Rights Bill: Key updates and implications for employers

    The Employment Rights Bill has undergone significant amendments following extensive consultations and parliamentary debates. Here’s an overview of the key updates. ‘Right to Switch Off’ Abandoned Initially proposed as part of the “New Deal for Working People,” the right to

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