News

The Government has announced that the new Procurement Regulations will come into force in the UK on 26 February. The new Regulations will make some important to changes to public procurement in the UK. It will be important for all of our contracting authority clients (which include Registered Providers and Local Authorities) to understand how the current regime will change, and what these changes will mean for them in practice.

Devonshires are pleased to welcome Matthew Webb, Brian Hearne and Krissun Soodin to the Real Estate & Projects team.

The impending government reforms to judicial review (JR) are a timely reminder of the importance of the procedure to regulators. A Special Report, produced by Devonshires Solicitors demonstrates that JR is not always welcome, and for smaller regulators in particular, it can prove a costly exercise. But equally JR can confer real benefits in endorsing a regulatory approach and bringing certainty to the regulator and regulated alike.

In December 2013 Acas consulted on changes to its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures (the Code) to reflect the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT)’s ruling in Toal v GB Oils.

Devonshires’ Banking Governance and Corporate Team have acted for Paragon Community Housing Group in the first RP bond deal to be completed in 2015.

Devonshires is acting for Dolphin Square Foundation on its registration of a new registered provider with the Homes and Communities Agency. Dolphin Square is itself a registered charity and has recently acquired the New Era estate.

As part of the trend of those operating within the housing sector looking to explore new exciting opportunities, Devonshires Solicitors has recently acted on behalf of Spectrum Housing Group in relation to a joint venture with Galliford Try in relation to a development of a 1,600 housing scheme with associated infrastructure worth a reported £400m over a period of 20 years.

The Devonshires Banking and Governance Team acted for Jephson in connection with its complex merger with Raglan Housing. The merger has resulted in the creation of the new Stonewater organisation, one of the largest social housing providers in England, with an estimated annual turnover of around £160m.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has now confirmed that there is no general principle of EU law which prohibits discrimination on grounds of obesity. Therefore obesity can be considered a disability under EU law in the case of Kaltoft v Municipality of Bilund. For our analysis of the Advocate General’s opinion click here.