The aviation industry faces a host of challenges beyond the immediate and longer-term impacts of the pandemic. They cover climate change and how through the jet zero strategy, the aviation industry can meet its commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.
As a response to these challenges, the UK’s aviation regulator The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is working with the Department for Transport. Together they’re creating a single, coordinated implementation masterplan for interdependent airspace change proposals. This will support the airspace modernisation strategy delivery.
“I’m three years qualified but already I’m getting work on ground-breaking projects like this one that will have a material positive impact on people's lives, the economy and the well-being of future generations.” Victoria Searle, Associate
That strategy will modernise the design, technology, and operations of UK airspace. The CAA called on Browne Jacobson to help realise its vision to ‘deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys and more capacity for those who use or are affected by UK airspace’ by 2040.
Associate Victoria Searle is a specialist in environmental law. Having spent 10 years in the public sector, she joined Browne Jacobson to work on public sector projects of national importance like this one. “I’m three years qualified but already I’m getting work on ground-breaking projects that will have a material positive impact on people's lives, the economy and the well-being of future generations,” she commented.
Browne Jacobson has been appointed as the sole legal advisor to assist with the environmental assessment aspects of the master plan. The firm is also project managing a team of specialist external environmental consultants over a three-year project delivery period.
Victoria was given early responsibility for key aspects of the project. She also connected and guided the different stakeholders. “A big draw for me is that our firm and our team actively encourage more junior fee earners to take early responsibility for leading on projects like this one, overseen by a lead partner, and for collaborating with other key stakeholders externally and within other teams at Browne Jacobson, to find the best solutions,” says Victoria.
On this project, this includes working closely with Chartered Planner Ben Hunt. Ben is responsible for overseeing a lot of the strategic environmental assessment work. “Working with internal and external consultants means our advice is so much more pragmatic because we’re drawing on real-world experience of putting things into practice,” says Victoria. “This means that we can give our clients solutions to problems, rather than abstract advice on legal principles. Having a range of voices at the table means we can find a way forward for our client, which is so important on this project because it’s so complex."
Given the size and strategic importance of this project, Victoria and Ben are also supported by one of Browne Jacobson’s dedicated legal project managers, Paul McCannah, who forms part of the core service delivery team and is responsible for delivering the operational aspects of the project. Paul is responsible for project managing the Browne Jacobson team and the specialist environmental consultants in collaboration with the CAA, DfT and their wider stakeholders.
Environmental impact assessments are an emerging area of the law. The horizon scanning and risk screening that Victoria and her colleagues are doing is vital to the CAA creating a long-term plan to future-proof the sector. This experience also crosses into other sectors and the wider work Browne Jacobson does for corporate clients.
“Until quite recently, our environmental offering worked mainly with public authorities, but now our real estate clients and large corporate clients are asking us about the environment and what they can do to become better corporate citizens, based on our experience and the work we do on sustainability and in the public sector,” says Victoria.
Victoria sees this bridging of public and private sector work as the key to what makes Browne Jacobson stand out in the marketplace for legal services. “Our public sector clients benefit from our commercial expertise and our corporate clients benefit from the relationships we have with public authorities and the regulatory work we do. Our ability to bring the public and private sectors together, particularly where there are joint initiatives or shared challenges, is where I think Browne Jacobson is unique as a firm and where we are at our best.”
Working with the CAA is a long-term project as environmental challenges evolve, and we help them create a plan fit for the future. The goal is to reach acceptance of the master plan in 2024-25. For Victoria, the experience reinforces how important it is to work within a culture, and on the kinds of projects, that resonate with her values. “One of the best things for me about working at Browne Jacobson and with our public sector clients is when you can see your values reflected in the work you do. Future generations and the environment will benefit from our work with the CAA on this project and knowing this gives me a huge sense of purpose in coming to work every day”, she concludes.
Below are some of the questions we are regularly asked by startups, covering a range of topic areas.
UK law firm Browne Jacobson, which opened its first overseas office in Dublin in September, has outlined its strategic plans to grow its legal team over the next four years.
Bishopsgate Corporate Finance and law firm Browne Jacobson have jointly advised on the acquisition of award-winning tech solutions business, Custard Technical Services by US managers services and cyber security provider, Thrive.
In the ongoing complex litigation between Optis Cellular Technology LLC and Apple Inc., the Court of Appeal ([2022] EWCA Civ 1411) has upheld the High Court’s findings that implementers of standard-essential patents (SEPs) cannot refuse to accept a FRAND license and continue activities in the meantime which constitute infringement: that party must commit to accept a court-determined license if it wishes to avoid an injunction.
The war on plastic is being taken to a new level, and businesses that don’t consider sourcing recycled packaging materials could face costly implications.
Earlier in the year a number of fashion retailers, boldly announced the introduction of a charging fee for returning any product purchased via their online store. Yet, despite this commercial, and perhaps somewhat controversial decision, at least one major fashion giant that adopted this approach has recorded ‘historic highs’ in its September profits. Browne Jacobson partner, Cat Driscoll who heads up the firm’s commercial team in Manchester and is also head of its Fashion & Beauty sector discusses whether this change has put the average consumer off and whether the days of free returns are long gone.
A deepfake of Bruce Willis is advertising Russian mobile phones. Many great artistic and metaphysical questions are raised by this performance. However, this article is going to look at the intellectual property law implications, from a UK perspective.
The Digital Services Act (the “DSA”) has today (27 October) been given the go-ahead by the EU Council and will enter into force by early 2024.
The fashion industry has a mountain to climb when it comes to sustainability. More than 8% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the apparel and footwear industries, and approaching three-fifths of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfill within a year of being made.
Created at the end of the Brexit transition period, Retained EU Law is a category of domestic law that consists of EU-derived legislation retained in our domestic legal framework by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. This was never intended to be a permanent arrangement as parliament promised to deal with retained EU law through the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (the “Bill”).
Browne Jacobson’s corporate technology dealmakers have advised Agilico, a workplace technology business, on its acquisition of Capital Document Solutions Limited for an undisclosed amount.
The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the way businesses operate and is having a disruptive impact in sectors that have traditionally been slow to modernise.
The Chancellor’s recent mini-budget provided a significant announcement for business as it was confirmed that the off-payroll working rules (known as “IR35”) put in place for public and private sector businesses from 2017 and 2021 will be scrapped from April 2023.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published a consultation on proposals to require Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) administering authorities (AAs) in England and Wales to assess, manage and report on climate change risks.
Browne Jacobson’s specialist cleantech lawyers have advised AIM listed Clean Power Hydrogen Group Limited (CPH2) on its licence agreement with Bentec GmbH, a member of the Kenera business of the KCA Deutag Group. Kenera will manufacture CPH2’s unique membrane-free electrolysers from its facility in Bad Bentheim, Germany.
Browne Jacobson’s corporate finance lawyers have advised leading mid-market private equity firm, LDC and management on the sale of specialist managed IT services provider, Littlefish to Bowmark Capital.
The Digital Markets Act (the “DMA”) joins the dots between competition law and data protection law and actively targets data-driven platforms. It is also a comprehensive regulation to take note of, with familiar GDPR-style fines tied to turnover.
