The UK government has abandoned its proposal for a 'day one' unfair dismissal right and will instead reduce the qualifying period to six months. Additionally, the existing cap on compensation for unfair dismissal may be increased or removed. The fifth instalment of our Beyond the ERB series sets out our thoughts on the likely implications for employers, including a likely increase in employment tribunal claims, and an ongoing need to ensure that comprehensive onboarding and performance management processes are in place. For more details, read our latest blog: https://okt.to/8qOezJ ✍️ Holly Insley | Amy Rentell | Eva Moore
About us
Freshfields is a global firm with over 280 years’ experience of anticipating change, setting new standards and shaping the future of law. In a complex world where new opportunities evolve quickly, we are a trusted, forward-thinking partner who can give clients the edge and help propel their ambitions. At Freshfields we are steadfast champions of our clients—that’s why leading global companies turn to us when it matters most. We are proud to be recognised as a top-tier leader in the practice areas most important to clients around the world today. We bring bold thinking, deep expertise and the latest capabilities to help clients make critical decisions, prepare for new opportunities, and tackle unprecedented matters. When opportunities stretch across borders, we connect clients with experts and advisors from across our global team. We are deeply committed to making a positive impact for our clients, our communities and the people we serve, and we are transparent about our efforts to drive change. --- Freshfields has offices in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America and Vietnam.
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http://www.freshfields.com
External link for Freshfields
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- Law Practice
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- 5,001-10,000 employees
- Headquarters
- London, England
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- 1743
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Updates
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Our Inside Infrastructure Forum, featuring Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, highlighted that long-term infrastructure planning requires sustained political consensus and stability to succeed, advocating for cross-government thinking and consistent policy to transcend election cycles. Our latest blog wraps up the Forum and what our guests shared about global investments in the UK, ESG and Net Zero and the 2025 Autumn Budget: https://okt.to/IUq8LV
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💡The Fresh Perspectives Newsletter - our latest thinking on the legal and trending issues that matter to your business. Edition #23 features insights on: 🔹FDI and national security in the electric-vehicle era 🔹AI as a board-level imperative for public companies and investors 🔹The UK Autumn Budget 2025 🔹The UK Government’s launch consultation on an offsets regime for the defence sector 🔹Germany’s implementation of the EU’s new gas and hydrogen framework Read now and subscribe to stay informed. 👇
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At the 2025 British Legal Awards, we have been recognised in five categories, highlighting the breadth of our strategic progress, global leadership and commitment to innovation across different areas: 🏆 Editor’s Choice Firm of the Year 🏆 Restructuring Team of the Year 🏆 Capital Markets Team of the Year 🏆 Outstanding Collaboration 🏆 Social Impact Thank you to our incredible teams and valued clients for making these wins possible. Learn more about the industry accolades we have received this year: https://okt.to/FK1LoD
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The UK Chancellor’s much anticipated Autumn Budget 2025 included a large array of tax measures. Our London tax team discuss the most significant business tax measures and their implications in our latest podcast, including: 🔹 headline tax revenue raising measures including extending the freeze on income tax/NICs thresholds and raising income tax rates on dividend, savings and property income; 🔹 the introduction of a new ‘UK listing relief’ from SDRT, providing a 3 year exemption from the 0.5% SDRT charge on agreements to transfer securities of newly listed companies on a UK regulated market; 🔹 changes to the capital allowances regime, including a new 40% first-year allowance and reduction of writing down allowances for main rate expenditure; 🔹 broadening an anti-avoidance rule applicable to capital gains rollover relief on share exchanges and reorganisations; and 🔹 confirmation that an ‘Advance Tax Certainty Service’ for major investment projects in the UK will be launched in July 2026. Listen now: Spotify > https://okt.to/mOBpIF Apple > https://okt.to/X1Ewxr Web > https://okt.to/wtKDaz
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At the 2025 Lexology Index Awards, we won Firm of the Year in 3 categories and Partner Frank Montag received the Competition Lawyer of the Year award for the 14th time. 👏 We have won in these categories gaining continuous recognition for our work over the years: 🏆 Competition Law Firm of the Year (21x winner) 🏆 Arbitration Law Firm of the Year (16x winner) 🏆 M&A Law Firm of the Year (9x winner) The Lexology Index Awards were previously known as the Who’s Who Legal Awards.
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With ransomware attacks a persistent and growing threat, robust incident response is no longer optional. Cybersecurity Docket’s upcoming Incident Response Forum Ransomware 2025 will feature our Partners Megan Kayo and Timothy Howard, joining legal and compliance professionals in panel discussions to highlight key defense, offense and remediation strategies for businesses facing ransomware attacks. Learn more: https://okt.to/7sjo2I 📅 December 4, 2025 📍Online Only
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The legal landscape for data is evolving rapidly - and no market is immune. From expanding AI oversight to new limits on data transfers, these shifts are redefining risk management and growth opportunities for organizations globally. Our 2026 Data law trends report is your essential guide to navigating the next wave of regulatory change. Read it now to stay informed, stay ahead and prepare for the future: https://okt.to/n301Et
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The European Commission is moving to revisit consumer protection in the digital space with its proposed Digital Fairness Act. For e-commerce businesses, this could lead to major changes in how personalized advertising is handled, how prices are shown, or how user interfaces are designed. We unpack the potential new changes and what they could mean for your business in our latest blog: https://okt.to/StbeDY
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We are ranked as a Global Elite and Leading cross-border coordinator in the 2026 International Employment Lawyer Elite guide, recognised for our demonstrated mastery of cross-border mandates and a depth of skill across a broad spectrum of advisory, disputes and transactional work. This guide highlights firms at the forefront of employment law, and this distinction is reflective of the continued trust our clients place in us. To learn more about our world-leading employment law capabilities visit https://okt.to/VQZTSz
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