Insights

At a private meeting in Beijing before the covid-19 pandemic, President Xi Jinping confided to a visiting foreign guest that there were two things which kept him awake at night. The first, China falling into the middle-income trap. The second, China going to war with the US “by accident”. The latter concern of Xi could not be more pertinent in the wake of…

For many living in the US and the UK, encountering crumbling and inadequate infrastructure is a daily part of life. Yet, the tide may be turning. Last month's G20 Summit saw a large commitment to international infrastructure investment, and the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a rare bipartisan victory for US President Joe Biden. Why is…

As temperatures soar across the globe, Democrats in Congress have woven together a party-line package to help achieve President Biden’s goal of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), likely to emerge from Congress this summer assuming Democrats can manage their fragile 50-vote Senate majority, has the potential to complete a…

Welcome to the first episode of a new mini-series exploring the NHS's adoption of Integrated Care Systems, presented by the Global Counsel Health and Life Sciences practice.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may discourage federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from aggressively pushing for innovative policies and regulations to tackle politically charged problems that impact the nation. By deciding that the EPA’s attempts…

On this episode of Top in Tech, we are crossing the Atlantic to explore recent policy developments in the US and UK. First, Senior Practice Director Conan D'Arcy speaks to Senior Associate Ugonma Nwankwo about the CHIPS Act, America's long-delayed semiconductor production bill, and the narrowing political window to pass it. Then, we are joined by Associate Josh Bates…

In a landmark move, a US federal data privacy bill was reported out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee last week – the first time a consumer privacy bill has ever made it out of committee. It is timely - the landscape in the US surrounding tech companies’ collection and use of consumer data has never been more active. In recent years, voters have grown…

The use of targets as a policy tool hasn’t always been effective, to say the least. 

In what has proved to be one of the most consequential terms in recent decades, the US Supreme Court capped its 2021-2022 term by issuing a decision in West Virginia v. EPA, a case centred around the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the US power sector. The decision once again reflected the now-fully-formed…

After less than two weeks of campaigning, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have emerged as the two candidates vying to replace outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The 180,000 members of the Conservative Party will now choose between the two over the summer. 

Welcome to the first episode of Top in Tech's monthly in-conversation series, where Senior Practice Director Conan D'Arcy will be interviewing the policymakers, thought-leaders and industry experts on the cutting-edge of tech policy and regulation. Stay tuned for our regular expert panel in two weeks' time!

There is an unusual and unfamiliar mood in the Labour Party these days: optimism. Labour has held an unbroken lead over the Conservatives in the polls for the past seven months. Since autumn of last year, Labour leader Keir Starmer has led Boris Johnson on perceptions of who would make the best Prime Minister. Labour has pulled more or less level with the Conservatives on…

The “trilemma” is putting the solidarity of European energy policy to the test. Member states are scrambling to shore up the security of supply for the winter, energy bills are rising, and the imperative to accelerate decarbonisation remains. 

Over the last few years, there has been increasing recognition of the impact of climate change on financial performance and a proliferation of disclosure regulations as a result. Whilst reporting on climate-related financial risks is now being mandated across a range of jurisdictions, expanding the scope of these frameworks to include the risks posed by biodiversity…

Amidst the uncertainty of the Conservative leadership race, one of the most hotly-contested debates Boris Johnson’s successor will have to address is that surrounding the future of the BBC’s licence fee. While the BBC has historically opposed moves to abolish the licence fee, Director General Tim Davie recently signalled a change in tack at the broadcaster, suggesting in…

Welcome back to ''The geopolitics of'', our new podcast mini-series exploring geopolitics in the modern age.

Last week, the European Parliament approved the texts of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, the EU’s flagship laws dealing with online content and online competition. Not only were they adopted by broad consensus, but they were adopted in record time – by EU standards, at least. As we come towards the summer break, and the natural breather before the next…

At a conference in Lugano earlier this week, Ukraine’s government presented its post-war recovery roadmap – estimated to cost up to $750bn – to dozens of countries and international organisations. While Ukraine’s western partners remain hesitant about using confiscated Russian state and oligarch assets to largely fund the reconstruction, it is in any case clear that a…