Ashurst Legal Outlook Podcast

Workplace relationships are nothing new but, for UK employers, the stakes have never been higher. In this episode we pinpoint risk and compliance issues to watch out for.

Close relationships at work are a fact of life, but they can be notoriously tricky for employees and employers to navigate. And if something goes wrong, there can be far reaching legal, reputational and regulatory impacts for employers.

In this episode of The Employment Exchange podcast, Ashurst Perkins Coie partner and Head of Employment, UK & Europe, Ruth Buchanan, is joined by colleagues Sarah-Jane Gemmell and Katharine Foster, pinpoint some of the issues, risks and unintended consequences that employers need to be prepared for. In just 20 minutes, this episode covers:

• How hybrid working has “muddied the waters” for employers
• The hallmarks of an effective workplace relationships policy that balances employees’ privacy with the employer’s legitimate interests. (As Kate puts it: “Document everything.”)
• Power imbalances, consent, and the risks of favoritism, harassment, discrimination, victimization and constructive dismissal claims
• Legal and regulatory changes to help prevent sexual harassment – including increased employer accountability from October this year under the Employment Rights Act 2025
• How employers should respond when a relationship is declared, creates a conflict in reporting lines, or comes to an end
• Common mistakes to avoid and mitigate against.

Hear the episode by searching for “Legal Outlook by Ashurst Perkins Coie” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player. And find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/podcasts.

Newsflash: We’ve just launched The Employment Exchange, which brings together all the latest insights and updates from Ashurst Perkins Coie’s UK employment team.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The independent review into Australia’s Closing Loopholes reforms has landed, and it brings little comfort for employers. In this episode of Industrious Conversations, we pinpoint some of the major findings that business leaders should be across.

Ashurst Perkins Coie partners Shelley Williams and Peter McNulty discuss what the review had to say about:

• wage compliance and the criminalisation of wage theft;
• the employee definition changes; and
• the intractable bargaining regime’s “no less favourable” constraint.

They also preview the Labor Party’s 2026 draft national platform, including its focus on full employment, portability of entitlements and psychosocial hazards.

Overall, Peter reflects: “The Loopholes review really recognises that there are significant burdens and complexities [for employers] arising from this new legislation but, for the large part, [the review] recognises that … these changes were designed to impose greater burdens on employers.” Searching for upsides, Peter adds that “the commentary on the ‘no less favourable’ test is probably where there is one glimmer of hope for employers coming out of the review.”

Hear the full story by searching “Legal Outlook by Ashurst Perkins Coie” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. Find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/podcasts

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our next episode of the Ashurst Perkins Coie Women in Tech podcast, host Denae Erasmus is joined by Luisa de Gouveia, Head of Legal Operations at Sky, to explore the evolving impact of AI in legal operations.

Luisa begins by sharing the story of her career journey — from technology and media transactions authority to her current role leading Legal Operations at Sky. Central to that journey is Luisa's experience of living and working with a chronic repetitive strain injury. Luisa speaks openly about the realities of navigating a demanding legal career with a chronic condition and how it has fundamentally changed the way she works.

In this episode we focus on key questions shaping the future of legal operations — legal design, systems thinking and how the rise of AI is forcing legal teams to rethink not just what they do, but how and why they do it. What happens when lawyers stop doing the work and start designing how it gets done? And what does it really take to redesign the way a legal team works?

Luisa also shares her advice for legal operations leaders who want to position themselves as true strategic partners. From building credibility to managing expectations, she offers her perspective on what it takes to deliver lasting change — and how small, honest wins can build something lasting.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you work on Australia’s data center infrastructure, you’ll already be familiar with the energy and infrastructure pressures that come along with that. The question is: Can our energy system keep pace with the nation’s escalating demand?

In the first of this two-part episode of Here Today, Here Tomorrow we go in search of answers. Ashurst Perkins Coie’s Alexandra Peace is joined by colleagues Kate Muller and Mike Webb to discuss how data center operators can meet government expectations to provide their own power and offset demand with renewables. They also consider how to bridge the funding gap, how to withstand grid disturbances, and how the current regulatory framework may no longer be fit for purpose.

Listen to this episode by searching “Legal Outlook by Ashurst Perkins Coie” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player. Find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s energy story is being rewritten by data center developers – and in this episode, we offer a sneak peek at how the next chapters will play out. From procurement risks to fresh revenue opportunities, we examine the issues developers should watch out for.

This is the second of a two-part episode of Here Today, Here Tomorrow, our regular podcast mini-series about data centers around the globe. You’ll hear from Ashurst Perkins Coie real estate partner Alexandra Peace and project partners Kate Muller and Mike Webb about how data center operators are not only buying power in Australia’s energy ecosystem – but also generating it too.

Along the way, the trio discuss the growth of renewables in the energy mix, through a mix of retail contracts, sleeved and virtual PPAs, and wholesale market exposure. They explain how behind-the-meter batteries and power generation open up new revenue lines and joint venture opportunities. And they consider one of the great conundrums for the data center energy equation: that flat, round-the-clock demand helps soak cheap daytime solar energy but adds pressure during peak times.

Listen to this episode by searching “Legal Outlook by Ashurst Perkins Coie” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. Find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashurst Perkins Coie partners Ian Bolster, Head of APAC Dispute Resolution and Class Actions, and Tihana Zuk, a consumer and competition law specialist and Regional Sector Leader, Technology discuss the intersection of class actions and Australian consumer law. Together, they explain why consumer law claims are well suited to class action proceedings and explore recent developments involving product defects, consumer guarantees, unfair contract terms and emerging unfair trading practices reforms.

The discussion also considers the role of the ACCC, the growing litigation risk facing businesses that operate at scale, and the practical governance, compliance and complaints handling measures that can help prevent issues escalating into class actions.

To listen, search for "Legal Outlook" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast platform. You can also explore the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurst.com/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in law or practice, or to cover every aspect of the topics discussed. Listeners should obtain legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

M&A transactions have become increasingly complex over the past decade in a number of ways. Regulatory conditions in particular have become more prevalent and introduce additional execution risk.

In the latest podcast, Harry and Hayley speak with antitrust and competition law authority, Chris Eberhardt, to get his thoughts on how the UK and EU merger control landscape has evolved and how this is impacting UK public M&A.

The episode is intended to sit alongside, and complement, our quarterly publication which is available on our website. The publication looks at key highlights and market developments in the second quarter, as well as relevant legal and regulatory developments. The publication also includes tables summarizing the key features of firm offer announcements made during the quarter.

To listen to this and to subscribe to future episodes in our Takeover Talks miniseries search for “Ashurst Perkins Coie Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst Perkins Coie podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/en/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships are at the heart of successful structured leverage transactions. In this episode we discuss what makes the right financing partner, how borrowers should assess potential providers, and the key commercial and structural factors to consider.

As the European structured leverage market continues to mature, relationships are becoming just as important as legal documentation. But what separates a good financing partner from the right one?

Ashurst Perkins Coie partner Ruth Harris and AJ Storton, Partner at Art Capital, are joined by special guests Farrah Brown, Head of Debt Capital Markets, Europe, and Shawn Kaufman, Head of Debt Capital Markets, Americas, at Nuveen Real Estate. Drawing on their experience of both the European and U.S. markets, they discuss what borrowers should prioritize when selecting a structured leverage provider and how the market is evolving.

The conversation explores the importance of strategic relationships, operational alignment and track record, alongside key structuring considerations including warehouse facilities, advance rates, consent rights, mark-to-market provisions and recourse. The panel also compares the more established U.S. market with Europe's rapidly developing landscape and considers what increasing competition among providers means for borrowers.

As referenced by Ruth watch some useful 101 videos on the CREFC website.

To listen, search for "Ashurst Perkins Coie Legal Outlook" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast platform. You can also explore the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurstperkinscoie.com/en/podcasts/

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the most transformative shift in UK employment law in a generation. For boards of organisations with UK employees, there’s a lot to get to grips with.

In this episode, host Will Chalk is joined by Ashurst colleagues Crowley Woodford and Ruth Buchanan to unpack what the Employment Rights Act means in practice.

Crowley certainly doesn’t sugarcoat the scale of the impact: “It's no exaggeration that the Employment Rights Act is probably the most fundamental change in employment rights since the Thatcher era”. With that in mind, this episode covers a lot of ground in a short space of time.

Crowley pinpoints the changes to unfair dismissal as hugely significant, and outlines two changes of particular note for boards. In particular, he says that boards should consider preparing themselves for greater litigation risks when terminating highly paid employees. And he suggests some steps to mitigate these risks.

The Act also presents new corporate obligations in relation to sexual harassment. Ruth highlights governance issues for boards, as the compliance bar rises for organisations: “Employers are going to have to take the steps that are going to be specified in the regulations, but also take all other preventative steps that are reasonable in the circumstances.” Ruth suggests steps such as conducting risk assessments, publishing relevant policies and plans, establishing reporting mechanisms, and ensuring robust, proper complaints-handling procedures, etc.

And the big changes don’t stop there!

In short: this episode is an absolute must-listen for directors of organisations with UK employees. It will be 20 minutes very well spent.

To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes in our governance mini-series, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurst.com/podcasts.

To receive updates and alerts on the issues raised in this podcast mini-series, subscribe to Ashurst’s regular Governance and Compliance Updates.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions. Please note that this episode was recorded before the King's Speech was delivered on 13 May 2026 which, contrary to all predictions, did not contain legislation to take forward disability end ethnicity pay gap reporting legislation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan are joined by special guest Emma Rapaport, Co-Editor of the Australian Financial Review's famed (and feared) Street Talk column.

Emma reflects on Street Talk's reputation and influence in the Australian market, the unique role it plays, and the responsibility that comes with it.

She unpacks a day in the life of a Street Talk journalist - including how sources and stories are managed on a daily basis.

Finally, Emma offers some observations on where the market is at, some brights spots to keep an eye on and the importance of sentiment in driving market activity more generally.

Watch all of our episodes in the Ahead of the Deal series here. For more information about our global corporate practice, visit our Corporate and M&A page.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.