Episode 18 of our Journey Through a Contract sees Caroline Chester and Khillan Gohil consider the need to importance of entire agreement provisions within commercial contracts.

Quite often one of those tiny clauses as the back end of a document, the importance of this provision should not be under estimated and Caroline and Khillan discuss some of real risks in ignoring this or missing it from your drafting.

Listen to the podcast and send us your feedback to [email protected]

The Journey Through a Contract series is brought to you by the Commercial and Projects team at Shoosmiths, aimed at explaining the basic terms of a commercial contract.

Episode 17 of our Journey Through a Contract sees Caroline Chester and Khillan Gohil discussing the importance of variation provisions within commercial contracts

Caroline and Khillan consider the risk of not including a variation provision, the consequences of not following the requirements of any such provision and the clear benefits to including suitable wording in your contracts. What is key is that the more complex and lengthy your contract is, the more detail provisions will be needed, but as a minimum care should be taken to ensure that everyone is aware as to how a contract may be varied.

Listen to the podcast and send us your feedback to [email protected]

The Journey Through a Contract series is brought to you by the Commercial and Projects team at Shoosmiths, aimed at explaining the basic terms of a commercial contract.

FinTech is important to the financial services sector in both India and the UK. A trade agreement could facilitate FinTech growth and deepen trade between the two countries.

Kiran Desai, Head of Shoosmiths Brussels is joined by colleague Prakash Kerai to host Prashanth Ramdas of Khaitan & Co. and Jana Psarska of TechUK to discuss these three main topics:

Policy, including the UK-India 2030 vision, investments by Revolut and NPCI; the state of UK FinTech; new banking licences; digital infrastructure in India; the UK-India Fintech ‘bridge’; and regulatory co-operation perhaps similar to that between the UK and Singapore.

Digital lending, including existing regulatory business environment and complaints; the Reserve Bank of India guidelines on digital lending; UK proposals and the role of the Ombudsman.

The regulatory environment, including innovation Pathways Support; the Regulatory Sandbox; operational resilience arrangements; mutual recognition of regulatory standards; and cooperation between banks and FinTech entities.

Listen to the podcast below and send please send any questions or feedback to [email protected]

Episode 16 of our Journey Through a Contract sees Felicity Forward and Rachel Rossdale consider the need to ensure that confidentiality provisions are suitably covered within commercial contracts.

Felicity and Rachel discuss some of the key considerations to be given to confidentiality provisions including the risk of defining Confidential Information too broadly, the key things to be covered in a well drafted clause including carve outs and exclusions and ending with some thoughts on what protection there is for parties in the absence of a Confidentiality provision, if any.

Listen to the podcast and send us your feedback to [email protected]. 

The Journey Through a Contract series is brought to you by the Commercial and Projects team at Shoosmiths, aimed at explaining the basic terms of a commercial contract.”

Simon Needle, Principal Arboriculturist and Ecologist, City Design Team, Birmingham City Council

Exploring ways in which the industry (private sector) is and can currently get involved with improving the city and bringing nature back, meeting the target of the governments set target of 10% biodiversity net gain

Beyond 2027 pilot ending, defining the 25-year city nature plan and the implementation of the City of Nature Board

Explaining the platform called ‘Match My Project’

Exploring what is involved in the Urban Forest Masterplan

Explaining what is meant by the local nature recovery network, how it works and how it is linked to the Environment Act 2021 and the Make Space for Nature Report

Simon Needle, Principal Arboriculturist and Ecologist, City Design Team, Birmingham City Council

General overview of Birmingham’s City of Nature plan, bringing more elements of the environment into the city centre and explaining the incorporation of the Future Parks accelerator

Exploring how the plan will be delivered and the pilot currently in place, discussing ESG factors and the matrix of green space

Environmental justice

Exploring the pilot’s progression over its 5-year length, which started mid-2022 and biodiversity net gain

Identifying engagement with the local community and appointing green champions, consultation taking place

Exploring the no-go area idea and responsible use of the park spaces

Mark Gamble, Head of East Birmingham Development, Birmingham City Council

Exploring the council's route to net zero, becoming a key consideration to the strategy of the East Birmingham Programme

Exploring development in sustainability

Explaining how sustainable transport is being provided as part of the plan and behaviour change of its users.

Exploring impact investment

East Birmingham Rapid Policy Unit and how they want to establish the area as a centre for best practice

Road to Zero programme developing the retrofitting agenda and bringing in the private partnerships to get that done

Birmingham, describing change over 20 years

Mark Gamble, Head of East Birmingham Development, Birmingham City Council

An overview of East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Agenda strategy and what it does

An overview of East Birmingham Board & the East Birmingham Programme

Looking at involvement from the private sector and its potential impact

Exploring how access to green spaces and other environmental aspects been factored into these Birmingham plans

Explaining the Future Parks Accelerator and the City of Nature initiative

Overview of a 15-minute neighbourhood within the Future City Plan, including community engagement and pushback experienced

Focusing on Tyseley energy park and its presence being used to assist with the development of East Birmingham

Explaining Tyseley’s clean energy masterplan

Sylvia Broadley, Air Quality Manager - Energy & Transport, Planning & Regeneration, Birmingham City Council

Developing the second-hand EV car market supply, linked to battery storage and how you extend the life of the battery and have a new supply chain around that element. Costs of EV vehicles currently

Looking at the return on investment for charge points

Looking how ensuring public accessibility - hub approach between location and destination

Exploring current actions roll out plan - substantial growth rate

Identifying current phase 1 funding and how investors can get involved – new housing developments

Identifying city centre funding and office workplace grants

Identifying domestic funding for charge points

Exploring the change of user attitude and modal shift

Sylvia Broadley, Air Quality Manager - Energy & Transport, Planning & Regeneration, Birmingham City Council

Overview of the transport and connectivity inclusive growth team and the team does

Their Electric vehicle 12-year strategy roll out, aiming for 2032- overview and what is involved

Location of EV charging sites - deciding which areas are the priority for the road and how sites are picked

Difficulties faced in finding the right sites in the right public areas

Discussing Western Power Distribution providing the connections to be able to create sites

Exploring the buy-in from private owners and private companies

Looking at the use of electric vehicles as a balancing point within the grid

Exploring electric vehicle stock currently and moving forward