Law and business news round-up: Fortnums v Aldi, Italian politics, Brexit, Tata Steel, Sports Direct
updated on 08 December 2016
One of the main areas of discussion during the ”Law firm as a business” panel at NationalLawLIVE last week (and likely to also feature at CityLawLIVE tomorrow) was the defining characteristics of a good commercial lawyer. Having a sense of the business world in which your clients operate is key to your success; start now with these:
- Is there a rivalry brewing between Fortnum & Mason – the undisputed leader in the field of Christmas hampers – and Aldi, which has launched its version? Fortnums claims not to be too worried, emboldened by a 20% sales rise.
- Following the referendum defeat and resignation of the Italian prime minister at the weekend, shares in Italian banks fell and the markets wobbled.
- In the week when the Supreme Court has been hearing the case against Article 50 being triggered (watch it live here), the EU’s chief negotiator has declared that Brexit must happen by October 2018.
- Tata Steel has agreed with unions that the Port Talbot steel works will remain open, saving 8,000 jobs that have been at risk of disappearing since the company announced in March 2016 that it would be sold.
- Troubled Sports Direct takes another hit, with news that its pre-tax profits have fallen by 57%.
Be sure to check the News section every Thursday for this weekly commercial news round-up. Follow @LawCareersNetUK on Twitter and like us on Facebook for instant business news updates.
