Law and business: commercial news round-up 21.01.16
updated on 21 January 2016
The high-level chit-chat taking place between politicians and business leaders in Davos this week at the annual World Economic Forum is expected to cover eight key themes, with delegates looking at robots, gender equality and terrorism. For other thought-provoking business stories, here is our weekly collection:
- BT’s takeover of EE – valued at £12.5 billion – was given the go-ahead by the Competition and Markets Authority, assured as it was that the deal would not be detrimental for UK consumers.
- Homebase is to be rebranded as Bunnings, having been bought by Australian company Wesfarmer for £340 million.
- Tata Steel confirmed that it plans to cut 1,000 jobs, 750 from Port Talbot alone. The company also made significant cuts last year, in the face of a “flood of cheap imports, particularly from China”.
- In other depressing job-loss news, Pearson (the world’s largest education publisher) has announced that it is to cut 4,000 jobs as part of a regime that is designed to try and save £350 million by the end of 2017.
- The poor old black cab was dealt another blow in the High Court (following last October’s Uber decision) when the judge ruled that they are “devoid of inherent unique character” and new eco-cabs of a similar shape should be able to operate.
- Nestlé must be feeling similarly aggrieved, as the courts have said that the four-fingered shape of its KitKat is not protectable.
Be sure to check the News section every Thursday for this weekly commercial news round-up. Follow @LawCareersNetUK and @CityLawLIVE on Twitter for instant business news updates.
