This week’s commercial news round-up has stories spanning across technology politics and the economy to keep you in the loop and help build your commercial awareness.

The first ever National Paralegal Day took place last week, marked by celebrations held at the House of Commons. 

How are robotics and automation fated for the retail industry?

What opportunities and threats does rising environmental awareness among consumers present for companies?

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s admittance into hospital, in a government briefing earlier this week Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab claimed it is too early to consider how the UK will exit the current coronavirus lockdown. As the UK heads into the Easter bank holiday weekend and nears the end of its third week in lockdown, here are the top news stories from the business and legal world.

Lightsource Renewable Energy has recently been granted SRA accreditation to take on trainees, joining a small group of companies in the United Kingdom that offer in-house training contracts.

In a recent report, Shoosmiths found that 82% of in-house senior lawyers expect to increase spending on legal disputes over the next three years.

Some 36 BBC employees are working toward CILEx qualifications through an in-house scheme at the corporation.

Following a campaign by in-house lawyer and blogger Emma Lilley, the Law Society has agreed to trial regional admission ceremonies in a bid to improve access. 

The University of Law has launched a new full-fees scholarship which will fund one student from a low-income household a year through their studies.

A new strategic partnership unveiled between BT and DWF could see in-house lawyers at the telecoms giant move across to work for DWF, a first for the international firm that recently floated on the stock market.

Last week, law firms and legal departments across the country promoted legal apprenticeship vacancies as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Barking and Dagenham Council has become the first council to take on solicitor apprentices in-house.

This week’s selection of headline-grabbing business news runs the spectrum from large-scale infrastructure projects to tumbling profits at household brand names and on to pension rule changes. For more detail, read on.

Contentious construction work involves the resolution of disputes by way of litigation, mediation, adjudication or arbitration.

Global law firm Clyde & Co is introducing a six-month trainee seat in its in-house data lab from March 2020.

Lawyers working in London are continuing to see their salaries rise year on year, according to a recent salary survey by international consultancy company Robert Walters.

The business world is waiting for important news from the Bank of England, which later today is expected to raise interest rates for only the second time in a decade. Investors are betting that the Bank’s monetary policy committee will increase rates from 0.5% to 0.75%, which would reap benefits for savers and affect millions of loans and mortgages.

HM Revenue and Customs and Carillion Advice Service have both separately announced the expansion of their legal apprenticeship programmes, as legal apprenticeships continue to take off among law firms and companies’ in-house legal teams. 

The big news from this week has to be Sports Direct founder (and all-round nice guy) Mike Ashley snatching up troubled department store House of Fraser mere minutes after it announced its collapse into administration last Friday morning.