Retail Commercial Property Market: Key Trends and 2026 Outlook
The retail commercial property sector has undergone significant changes over the past 18–24 months. Despite persistent headwinds, the sector is demonstrating renewed resilience, rising investor confidence, and notable divergence between...
Back to basics: What is a construction contract?
Most people, when asked, would be able to provide a basic description of a construction contract. An answer might be along the lines of ‘a legally binding agreement for carrying...
Streamlined routes to subsidy controls
The Subsidy Control Act 2022 (“the Act”) came into force in January 2023, following the UK’s exit from the EU, replacing the interim regime based on the UK-EU Trade and...
Scotland on the global stage – how the World Cup affects your business
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is on the horizon. Excitement among football fans globally continues to grow. With Scotland and England having automatically qualified, Wales and Northern Ireland face...
More than just sticks and stones – accent discrimination in the workplace
2026 is set to be a big year for international events particularly in the sporting world, with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics taking place in Italy, the FIFA World Cup...
Stress is soaring: How employers can protect their people and their business
Recent research highlighted by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suggests unprecedented levels of workplace stress in the UK and a 2025 review by former John Lewis boss, Sir Charlie Mayfield,...
Huge potential for jeopardy with changes to employment laws
The rapid adoption and constant evolution of AI have massive implications for employers and staff yet, from a legislative perspective, the dos and don’ts for employers are vague at best...
Real-life drama not so much fun
Trying to detect and deal with a ‘traitor’ in a will and executry dispute? Call a lawyer first, says Scott Flannigan of Anderson Strathern. If you’re one of the millions...
What the Supreme Court ruling has reminded contractors about terminating standard contracts
The Supreme Court just reminded contractors everywhere to check their contracts before ripping them up, says Liam McKay. We’re all familiar with the saying that “two wrongs don’t make a...
Will The AI Bubble Burst in 2026?
Tech giants like Microsoft and Salesforce, along with management consulting firms like McKinsey and Deloitte, are laying off thousands of employees while claiming to reinvest in AI growth. The news...
Employment Act 2025 – what this means for employers in 2026
The Employment Rights Act 2025 (“the ERA 2025”) received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, fundamentally altering the employment law landscape. This article summarises the key provisions expected to affect...
Carole Tomlinson appointed as new chair of Anderson Strathern
Anderson Strathern has announced the appointment of Carole Tomlinson as its new chair as the firm celebrates its 325th year in business in Scotland. Ms Tomlinson will take up the...
Shaping the future: Scotland’s green data strategy
Scotland stands at a pivotal moment in its digital and energy transition. As global demand for data processing accelerates – fuelled by cloud computing, AI adoption and the rapid expansion...
Repowering Britain: How grid reform may impact renewable projects: what landowners need to know
The repowering and rewiring of the United Kingdom is now underway. This initiative is driven by the transition to clean energy and the need to accommodate rising demand from initiatives...
Target practice – target cost contracts in renewable energy projects
As renewable energy projects grow in scale and technical complexity, traditional construction contracting models are increasingly being questioned. In particular, the suitability of fixed-price, lump sum contracts in an environment...
What businesses need to know in the wake of Rockstar North’s dismissal reports
On 31 October, reports emerged that Rockstar North, the well-known games developer, had dismissed more than 30 staff in the UK – sparking headlines for all the wrong reasons. The...
What could the Employment Rights Bill mean for industries that rely upon seasonal workers?
The festive period is well and truly underway; city centres are packed with shoppers and revellers enjoying Christmas get-togethers. This influx of trade places extra pressure on many industries...
Failure to prevent fraud: Implications for the property sector
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has introduced a landmark corporate offence: Failure to Prevent Fraud. This provision, now in force, represents one of the most significant changes...
The UK Budget 2025 and property taxes – key takeaways
The UK Budget 2025 was preceded by intense speculation about property tax reform. Headlines warned of sweeping changes including: A possible introduction of a “Mansion Tax” anticipated as: An annual...
Lifetime Gifting and New Year’s Resolutions: A strategic approach to Inheritance Tax
As we approach the end of another year, I find myself, like many of my clients, reflecting on what really matters. For many, it’s family, financial security and the peace...
Inheritance Tax – what changed, what didn’t and how to plan ahead
After the unexpected and fundamental changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT) in last October’s Budget this year’s relative silence on the subject was a welcome relief. Speculation ahead of the Budget...
Tax planning may pay dividends for investors
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, asked ‘everyone to make a contribution’ when presenting her package of new income tax measures at the UK Budget on 26 November. Here, we review the...
Pensions and Inheritance Tax: What do we know so far?
In Labour’s budget in October 2024, they announced that pensions were going to be included in a deceased’s estate for the purposes of calculating their inheritance tax (‘IHT’) liability from...
Rural succession: What to do in the event of a farmer’s death
Inheritance for farming families has been a particularly hot topic since the tax changes announced in the October Budget last year, which led to widespread concern among the sector. However...
Family Law in farming families
Farming families in Scotland face distinctive legal challenges when navigating family law issues such as divorce, financial separation, and childcare arrangements. Unlike many other professions, farming is not just an...
The Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025: Key Changes for Residential Tenancies
The forthcoming Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025 marks the most major reform of Scotland’s residential tenancy legislation since the introduction of Private Residential Tenancies (PRTs) in December 2017. While the Bill...
The Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 (the “Act”)
The Act, which came into force on 1 April 2025, has provided additional methods to create and enforce certain security interests in Scotland. Scots law has historically differed from English...
Conveyancing differences between Scotland and England
For the English lawyer, there is much about the process of conveyancing in Scotland that is reassuringly familiar: typically, there is a contractual stage (“missives”), a deed of transfer (“disposition”),...
Witness statements in Scottish Employment Tribunals
There are Employment Tribunals spread across the length of Great Britain. Whether parties are seeking a resolution to their employment dispute in London, Cardiff, Leeds, Glasgow or Inverness, the fundamental...
Energy consenting – differences between Scotland and England
Energy consenting in the United Kingdom differs significantly between Scotland and England, reflecting their distinct legislative frameworks and devolved planning powers in Scotland. Although both systems aim to facilitate...