Welcome to another edition of London and the World.
London is slowly but surely physically reopening – after some of the highest figures for COVID-19 in the world, the vaccine programme seems to be rolling out quickly and effectively, and things are looking brighter than they have for many months. The sun is beginning to shine here too as we head towards the spring and summer months.
For business, Brexit remains a big issue. Whether it will be the success or the failure for business and people in and doing business with the UK is still very unclear – in many ways, COVID-19 has meant that hardly anyone is paying attention to anything else. As lawyers, with clients who are engaged with London and the World, we have continued to advise on a range of issues that are changing because of Brexit, and this edition highlights some of those areas.
In other news, life goes on – people do what people have always done: the day to day happens, irrespective of the macro-events of world pandemics and political shifts. So we have also included some pieces that reflect and affect the micro-events of life: family issues, jobs, entrepreneurship, privacy and tax.
Since COVID-19 began, Mishcon de Reya has continued to grow and develop – not only here in London, but also in Singapore, where we opened a new office last year. The lawyers there are focussed on supporting clients across south-east Asia – and you will find a couple of articles that highlight some of their work. Do let me know if you would like an introduction to them.
And as a Firm, we have also committed to make a difference, with our new Climate Strategy.
I hope that you find those pieces of interest, and of use.
I started this short introduction by noting that London is physically reopening – the reality for a city of London's scale and reach is that it has never stopped; we've just got used to doing it all differently, remotely, online, with more scheduled Zoom and Teams calls and fewer spontaneous interactions. That will change again, and we cannot wait to welcome you all back to our client lounge, to chat over some coffee and cake, and – and this feels like a really exciting thing to do – shake hands!
I cannot wait. See you soon!