Public M&A EP40: Takeover Panel consultation on miscellaneous changes to the UK Takeover Code

We are delighted to launch our new podcast series, Insuring AI, which explores the broad range of questions that AI is throwing up for the insurance world. In this first episode, we discuss the legal statement on liability for AI harms published by the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT) in July 2026 and its implications for insurance liability claims. The statement seeks to address in what circumstances, and on what legal bases, English law will impose liability for loss that results from the use of AI. This episode is hosted by Greig Anderson, Partner in our Insurance & Professional Risks team, who is joined by Will Gibson, Senior Associate. For a summary of the UKJT's final legal statement, visit our blog post: https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/litigation/2026-07/uk-jurisdiction-taskforce-publishes-final-legal-statement-on-liability-for-ai-harms

In this episode, we unpack the growing "Misdiagnosis Effect" in the age of GenAI, where organisations often focus on the technology they think they need rather than the problem they are trying to solve. Casey Ballard (Head of Strategic Applications, UK, US & EMEA), Suzanne Cowan (Head of Corporate & Construction, UK & EMEA) and Uchi Jayawardhena (Head of Data Analytics) explore why successful transformation starts with the problem, not the technology. Drawing on real client conversations and delivery experience, they discuss the value of navigating the often messy discovery process, balancing people, process, technology and data, and choosing the right solution rather than defaulting to GenAI. They also examine the challenges of consistency, governance and repeatability, highlighting why workflow redesign and automation can often deliver greater value than AI alone.

In this episode, partner Jason Betts speaks with Michael Pelly, legal reporter at Capital Brief and former legal affairs editor at the Australian Financial Review, about the key developments shaping corporate litigation in Australia. They discuss the implications of the landmark ASIC v Star decision for directors' duties and corporate governance, the evolving landscape of shareholder class actions, and the role of the courts in driving legal reform. The conversation also explores the growing complexity of major litigation and the opportunities and limitations of AI in legal practice.

In this episode, we discuss the UK’s new legislative regime which governs the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs), and what Chinese OEMs and AV operators should know before bringing AV products or services to the UK. We unpack the key features of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, covering authorisation, liability and insurance, marketing restrictions, safety requirements, and cybersecurity obligations. We also consider the UK’s growing role as a destination for AV development, the importance of international regulatory alignment, and the opportunities and challenges for Chinese companies entering this rapidly evolving market. Speakers: Cathy Liu, Lauren Burke 在本集播客节目中，我们讨论英国有关自动驾驶汽车的新立法制度，以及中国整车制造商和自动驾驶汽车运营商在将自动驾驶汽车产品或服务引入英国市场前应了解的重点问题。我们深入解析《2024年自动驾驶汽车法》的主要内容，涵盖授权、责任承担与保险、营销限制、安全要求以及网络安全义务。我们还探讨英国作为自动驾驶汽车发展目的地的日益重要地位、国际监管协调的重要性，以及中国企业进入这一快速发展的市场所面临的机遇与挑战。 主讲人：刘倩, Lauren Burke

In this episode of our public M&A podcast series, we talk about the UK Takeover Panel's latest consultation (PCP 2026/1) on a series of miscellaneous changes to the Takeover Code. Proposals being consulted on include: • when a voting agreement between a shareholder and the directors of a company will result in them being treated as acting in concert; • a change to the definition of "reverse takeover"; and • a change to the rules on extending a put up or shut up (PUSU) deadline.

In this crossover episode of Inside Employment, Inside IR and Inside Safety, Drew Pearson is joined by Nerida Jessup and Jessica Light to discuss the growing intersection between AI adoption and employer consultation obligations. The team explores when the introduction of AI and digital technologies may trigger industrial relations and work health and safety consultation requirements, the risks of getting consultation wrong, and the increasing scrutiny from unions and regulators. They also share practical insights on managing workplace change, psychosocial risks and compliance while embracing innovation. Recorded on 29 July 2026.

In this episode HSF Kramer M&A partners Rebecca Maslen-Stannage and Mia Harrison-Kelf unpack the Star Entertainment decision, one of the most closely watched director duty cases in recent years, and explore what it means for directors and executives navigating transactions. The discussion covers the standard expected of directors when relying on management information, how to test and challenge information in a deal context, why insight matters more than volume in board packs, how to identify, manage and document conflicts of interest, and the importance of managing urgency in transactions through effective contemporaneous record-keeping. A practical discussion on how the Star decision shapes corporate governance and director duties in the context of M&A transactions, and what every director, executive and general counsel needs to know to do deals safely.

In this sixth episode of the Employment Espresso Pods mini-series on the Employment Rights Act 2025, Jenny Andrews and Sian McKinley, both Of Counsel, together with Knowledge Counsel Anna Henderson, focus on the changes to fire and rehire law due to come into force in January 2027. These reforms will make it significantly more difficult and expensive to force through changes to core terms of employment, as well as having some other, perhaps unintended, implications for business strategy in relation to restructuring, post-acquisition harmonisation and outsourcing. We discuss the changes and steps employers should take now to prepare.

In this episode of Defining Matters, partners Kam Jamshidi and Matt FitzGerald unpack the key findings from HSF Kramer’s exclusive Private M&A Dealmakers Report 2026, analysing approx. 60 private M&A transactions completed over the past year. Key topics include: • The return of billion-dollar deals • Why bilateral deals are dominating sale processes • MAC clauses and transaction certainty • Regulatory trends across FIRB and ACCC approvals • The rise of lockboxes and alternative pricing structures • New liquidity pathways for private capital • Predictions for the year ahead A practical discussion on the trends, tactics and market dynamics shaping Australia's private M&A landscape.

As enterprise bargaining becomes increasingly complex, many organisations are rethinking how they prepare for negotiations. In part 1 of our latest episode of Inside IR, industrial relations partner Rohan Doyle and Melbourne Business School Professor Jennifer Overbeck explore the changing enterprise bargaining landscape, the shifting balance of bargaining power, the role of identity and trust in negotiations, and practical strategies organisations can use to prepare for bargaining more effectively.