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Articles by Mark Dewar
Smaller appetites, bigger shifts: GLP‑1 is reshaping UK retail and M&A
Understanding GLP-1 medications and their impact on UK consumer behaviour GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels. Medicine that mimic or activate it (such as Ozempic or Mounjaro) have moved from just a medical story to a mainstream retail issue.
Navigating ESG Regulatory Change in Supply Chain Contracts
Key Takeaways ESG regulation is evolving rapidly, in the absence of definitive guidance, creating uncertainty for supply chain contracting. Aligning contracts with international guideliness and standards helps future proof obligations. However, certain ESG requirements can be incorporated into contracts regardless of regulatory flux.
Contracting for Effective Human Rights Due Diligence Takeaways
Key Takeaways Contracts are essential tools for embedding effective human rights due diligence in global supply chains. Traditional risk shifting contracts can increase human rights risks rather than manage them, as they could impose them on the party least capable of addressing them. Responsible contracting promotes risk sharing, responsible purchasing, and meaningful remediation. Buyer codes of conduct and strong governance frameworks help align procurement with human rights expectations.
Food & Beverage Lookahead 2026
In this F&B Lookahead, we look at some of the hot topics for this sector in 2026 which include: Advertising – Less Healthy Food Advertising Restrictions / HFSS Prohibitions Consumer - Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act Corporate Activity Overview Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) Employment ESG IP issues - Lookalikes Packaging - the UK’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Payment practices - Late Payment Consultation Product liability – Law...
Payment Practices - the latest developments on reporting and late payments
2026 is set to be a pivotal year for UK payment practices. Following the Government's late payment consultation (which closed in October 2025), businesses should prepare for substantial changes to how they pay suppliers, report on payment performance, and manage contractual payment terms. This note summarises the key developments.
Drip Pricing and Enforcement: How the DMCC Act is Changing the Rules
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act marks a significant shift in consumer protection law, targeting practices that mislead or disadvantage buyers. In this article, we examine what drip pricing entails, the legal risks it poses, and how the DMCC Act strengthens enforcement to protect consumers and level the playing field.
DMCCA: What the UK’s new consumer rules now mean for consumer facing businesses
The UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) is reshaping how consumer‑facing businesses price, sell and renew. While much of the regime is staged, one change is already live and highly relevant to the consumer sector across retail, e‑commerce, platforms and services.
CMA Secures Undertakings from Wowcher in Dark Patterns Investigation
On 19 July 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that Wowcher, an e-commerce site, has agreed to revise its online selling practices and issue over £4 million in refunds. CMA's investigation In March 2023, the CMA began investigating Wowcher's use of "urgency claims", such as countdown timers and marketing claims like “In High Demand” that can pressure consumers into making quick purchasing decisions.
New UK payments reporting obligations starting on 1 January 2025 - The Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance (Amendment) Regulations 2024
Following a recent Amendment1 to the UK Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 20172 (Regulations) which required large businesses to report their payment practices, the UK Government has extended the Regulations for another 7 years. The Regulations now expire on 6 April 2031. This Amendment builds upon the objectives underlined in the September 2019 Guidance3 and widens the existing reporting obligations to enhance transparency and compliance.
New UK payments reporting obligations starting on 1 January 2025
Following a recent Amendment1 to the UK Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 20172 (Regulations) which required large businesses to report their payment practices, the UK Government has extended the Regulations for another 7 years. The Regulations now expire on 6 April 2031. This Amendment builds upon the objectives underlined in the September 2019 Guidance3 and widens the existing reporting obligations to enhance transparency and compliance.
Australian Private Equity Services
Using an industry-first approach, our senior experts work with the world's leading private equity firms, credit funds and investment banks, providing pragmatic, transaction and execution-oriented services throughout the transaction lifecycle. From origination to exit, we use knowledge-driven skill and experience, focusing on critical financial, commercial and operational opportunities to enhance enterprise value.
Should you Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth: The Rise of Return less Refunds in Retail and How it Aligns with Consumer Rights.
As Covid-19 precipitated an e-commerce boom, the largely hidden truth of ‘returnless refunds’ is gradually emerging from obscurity. Employed by an increasing number of online retailers, returnless refunds allow buyers to keep unwanted goods while still being refunded. Why the current trend? With returns costing around 66% of the product’s original price, e-retailers are trying to stem costs leakage from handling returns of lower-priced goods.
Government's latest consultation continues the post-Brexit shake up of UK consumer law
The UK Department for Business and Trade's (DBT) to a consultation launched in September 2023 results in further proposed changes to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC)and wider UK consumer law. The consultation garnered over 350 responses from businesses, industry bodies, enforcement bodies, and consumers on a variety of topics, including fake online reviews, displays of pricing information, and so-called drip pricing.
Gadget guardians: enforcement date of the UK's new connected device security law looms
Businesses involved in the supply chain for UK consumer connected devices need to prepare for new legislation bearing resemblance to the EU's Cyber Resilience Act. The law The UK's consumer connectable product security regime will come into force on 29 April 2024 via the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTI) and the supporting PSTI (Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products) Regulations 2023 (PSTI Regulations). The PSTI is in two parts.
Collapse of high street retailers - re-focusing on Retention of Title (ROT) clauses
There's nothing like a major event to make businesses pause and dust off their standard terms and conditions – see Covid 19 and force majeure, or spiralling inflation and price increase mechanisms.
CTSI and ASA crack down on the ‘vegan’ tag
A research piece from Hampshire and Kent Scientific Services recently found that 90% of sampled vegan products contained traces of dairy or were otherwise mislabelled.
Multi-jurisdictional contracting: pitfalls & trends
In the dynamic global business landscape of consumer goods, it is not unusual for goods to be designed in one legal jurisdiction, manufactured in a second and for the relevant IP portfolio to be held in a third. As goods and their component parts are shipped across borders with parties to the contract sitting in different countries, multi-jurisdictional contracting is inevitable.
Brexit set to add to UK food and drink inflation woes - what can your business do?
The UK government has recently announced that it intends to charge a flat-rate inspection fee of up to £43 on each food consignment coming into the UK from the EU. It looks as though these charges could be in full flow as early as next year and the industry has been quick to voice its concern. The concerns are worsened due to already rampant food and drink inflation in the UK which in April was a staggering 19.1%, far outstripping the UK’s headline inflation figure.
Australian CFOs Hold the Key to Unlocking ESG Value
ESG (environmental, social, and governance) is now a priority of many corporate leadership teams, playing an important part in a company’s financial reporting, risk management and corporate messaging.
2020 Working Capital Report | Lexology
Australia
December 16 2020 Executive summary As the historic year of 2020 draws to a close, the COVID-19 crisis has seen the global economy plunge into a deep recession, with only a glimmer of hope that the worst is now over. While COVID-19 continues to infect millions across the globe, we wanted to understand how the virus has impacted the lifeblood of every company – the working capital. How have companies reacted to rapid shifts or elimination of consumer demand?
2020 Working Capital Report: Total Working Capital Management – the Hidden Gold Mine on Your Balance Sheet | JD Supra
As the historic year of 2020 draws to a close, the COVID-19 crisis has seen the global economy plunge into a deep recession, with only a glimpse of hope that the worst is now over. While COVID-19 continues to infect millions across the globe, we wanted to understand how the virus has impacted the lifeblood of every company – the working capital. How have companies reacted to rapid shifts or elimination of consumer demand? What did companies do to avoid bleeding out cash?
No-deal Brexit: Impact on long-term commercial contracts | Lexology
European Union, United Kingdom
April 15 2019 While a range of outcomes, including a departure under the terms of the current Withdrawal Agreement, remains possible, it is important for businesses to plan for a no-deal Brexit, in which the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement or other deal. Here we look at the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on long-term commercial contracts. From the uncertainty over what will happen it may appear that there are too many risks to consider.
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