WM Digital Academy

Welcome to our library of digital content including webinars, our bite-sized video nuggets and podcasts.

For a free initial consultation please contact one of our specialists, or call our contracts advice helpline on 0113 283 4011 for support from our commercial and disputes experts.

Visit our events page to see our full list of upcoming events.

Useful resources are also available on our Walker Morris on the Go app, or you can find more in-depth articles on our ‘Dealing with the Next Normal’ and ‘Coronavirus’ resources hubs.

For any queries about our client events or to be added to our mailing list for seminars please contact events@walkermorris.co.uk

Webinar recording: #WMTechTalk: Blockchain: Smart contracts – will[...]

Our #WMTechTalk series is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies […]

Our #WMTechTalk series is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies recently held a webinar discussion with Senior Associate Luke Jackson covering blockchain technologies and all the potential they have in the financial services sector and supply chain. The webinar went back to basics on Blockchain and how it works, and looked at the concept of a Smart Contract and considered how Smart Contracts may affect the work of lawyers and contract managers.

Watch the webinar here:

Webinar recording: Developers – it’s time to take[...]

Walker Morris’ Planning & Environment team recently held a joint webinar with Carney Sweeney on […]

Walker Morris’ Planning & Environment team recently held a joint webinar with Carney Sweeney on the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain and the changes it will lead to in the planning system. They considered what Biodiversity Net Gain is, how it is already affecting developments (including impacts on highly constrained city centre sites), and how it will affect developments in the future, discussing the practical steps developers can take today to ensure they are ready for Biodiversity Net Gain.

Watch the webinar here:

It covered:

What is biodiversity net gain? Including the changes introduced in the Environment Bill
How will this impact on your current and future development plans?
What can you do to ensure you are ready for Biodiversity Net Gain requirements?

Webinar recording: #WMTechTalk: Avoiding risk in the cloud

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies recently […]

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies recently held a webinar discussion with Director Lee Crook covering the increase in businesses turning to Cloud based solutions and how they are an important part of many businesses’ technology and digital strategies. Their importance has only increased as a result of the role they play in artificial intelligence solutions. Buying these services involves balancing risk and cost effectiveness. Protecting data and ensuring security is a key concern for all businesses. This webinar will guide you through some of the risks of buying Cloud and how to mitigate them.

Watch the webinar here:

Webinar recording: Brexit – One month to go[...]

Our Business Immigration team recently held a webinar discussing the long-awaited guidance published by the […]

Our Business Immigration team recently held a webinar discussing the long-awaited guidance published by the Government covering changes to the immigration system and what steps you should be taking now.

Watch the webinar here:

The webinar covered:

If your business doesn’t already have a sponsor licence, does it need to apply for one now in order to continue recruiting from outside the UK?
If your business has a sponsor licence, what will change? We will look at the new “Worker” and “Temporary Worker” routes that will replace the existing Tiers 2 and 5, and consider how the requirements of the new routes differ.
Does your business need to take any action now to ensure its current sponsor licence is fit for purpose?
How will the changes impact on the transfer of staff between international group companies?
How will existing EU staff be impacted, and will your recruitment processes for EU nationals need to be updated?
What practical steps should you be taking now to ensure your business is ready?
What are the risks of getting things wrong?

Webinar recording: WM Tech Talk: Intellectual property rights[...]

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies recently […]

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and Partner Sally Mewies recently chaired a webinar discussion with Alan Harper and Matt Lingard covering the state of play in relation to IP rights in AI tools and data and discuss what the future may hold – using their own intellect not an artificial one! They discussed how as more of these AI tools evolve and are deployed it is vital that businesses understand the IP risks and issues in using these tools, particularly in relation to the ownership of what they generate including data which may be commercially sensitive or critical for a business maintaining its competitive advantage.

Watch the webinar here:

Webinar recording: Technology, automation & people

Sally Mewies, Alan Harper and Charlotte Smith presented a webinar discussing investing in technology, automating […]

Sally Mewies, Alan Harper and Charlotte Smith presented a webinar discussing investing in technology, automating processes and digitalisation. They discussed how automation and technology can lead to greater capacity, greater monitoring and data collection, and less room for error. However it may also require up-skilling the workforce and recruiting those who have the skills needed to create this technology, operate and analyse new technology. Such advances may allow even more roles to be carried out remotely (including those which no-one would have previously considered capable of being carried out remotely, such as production line operators).

Watch the webinar here:

It covered:

What will the factory of the future look like?
How will this impact manufacturing companies?
What does it mean in terms of workforce planning, skills, IP, technology and commercial arrangements?

Webinar recording: WM Tech Talk – Monitoring employees[...]

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and began with a recent […]

Our #WMTechTalk is hosted by our Technology & Digital Team, and began with a recent webinar on ‘Monitoring employees at home’. The webinar was chaired by Sally Mewies, Head of Technology & Digital, and she was joined by panelists Charlotte Smith, Senior Associate in our Employment team and Christian Brundell, Associate in our Regulatory team.

The team discussed topics such as “what are my responsibilities for employees whilst working from home from a health and safety perspective?”, “Can I monitor their working practices whilst at home?” and “Can I force them to come into the office for certain meetings or on certain days?”.

Watch the webinar here:

Visit our Future World of Work hub here.

Webinar recording: Out with the old and in[...]

Walker Morris’ Employment team recently held a webinar panel discussion to share their thoughts and […]

Walker Morris’ Employment team recently held a webinar panel discussion to share their thoughts and opinions on the practical effects of the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and what we know so far about the Job Support Scheme.

The team discussed the Job Retention Bonus as well as commonly asked Covid-19 related questions to help employers to keep up to date with the rapidly changing legal landscape.

Watch the webinar here:

Webinar recording: Natural capital virtual panel debate with[...]

Walker Morris’ Planning & Environment Partner Alison Ogley recently held a a virtual panel debate […]

Walker Morris’ Planning & Environment Partner Alison Ogley recently held a a virtual panel debate with SLR Consulting on setting the scene on Natural Capital and environmental legislative breaches and the financial consequences.

The panel included Alison Ogley, partner at Walker Morris, Stewart Lenton, Operations Manager and Sue Swain, Head of Client Management for SLR Consulting.

The webinar covered topics such as:

What is Natural Capital and why is it increasing in prominence?
What are the benefits of adopting a Natural Capital approach?
How businesses struggle with identifying the wide range of environmental risks and associated financial consequences of legislation breaches
How to ensure the issue isn’t seen as a ‘box ticking exercise’, but one that manages to prevent and minimise compliance breaches

Watch the webinar here:

Webinar recording: Dilapidations and Disrepair in Commercial Leases

Walker Morris’ Real Estate Litigation team and Radius Consulting presented a webinar on Dilapidations and […]

Walker Morris’ Real Estate Litigation team and Radius Consulting presented a webinar on Dilapidations and Disrepair in Commercial Leases.

The webinar considered legal and valuation topics such as:

effectively managing lease end dilapidations
common areas of dispute
how much should a tenant be obliged to pay for disrepair at the end of the lease?
what is the Dilapidations Protocol?

Watch the webinar here:

WM Video: Keeping Trade Moving Revisited

Last October our in-house lawyer training day sought to address the question of how can […]

Last October our in-house lawyer training day sought to address the question of how can we keep trade moving? We looked at issues such as: the speed of change, Brexit, collaboration and the changing customer.

However, a lot has happened in the last 12 months! Whilst many issues are still relevant, we have re-run the interviews with our panel from the day to talk about what are the current biggest risks to business and international trade.

In this first interview Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Office at Forth Ports Ltd talks to Sally Mewies, Head of Tech & Digital at Walker Morris.

“Get close to your supply chain partners. Understand what needs to be done around your documentation, paperwork, procedures to ensure your goods keep moving. Get yourself up to speed with the current guidance from the government and really question and think about how your supply chain is undertaken. Do you have to rely on how it’s always been done?” Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports.

Learn more on our supply chain disputes health check services here.

Webinar recording: The impact of COVID-19 and Brexit[...]

James Crayton, Gwendoline Davies and Nick Lees presented a webinar discussing trends in contracting and the […]

James Crayton, Gwendoline Davies and Nick Lees presented a webinar discussing trends in contracting and the global supply chain, offering practical tips on assessing contract risk and advising on the steps needed to protect organisations.

Read about our Supply Chain Contracts Health Check here.

Watch the webinar here:

It covered:

How do we balance supply chain efficiency with supply chain robustness?
What are the knock-on effects of COVID-19 on contractual relationships/logistics/warehousing going forward?
How should we set up our supply chain differently to ensure our business is robust and prepared, moving from just in time to just in case/ What are the key terms we have to renegotiate?
How do we deal with management of contracts (frustration, force majeure) in the context of COVID-19 and Brexit

To learn more about our Supply Chain Disputes services please click here.

Watch our video nugget on this topic here.

View our summary slides from the webinar here.

WM Video Nugget: Force Majeure & Frustration how[...]

Click here to register for our webinar on this topic. Also read our related article […]

Click here to register for our webinar on this topic.

Webinar Recording: Managing your property portfolio in the[...]

David Manda and Lewis Couth (both Real Estate Litigation) presented a live webinar on ‘Managing […]

David Manda and Lewis Couth (both Real Estate Litigation) presented a live webinar on ‘Managing your property portfolio in the pandemic and beyond’ for landlords and tenants on how to tackle the property portfolio management challenges caused by Coronavirus/COVID-19.

The webinar offered practical advice and tips on how to maximise the value in your property and how to tackle some of the common real estate dispute issues organisations are currently facing.

It covered:

The impact of COVID-19 on the payment of rent – is insurance a solution?
The enforceability of tenant covenants and guarantors.
The changing face of the high street – unlocking value in your portfolio through alternative uses.

Webinar Recording: Employee engagement and future HR trends[...]

Andrew Rayment and Charlotte Smith (both Employment) presented a live Q&A webinar discussion on ‘Employee […]

Andrew Rayment and Charlotte Smith (both Employment) presented a live Q&A webinar discussion on ‘Employee engagement and future HR trends’. Walker Morris employment lawyers were joined by Lisa Rowlinson-Brown, People Director at Symington’s, Steve Joyce, HR Director at Airedale International Air Conditioning and Catherine de la Poer, Leadership Developer at Halcyon Coaching.

The webinar included discussions around topics such as:

Agile and flexible working
The use of technology and its impact on the workforce
Mental health and well-being
Employee engagement and representation
Equality and diversity
Incentivising and retaining employees

You can also find a one page downloadable summary of the webinar here.

WM Video Nuggets: EU–US Privacy Shield invalidated by[...]

Click here to read our article on this topic. The Court of Justice of the […]

Click here to read our article on this topic.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has hit the final nail in the coffin of the beleaguered EU-US Privacy Shield. Andrew Northage, one of our data protection and privacy experts, summarises the judgment and what this means for transfers to the USA, as well as the potential implications for post-Brexit Britain, in this short video nugget.

WM video nuggets: Preparing for Brexit: Business Immigration

We recently held a live webinar “Preparing for Brexit: Business Immigration” covering the forthcoming changes […]

We recently held a live webinar “Preparing for Brexit: Business Immigration” covering the forthcoming changes to the UK immigration system and how organisations should prepare.

Below are a range of bitesize videos taken from the Q&A section of the webinar covering some very important questions.

Will the removal of the resident labour market test and expansion of the SOC code be relevant to all?
What’s the process for a sponsor application for a group of companies, by head office or PAYE No.?
If an employee has expired ID, but was hired when it was still valid, after 2021 can we require new valid ID following proof of settlement document being received?
The timescales for processing and making applications etc, are obviously quite long. Are there any fast track options available?
Is there any chance at all that the new system is going to be delayed by the pandemic?
Is it possible for sponsored employees to be furloughed and have their wages reduced under the Job Retention Scheme?
Will the Immigration Health Surcharge still apply under the new system?

Click here to watch our full webinar recording.

Will the removal of the resident labour market test and expansion of the SOC code be relevant to all?

What’s the process for a sponsor application for a group of companies, by head office or PAYE No.?

If an employee has expired ID, but was hired when it was still valid, after 2021 can we require new valid ID following proof of settlement document being received?

The timescales for processing and making applications etc, are obviously quite long. Are there any fast track options available?

Is there any chance at all that the new system is going to be delayed by the pandemic?

Is it possible for sponsored employees to be furloughed and have their wages reduced under the Job Retention Scheme?

Will the Immigration Health Surcharge still apply under the new system?

Webinar Recording: Preparing for Brexit – Business Immigration

Visit our Business Immigration Hub here. Shabana Muneer and Suzanne Treen (both Employment) presented a […]

Visit our Business Immigration Hub here.

Shabana Muneer and Suzanne Treen (both Employment) presented a live webinar on ‘Preparing for Brexit: Business Immigration’.

The webinar covered the forthcoming changes to the UK immigration system and how organisations should prepare, along with other issues including:

the impact of Brexit and the end of freedom of movement on the recruitment of EU nationals from January 2021 onwards
a brief overview of the UK’s current immigration system
what the new points based immigration system will look like, including changes existing sponsor licence holders need to be aware of
practical steps organisations can be taking now to make sure they are ready for the new regime:
– the importance of early sponsor licence applications where one is not already in place and training staff on sponsor obligations;
– workforce planning for January 2021 onwards
– ensuring right to work policies are up-to-date and compliant with the new regime
– plugging the skills gap – investment in technology and automation
– dealing with increased recruitment costs
impact of Covid-19 on migrant workers:
– automatic visa extensions
– changes to some application processes
– specific considerations for laying off / salary reductions / redundancy
– temporary right to work checks.

They also looked answered attendee questions in a Q&A session.

Business immigration series

Employment Team help businesses prepare for changes to UK business immigration system The Walker Morris […]

Employment Team help businesses prepare for changes to UK business immigration system

The Walker Morris Employment Team is helping organisations to prepare for the forthcoming changes to the UK business immigration system by launching a series of videos and webinars.

View the video series on our Business Immigration hub here, or you can watch all 15 videos below.

Despite speculation that proposed changes to the immigration system might be delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government is still currently committed to ending free movement for EU nationals when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

As such, employers of EU and Non-EU nationals need to prepare for these changes.

The Government is now actively encouraging employers who do not currently have a sponsor licence, but who may need to recruit from outside the UK in the future, to apply for one as soon as possible.

Register for our webinar to learn more and find out what practical steps organisations can be taking now to make sure they are ready for the new regime. Register here.

Visit the rest of our digital academy here.

WM Video Nuggets: Employment law considerations for homeworking[...]

Click here to read our article on this topic. In the wake of the Coronavirus […]

Click here to read our article on this topic.

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, employers are now having to consider a wide-range of alternative working arrangements and think more creatively about how their businesses operate. Whilst a full scale return to work will be on the cards at some point in the future, a return to work environments as they were previously known is unlikely to be possible at this stage. In practical terms, employers have been forced to consider how measures can be implemented to reduce the risk of infection in the work-place meaning that, on any given day, a large proportion of their workforce may be working from home. Shabana Muneer from our Employment team summarises the issues faced in this short video nugget.

Learn more on our Future World of Work hub here.

WM Video Nuggets: Dividends – key considerations for[...]

Should we pay at company dividends? In these three mini videos Walker Morris Corporate Partner […]

Should we pay at company dividends? In these three mini videos Walker Morris Corporate Partner Richard Naish provides a quick summary of the key issues for Directors to consider when paying dividends; the difference between interim and final dividends; and what they need to consider if they no longer want to pay dividends.

WM video nuggets: The Future World of Work:[...]

We recently held a live webinar ‘The Future World of Work: Life After Lockdown’ covering […]

We recently held a live webinar ‘The Future World of Work: Life After Lockdown’ covering the key health and safety and employment considerations for employers as the lock-down eases.

Below are a range of bitesize videos taken from the Q&A section of the webinar covering some very important questions.

Will employers be expected to pickup some of the cost of furloughed employees after August?
Is anxiety about using public transport a valid reason not to return to the workplace?
Can employees be forced to take holidays?
Can I tell employees if a co-worker has tested positive for Covid19?
People who find it difficult to work at home all of the time but they’re coming into work some of the time, can they argue that this is consistent with the guidance?
Do we need evidence of health issues?
Should we consider obtaining consent from employees on their return to work?
Does the Health and Safety Representative have to be nominated by the employees?
If over 70’s return to the workplace, of their own choice does the business face a great liability if they get covid19, even if they’ve done everything possible, including providing PPE?
What happens when employees raise concerns about safety in their workplace and they’re not satisfied with the outcome?
Can we require employees to have their temperature checked each day before entering the workplace?

Click here to watch our full webinar recording.

Will employers be expected to pickup some of the cost of furloughed employees after August?

Is anxiety about using public transport a valid reason not to return to the workplace?

Can employees be forced to take holidays?

Can I tell employees if a co-worker has tested positive for Covid19?

People who find it difficult to work at home all of the time but they’re coming into work some of the time, can they argue that this is consistent with the guidance?

Do we need evidence of health issues?

Does the Health and Safety Representative have to be nominated by the employees?

If over 70’s return to the workplace, of their own choice does the business face a great liability if they get covid19, even if they’ve done everything possible, including providing PPE?

What happens when employees raise concerns about safety in their workplace and they’re not satisfied with the outcome?

Can we require employees to have their temperature checked each day before entering the workplace?

Learn more on our Future World of Work hub here.

WM Video Nugget: Stadium Lockdown: a look at[...]

Click here to read our article on this topic. With a potential return of Premier […]

Click here to read our article on this topic.

With a potential return of Premier League football across the country edging closer, there are many practical and commercial issues which all Clubs will need to consider in relation to hosting matches without fans being in physical attendance. Aaron Dixon from our Sports Commercial Team summarises the key commercial issues in staging Premier League matches behind closed doors in this short video nugget.

Webinar Recording: The Future World of Work: Life[...]

Claire Burrows (Regulatory) and Charlotte Smith (Employment) presented a live webinar on ‘The Future World of Work: […]

Claire Burrows (Regulatory) and Charlotte Smith (Employment) presented a live webinar on ‘The Future World of Work: Life After Lockdown’.

The webinar covered practical advice for businesses as the lock-down eases, including:

Coronavirus risk assessments
social distancing in the workplace
dealing with employee concerns
post-furlough workforce planning
what we can learn from the home-working experiment.

They also looked at the key health and safety and employment considerations for employers, answering attendee questions in a Q&A session.

You can also download our “Road Out of Lockdown Checklists” for help to get your company COVID-19 secure here.

The Road out of Lockdown

Social Distancing Checklist

Visit our Future World of Work hub here.

WM video nuggets: What should we learn from[...]

There’s lots of talk at the moment about the potential return to the office, what […]

There’s lots of talk at the moment about the potential return to the office, what that will look like and how it will be implemented. But businesses should also consider what they’ve learned from this huge homeworking experiment.

Charlotte Smith, Senior Associate in the Employment Team at Walker Morris offers three key considerations in a bite-sized video.

Watch our webinar recording on “The Future World of Work: Life after Lockdown” here.

Learn more on our Future World of Work hub here.

WM podcasts: What should we learn from the[...]

There’s lots of talk at the moment about the potential return to the office, what […]

Charlotte Smith, Senior Associate in the Employment Team at Walker Morris offers three key considerations in this podcast.

Find out more about:

“The Future World of Work: Life after Lockdown” in our webinar on Thursday 14 May 2020. Further details here.