Welcome to the February 2020 edition of Legal News. We at William Fry aim to keep you up to date on legal developments that may affect you or your business.

Here are some of our recently published website articles and insights you may have missed.

• Crash Landing for Restrictive Covenants?
  The enforceability of restrictive covenants was recently addressed by the High Court following the 8 day hearing of Ryanair DAC v Peter Bellew.
• ESMA Publishes Guidelines On SFTR Reporting 
  On 6 January 2020, ESMA published its Level 3 Guidelines for compliance with the obligation to report securities financing transactions under the SFTR 
• New Year, New Approach to Mandatory Retirement? 
  The trend of substantial compensation awards is a cause of concern for employers attempting to balance business needs without cutting across Ireland’s equality laws.
• English High Court Blocks Proposed Transfer of Annuity Policies Between Insurance Companies
  English High Court objects to the scheme of transfer of £12bn annuities from Prudential Assurance Company to Rothesay Life Plc.
• Employee or Self-Employed? High Court Delivers First Judgment on Employment Status in the Gig Economy
  High Court affirms finding of Tax Appeals Commission that pizza delivery drivers were employees (for tax purposes) rather than self-employed independent contractors. 
• Interlocutory Injunctions – The Fallout from the Supreme Court Decision in Merck Sharp & Dohme
  Court of Appeal decision answers question of whether new approach to injunctions would apply in intellectual property cases only or would it affect general commercial cases

  In Short