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James O'Hara, Director at iLaw, acted for a gaming company based in Cyprus, who found their accounts frozen by the City of London Police under an Account Freezing Order (AFO). The client’s GBP account, held with a multi-national bank, was subjected to the AFO, and the bank restricted access to the funds in the account, causing significant disruption to the business.
Thom Browne has encountered a setback in its effort to trademark a version of its iconic four-stripe design. In a decision released in March 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) denied the brand’s application to register a position mark featuring four horizontal white stripes on the upper left sleeve of clothing. The refusal, issued under Article 7(1)(b) of the EU Trademark Regulation (EUTMR), highlights the ongoing difficulty brands face when attempting to protect design elements that may be seen as merely decorative.
Under the UK’s data protection regime, businesses that determine the purpose for which customer personal data is collected, used, or stored (collectively known as processing) must provide a privacy notice.
James O'Hara, Director at iLaw, was instructed to assist a company director whose business accounts were frozen in January 2024 following an Account Freezing Order (AFO) obtained by the Metropolitan Police. The AFO, which involved almost £300,000, was put in place as part of an investigation into the source of the funds. This type of legal order can severely disrupt business operations, freezing access to critical funds that companies rely on for their day-to-day activities.
What measures are in place to combat international criminal organisations and seize criminal assets across borders? The UK Government’s Economic Plan (2023-2026) delves into their commitment to target asset recovery. This is very timely given the recent introduction of Interpol’s Silver Notices, created with the promise of becoming a new and efficient mechanism to trace assets across borders. This article explores the newly introduced Silver Notices and compares them to the existing pathways available in the UK for cross-border recovery. We turn first to explore the existing legal framework.
Registering one’s trade marks delivers significant business benefits for brand owners. A registration provides a “monopoly” for your particular mark in respect of the goods and services for which it is registered.
In England and Wales, the vast majority of incorporated businesses are private companies limited by shares or limited liability partnerships (LLPs). These structures are favoured in the UK as both LLPs and limited companies shelter the personal assets of their members (partners in an LLP, shareholders in a limited company) in the event of a liability of the entity itself. However, there are still a number of personal risks associated with the operation of these businesses.
One area of uncertainty has always been the extent to which an annual bonus (whether for individual or company performance or a combination of factors) should be included in the holiday pay calculation.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) plays a crucial role in overseeing the UK’s financial services industry, ensuring that firms adhere to regulations designed to prevent financial crime, including money laundering. Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) are pivotal in this framework, responsible for detecting and reporting suspicious activity to safeguard against money laundering.
The inaugural Silver Notice, requested by Italy in relation to assets belonging to a senior member of the mafia, was welcomed by INTERPOL General Secretary, Valdeny Urquiza, who laid bare the scale of the challenge when commenting that “… 99 per cent of criminal assets remain unrecovered.”
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