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Inside Disputes

Issue 3: February 2026

Inside Disputes

Editor's note

Hugo Plowman

I'm delighted to bring you our latest edition of Inside Disputes, showcasing the depth and diversity of expertise across the Mishcon de Reya Disputes team.

This edition takes a look at key legislative reforms, from the arrival of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 which will fundamentally overhaul the UK private rented sector, through to the Government's confirmation that it intends to introduce legislation to reverse the PACCAR decision concerning the enforceability of litigation funding agreements. 

Going beyond the domestic, we also examine the implications of China's new arbitration law, which takes effect in March 2026, and consider the developing international sanctions landscape amidst mounting geopolitical tensions.

Meanwhile technology and digital disruption remain top of the agenda, from the threats posed by synthetic identity fraud and deepfakes and what can be done if you are affected, to the implications of technology on privacy and the latest decisions on Google's liability for competition law infringements in the online search market.

Our programme of dedicated events continues in March with our next Disputes Essentials Breakfast Seminar, where our panel of legal experts will explore the practical side of dealing with supply chain related disputes.  Please do join us and sign up

And I couldn't sign off without congratulating our newly elected Managing Partner, Daniel Naftalin, who will take over from James Libson this summer and who I know will champion the continued growth and success of our Disputes practice, alongside executive partners Johanna Walsh and Daniel Levy, who will be continuing with their client work in addition to taking up the post.

Hugo Plowman, Chair of Dispute Resolution

News
A circular, tunnel-like structure with a glowing blue center resembling Earth, surrounded by dark, radial grid patterns that create a sense of depth and perspective.

Privacy is dead? Long live privacy

It is often said that privacy is dead. Over a decade ago, Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg claimed that privacy was no longer a "social norm"; that people had become so comfortable sharing more information, more openly and with more people, that the notion of holding back and protecting personal information was antiquated, even obsolete.

Guide
Rental signage

A guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025

The Renters’ Rights Act (“the Act”) received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and will be implemented in a number of phases, as set out in the government's recently published "roadmap". The Act will fundamentally overhaul the UK private rented sector, bringing several transformative changes that will reshape the relationship between residential landlords and tenants and deliver new and stronger protections for the vast majority of England's 11 million private renters.

News
tech

Google faces relatively narrow remedies in the US for its search market conduct - but results may vary across the Atlantic

On 20 October 2020, the US Department of Justice and 11 US states brought a claim against Google, alleging that the tech giant violated US competition law on the online search market (United States et al. v Google). On 17 December 2020, a similar claim was brought by 38 US states (State of Colorado et al. v Google). The two cases were subsequently consolidated.

News
AI tech person

When AI impersonates - taking action against deepfakes in the UK

The UK lacks overarching deepfake legislation, leaving victims facing a complex patchwork of existing laws including intellectual property, data protection, defamation and malicious falsehood. While the Government has recently introduced criminal sanctions relating to non-consensual intimate deepfakes, significant gaps remain.

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