Mishcon GC horizon scan

January 2026

As we begin 2026, the legal and regulatory environment continues to evolve at pace, presenting both challenges and opportunities for organisations. We are pleased to present this updated edition of our Mishcon GC horizon scan to help you stay ahead of the key developments that may impact your business.

This edition captures key changes that have occurred in the latter half of 2025 and highlights important reforms coming into force throughout 2026. This includes the Employment Rights Act which represents the most significant overhaul of UK employment law in a generation, with provisions including unfair dismissal protection after just six months, new rights for zero hours and shift workers, fire and rehire restrictions, and doubled maximum awards for collective consultation breaches. The UK Government is expected to publish the outcome of its consultation on proposals to tackle late payments to small businesses in Q1 2026, which will likely lead to legislation in this area in 2026 or 2027. We are also expecting the outcome of the UK Government's consultation on copyright and generative AI in 2026. This attracted over 11,500 responses with an overwhelming consensus against the Government's preferred option of allowing copyright works to be scraped for AI training, unless opted out.

From sustainability requirements and immigration changes, to intellectual property developments, the breadth of legal change requires strategic planning. Our team is here to support you in understanding these developments and ensuring your organisation is well-positioned to plan for developments in the year ahead.

This horizon scanning document is intended only as a general statement of the law and no action should be taken in reliance on it without specific legal advice.

For more information please get in touch with Nina O'Sullivan or Alexa Lamont.