The UK completed its withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020 and as such, many businesses have had to consider the impact of the withdrawal on trade, immigration, employment, and enforcement mechanisms, which were intrinsically tied to the EU.

Harold Benjamin is well placed to advise on the continuing impact of Brexit across commercial, employment and dispute resolution areas.

By and large, the large swathe of EU has been transposed into UK domestic legislation, nevertheless, there will be key areas where UK and EU law will diverge. These include immigration, environment, agency agreements, enforcement of judgments and more.

If you are looking to enter the European market, or have staff members from the EU, or have a dispute which may require consideration of jurisdiction, we are happy to help:

Entering the European market – Supply chains and sales channels involving the UK are now managed by different rules. This may have financial and administrative repercussions on businesses. So businesses should be asking:

What tariffs apply to my input products and end-products when imported or exported?
Are there anti-dumping, anti-subsidy or safeguard measures in place in the countries I am dealing with?
Do I need import or export licences?

Staff members from the EU – The Frontier Worker Permit Scheme (‘FWPS’) is one of the key things to consider in the post-Brexit landscape, employers should have the FWPS on their radars and consider whether any of their workers are eligible.

Disputes – There are some practical steps that businesses can take to mitigate the consequences of the UK’s departure when it comes to disputes. For example, having exclusive jurisdiction clauses in contracts, where appropriate.