UK Knowledge Collection | Real estate law reform, AI in the UK, and contract formation
Published on 20th June 2025
Welcome to this week's Knowledge Collection
UK Knowledge Collection | Real estate law reform, AI in the UK, and contract formation
Many legal reforms affecting the built environment sector were anticipated at the start of the year – including building safety, planning changes, Martyn's Law, and renters' rights. Our real estate experts take stock and consider what lies ahead as the reforms take shape and a raft of consultations indicate the path to longer-term changes, and our webinar next week looks in particular at potential reform of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
The recent government spending review brought good news for artificial intelligence and computing tech, with £2 billion allocated over the next four years – much of it aimed at implementing the 50 recommendations of January’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. More on AI is expected in the Industrial Strategy, which may be announced next week.
A recent High Court case acts as a useful reminder of the importance of formalising contracts, and actively managing them. While the agreement in question was a construction contract (involving specific terms that could be implied by statute), the principles around the formation of an informally negotiated contract are of wider commercial interest.
Recent Insights
What does the second half of 2025 offer the commercial real estate sector in England?
Key areas include residential long leasehold and commonhold, renters' rights, planning system support and overhaul, and security of tenure reform.
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Recent case highlights need for further guidance on what constitutes a high-rise building in England
A recent Upper Tribunal decision demonstrates that there is still a significant amount of uncertainty about how building safety law and regulation should be interpreted.
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Government to invest over £2bn in the UK's AI ecosystem
The government is backing AI with a mixture of spending on AI and AI-adjacent infrastructure, research and development.
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Contract formation in the digital age: English High Court finds binding agreement formed via WhatsApp messages
The recent case of Jaevee Homes v Fincham is a cautionary tale about the use of informal communication channels when negotiating contracts. Although it concerned a construction contract, it is potentially of broader relevance to all types of commercial agreement.
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ESG Update | June 2025
A round-up of legal, regulatory and market news on ESG developments in the UK, EU and internationally.
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Events
Sustainable clothing? How the EU, UK and France are moving towards a circular economy
26 June | 09:00-10:00
Across Europe, new rules on eco-design and product sustainability will have a significant impact on the fashion and luxury sector.
Register now >
Seven decades on: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, recent case law and the path to reform
26 June | 09:30-10:15
A webinar on the proposed reform of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and recent case law (with a focus on lease termination).
Register now >
