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Our employment law update for October covers a case about whether serious acts of sexual harassment took place in or outside the course of employment. We also have a general news round-up covering recent developments in progress of the Employment Rights Bill and the rejected proposal to charge employment tribunal fees. 

On 13 October 2025 the FCA fined an employee for insider dealing for selling his own and close family member’s entire shareholding whilst in possession of, and using, inside information.  The FCA has imposed a financial penalty of £100,281 (reduced from £126,575).

In recent weeks, there have been significant developments in the legal landscape of pricing and pricing algorithm laws in New York and California. In light of the quickly changing law on pricing, clients should be thinking about reviewing their pricing programs with antitrust counsel and taking other practical steps to decrease the likelihood that these programs might be found to violate state antitrust laws. 

This is the second in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK. The UK data centre sector’s expansion is increasingly dominated by the shell and core development model. Hyperscale and major colocation tenants are seeking to deploy capital efficiently, accelerate their time-to-market, and retain maximum control over their proprietary technical environments. In response, developers are delivering powered shells – buildings with foundational power and cooling infrastructure but without tenant-specific fit-out – as the market standard. This approach provides tenants with the freedom to customise their IT architecture. But it also presents developers and investors with complex legal and commercial challenges. The core objective is to create a flexible, scalable asset while ensuring a secure, bankable investment that meets the stringent criteria of institutional finance. The success in shell and core projects depends on the seamless integration of planning, development, construction, leasing and regulatory strategies. A misstep in one area can cascade through the project, affecting finance, tenant relationships and operational performance. This second instalment of our Insight Series examines the legal frameworks underpinning these developments, from the structure of development management agreements and lease contracts to the regulatory considerations shaping the market.