Legal updates | Simmons & Simmons

Dive into our podcast series, Seas Of Opportunity: Navigating the Blue Economy", a compelling collaboration between international law firm Simmons & Simmons, and the influential NGO Marine Conservation Society. This series brings together key ocean influencers to shed light on crucial issues surrounding our seas and their sustainable future.

In this episode, sustainable finance and ocean policy specialist Dorothee Herr talks us through ocean based solutions, what they can achieve and the role that governments and the private sector can play in making it happen.

Dive into our podcast series, "Seas Of Opportunity: Navigating the Blue Economy", a compelling collaboration between international law firm Simmons & Simmons, and the influential NGO Marine Conservation Society. This series brings together key ocean influencers to shed light on crucial issues surrounding our seas and their sustainable future.

In this episode, we consider how the ocean shapes life on Earth with Dr. Helen Czerski, a distinguished physicist and oceanographer, as she joins James Merchant at the Marine Conservation Society. Together, they delve into the expansive role of the ocean, exploring its fundamental importance to our existence and the health of Planet Earth.

Dive into our podcast series, "Seas Of Opportunity: Navigating the Blue Economy", a compelling collaboration between international law firm Simmons & Simmons, and the influential NGO Marine Conservation Society. This series brings together key ocean influencers to shed light on crucial issues surrounding our seas and their sustainable future.

In this episode, Kamile Jankauskyte, ESG analyst at Simmons & Simmons speaks with Ted Janulis, Founder and Principal at Investable Oceans on the role of blue finance in building a sustainable blue economy whilst at the World Ocean Summit in Lisbon. The episode walks through the current state of sustainable blue finance and some of the opportunities on the horizon as we look to scale investment.

In the final podcast of the series, we cover the implications of the UK Procurement Act set to reform from October 2024, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities, and its impact on the supply chain.

In the opening podcast of this series, we delve into the background and purpose of the UK's new Procurement Act, which is a significant overhaul of procurement legislation post-Brexit.

We discuss the introduction of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by the new Procurement Act for contracts exceeding £5 million, (excluding some contract types). While the Act provides a broad definition of KPIs, detailed guidance on their formulation is not available at the time of recording.

In this podcast we note that the new act doesn't go as far as the initial consultation had suggested, highlighting the few relevant changes to procurement challenges that have been made. In addition, we discuss what other reforms could be introduced at a later date.

In this episode, we look at the changes in the exclusion and debarment system under the new Act. In particular, we note the changes that suppliers need to understand, especially the new ground for poor performance and the severe consequences of being listed on the debarment register.

We look at the significant changes in awarding public contracts under the new Procurement Act, and what suppliers should be aware of in respect of award procedures.