Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

Last month, the Dutch competition authority (ACM) cleared a joint agreement among soft-drink suppliers including Coca-Cola to discontinue plastic handles on multipacks to make the packaging more recyclable and reduce plastic. Applying its draft sustainability guidelines, the ACM found that the arrangements did not harm competition given that evidence showed the handles did not play a role in the competitive process and participants remained free to decide on, e.g., when and how to discontinue the handles. The ACM has been at the forefront among competition authorities in trying to find a workable approach to balancing competition policy and sustainability goals...

What is driving the imperative for ESG alignment? There has been a cultural shift in society as more and more individuals commit to leading sustainable lives. Those individuals – whether as consumers, employees or other stakeholders in industry – now expect the businesses operating in their communities to function in a more sustainable manner too. The wider context At an international level, the United Nations 2030 Agenda established 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) requiring urgent action...

Fraser Mitchell has re-joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a Partner in the planning team, bringing to the firm and its clients almost two decades’ planning expertise, with a particular focus on the housebuilding, commercial property and clean energy sectors. Fraser, who trained at Shepherd and Wedderburn and spent a number of years in the planning team, adds further strength in depth to the firm’s market-leading planning practice. He returns to the firm from Shoosmiths, where he led the planning and environment team in Scotland, advising on all aspects of planning, roads, and compulsory purchase law...

Peter Smith has joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a Commercial Property Partner, heading the firm’s real estate team in the Aberdeen office and bringing 19 years’ expertise advising clients in the real estate sector. Peter will lead the development of the firm’s real estate practice in the north-east of Scotland to further strengthen its presence in the region. Peter, who joined Shepherd and Wedderburn on 1 August, had been a partner in Burness Paull’s commercial real estate team since 2012...