Member Article

North East law firm’s Brexit podcasts help businesses tune back in

A leading commercial law firm has launched a series of Brexit podcasts that talk organisations through the various potential outcomes as the end of the transition period approaches.

The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. While we continue to follow the bloc’s rules until the end of the year, that will all change on 1 January 2021.

The Brexit podcasts are being led by commercial lawyers Luke Donockley and Robin Adams, from Newcastle based Muckle LLP. The series forms part of the law firm’s successful Legal Spectrum Podcast, available to stream on Spotify, Buzzsprout and other platforms.

The snappy sessions, around 20 minutes long, are designed to give businesses confidence by clearly talking through all the key aspects and provide practical pointers on the best approach to a range of scenarios.

Luke Donockley, solicitor, says: “We’ve reached the business end of Brexit. We are ‘getting Brexit done’. But just how it gets done is still, currently, a matter of some uncertainty.

“COVID-19 has of course been a tragic interruption. Instead of preparing for Brexit, business survival has been an all-consuming objective for many organisations, with little time to spare on planning for the end of the transition period.

“So what can businesses do, in practical terms, to make sure they hit the ground running on 1 January when new rules come into play?

“We’re aiming to answer that question with this series of podcasts, and provide businesses with some clarity so they can feel more confident and ready to cope with the changes.

“Europe will continue to be an extremely important trading partner and any deal between the UK and EU would need to be ratified by parliaments on both sides, so time is running out for an agreement to be reached and to get the sign off before 31 December.

“If there is no agreement at that point, trade between the two will default to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules - with tariffs set to be introduced on many imports and exports, which could push up costs.

“There are still many questions to be answered, and in these podcasts we’re focusing on what the end of the Brexit transition period really means to businesses on a practical level.

“For example, what will trading on WTO rules actually look like and what can you do to prepare for what comes next?

“As a law firm for businesses, Muckle is always concerned with helping clients get the best commercial outcome. These podcasts are no exception. We’ve kept them short and accessible to businesspeople on every level and they provide an opportunity to get up to speed on the key issues as they stand at the moment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gardiner Richardson .