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Shareholder activism is increasingly targeting AIM companies, where concentrated shareholdings and lower liquidity can enable activists to gain influence rapidly. When private challenges to strategy or management escalate into public campaigns for board change, directors face critical decisions about how to respond, with the first 90 days often proving decisive in determining the outcome.

While buy-ins have traditionally been reserved for larger pension schemes, the risk transfer market is becoming increasingly accessible to smaller schemes. However, trustees must adjust their expectations and adopt a more pragmatic approach, as insurers offer streamlined rather than bespoke solutions to make these transactions commercially viable.

The Office for Students has launched a consultation on regulatory guidance for new free speech conditions in English higher education, set to take effect in April 2027. These conditions will require institutions to align their governing documents with free speech duties and maintain adequate governance arrangements, while also establishing ongoing compliance obligations that could significantly reshape institutional operations and board responsibilities.