A trust is a legal vehicle which has been viewed by many with suspicion, particularly in recent years. They are seen by some as solely a tax planning tool for the wealthy, to ensure that wealth is maintained and protected for future generations. However, the recent announcement that Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, has decided to gift his company to a charitable trust demonstrates that trusts can also be used for beneficial and philanthropic causes.

The Law Commission of England and Wales (‘LCEW’) has published a consultation paper which proposes provisional reforms to the Arbitration Act 1996 (‘the 1996 Act’), the legislation which governs arbitration proceedings in England and Wales.

The paper proposes to reform the 1996 Act in a number of areas which Iain Drummond discusses below.