03/06/15
On 22 May 2015, British American Tobacco ("BAT") and Philip Morris International ("PMI") each filed a claim for judicial review challenging the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 (the "2015 Regulations"), which became law on 19 March 2015. The 2015 Regulations will require all cigarette and hand rolling tobacco packaging presented for retail sale in the UK to be ’standardised’, i.e. the packaging will need to be a uniform colour and will not be permitted to contain any trademarks other than the brand and variant name of the product (which will be required to be in a standardised font and colour). On 26 May 2015, Japan Tobacco International (‘JTI’) also filed a claim challenging the 2015 Regulations.
PMI is represented by Marie Demetriou QC, Daniel Piccinin and Michael Bolding, instructed by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP.
BAT is represented by David Scannell, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
JTI is represented by David Anderson QC, Victoria Wakefield and Jennifer MacLeod, instructed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.