The Internet has made it possible for almost anyone to export goods worldwide – but that unfortunately includes counterfeit merchandise. In one case, a man who sold £250,000 worth of fake T-shirts from his garage, in wholesale breach of copyright,…
Whether in the commercial sphere or when dealing with consumers, the ancient and haphazard rule that contract terms must not be penal in nature has not weathered well and is often a source of confusion. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling…
Contract drafting is an art which should only be undertaken by specialists. The truth of that statement was underlined by a case in which an arbitration clause in a major commercial contract contained references to non-existent ‘UK law’ and ‘UK…
A recent case has illustrated that a lack of formal agreements regarding the ownership of assets is a proven recipe for dispute when a relationship breaks up. It involved a couple who ran a frozen food business and lived together…
Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) are a relatively new form of business, having only been introduced following the passing of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000. An LLP is, as the name implies, a sort of cross between a limited company…
A recent case highlights the changes that will be coming into effect next year when the Insurance Act 2015 comes into force, reducing the number of 'technical' defences that can be used by insurance companies to avoid paying out on…
Companies in the throes of cash flow difficulties should seek professional advice and not give in to the temptation of delaying payment of their tax bills. In one cautionary tale, a newspaper publisher was hit with a tough £70,000 penalty…
It is a widespread (and incorrect) belief among the owners of smaller businesses that competition law is something which applies only to very large firms. Although most competition law investigations and legal actions are brought against larger companies with the…
Business partners who failed to define their working relationship in writing – instead reaching agreements orally over bottles of red wine in a pub – paid the price when a dispute over money erupted and made its way to the…
A company director who breached his employer’s trust by misusing its resources to aid his son and daughter-in-law in establishing a new, and potentially competing, business has been ordered to pay more than £90,000 in damages. The man was managing…