Poaching of key staff is a perennial problem for service companies. In a recent dispute between two insurance broking firms, a firm which had the bulk of a specialist insurance team 'poached' by a competitor went to court to prevent…
Tenants who violate the terms of their leases can be forced to move out and hit hard in the pocket. In one case, commercial tenants who sublet part of their premises to a Chinese restaurant without their landlord’s permission had…
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…
A blind athlete who suffered catastrophic injuries when he fell out of a window whilst staying with friends during the Henley Regatta has won the right to £2 million in compensation to pay for the lifetime of care and support…
When Employment Tribunal (ET) fees were introduced in July 2013, the public service trade union Unison was quick to challenge the lawfulness of the new regime on the basis that it would make it 'virtually impossible, or excessively difficult' for…
Claims by dependants who are excluded from estates from which they might reasonably expect to benefit can, in appropriate circumstances, be made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. However, divorce settlements normally contain a clause which…
The courts often employ the concept of commercial common sense in interpreting ambiguous or poorly drafted contracts – but that does not mean that they will relieve the unwise of the consequences of their bad bargains. That was the unfortunate…
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…
Too many people, buying or selling a 'knock-off copy' of a branded item may seem a relatively minor matter but, given that brand owners invest billions of pounds annually in promoting their brands, it is unsurprising that the law which…
Giving false evidence to any court can have serious consequences, as an errant ex-husband may be about to discover. Ex-spouses are often reluctant to pay their debts to their former partner and, in one extreme case, a husband who claimed…