The World Wide Web has revolutionised the way people live in both their personal and professional lives, with every conceivable topic available at the click of a button. Internet users can access a wide variety of websites by typing in domain names which end with a small number of suffixes such as .com, .net and […]

In a previous blog post I reported on how High Street banks had been mis-selling interest protection products to many small businesses. Following a two month review, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has found that there have been “serious failings” at Barclays, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds in the way they have sold […]

As reported in the national news recently, the banking industry has abandoned its legal fight over the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) to thousands of customers and will now be compensating those customers. There is another area where an increasing number of complaints are being made by customers against the banks. This is over […]

A partnership is one of many options available when running a business. Partners will frequently share profits and losses and will usually be bound by a Partnership Agreement which will govern their relationship. Partnership disputes are common and can be complicated by the lack of a formal Partnership Agreement. In some circumstances this can even […]

It is not uncommon for businesses to spend substantial sums on marketing, but there are dangers involved in using a marketing campaign which aggressively targets a competitor by reference to its trade marks. Businesses should be aware that the Courts will not allow them to “ride on the coat tails” of others or build unfairly […]

Having building work carried out at your home can lead to endless problems. From cowboy builders to unsatisfactory work, a home owner can be left feeling helpless and may find it difficult to put things right. Here we look at various examples of improvements to home owner’s rights providing protection to those engaging contractors (although […]

Whilst the banking industry has abandoned its legal fight over the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) to thousands of customers a new scandal has recently been revealed by a Sunday Telegraph investigation, which found that the majority of the UK’s major banks have sold highly complex interest rate derivatives to small businesses These are […]

Administration allows for the reorganisation of a company or the realisation of its assets. It usually follows soon after a company becomes insolvent. The process takes place under the protection of a moratorium, which prevents creditors from enforcing their claims against the company. When a company enters administration, an insolvency practitioner is appointed as the […]

An Insurance Broker has a duty to ensure that a policy meets the needs of its client. This is a continuing duty and requires a Broker to advise his client of any changes to the policy throughout its duration. A Broker who fails to comply with this duty could find themselves facing a negligence claim […]

Gifts and hospitality are an everyday part of corporate life with businesses investing money to build relationships and market their products. Although part of the business culture, such practices can give rise to bribery. The new Bribery Act seeks to clamp down on bribery by introducing tough new anti-corruption laws. With the CPS prosecuting their […]

The Localism Act, to come into force in April this year, is set to amend the courts’ powers in relation to a landlord’s responsibility to protect a tenant’s deposit by paying into a relevant scheme, and to provide set information about the scheme to the tenant. The Housing Act 2004 set out various penalties for […]

A long time ago in a film studio far, far away movie history was made as the phenomenally successful Star Wars saga began. The Lucasfilm empire has made billions of pounds from the films themselves and associated merchandise. Over 30 years since the first chapter began, Lucasfilm found themselves fighting for their intellectual property rights […]