Corporate & Commercial

In commercial dealings getting the names right can be critical and particularly in the case of when you are dealing with a company. In the recent case of Hamid v Francis Bradshaw Partnership the Court of Appeal had to decide whether a contract had been made with a company or with the person who signed […]

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (see Guidance here) seeks to protect consumers from unscrupulous selling tactics. In the age of the internet, particularly on smartphones and tablet computers, the public are given easy access to a vast array of potential purchases and the providers of such products have increasingly taken advantage of […]

Whether we are shopping on the high street or online, we are all continually bombarded with offers of “free” goods or services. These can range from “buy one get one free” offers in supermarkets, to internet or phone contracts with an offer of an initial “free” period. “Free” offer promotions aim to provide an incentive […]

On Saturday 16 March 2013 new regulations came into force changing the law surrounding commercial contracts for the supply of goods and services. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 have been created to implement the Directive on combating late payment in respect of commercial transactions (2011/7/EU) (which member states were to implement by 16 March 2013) […]

With the tennis industry becoming increasingly commercial, greater emphasis needs to be placed on fostering healthy club-coach relationships. Research shows the most successful tennis facilities are those where there is a strong mutual respect between club and coach with the coach placing themselves at the heart of club activities. At the same time coaches need […]

When negotiating the purchase of a business, it is usual for provisions dealing with post-completion restrictions on the seller to be limited to 2-4 years from the completion date. These restrictions cover matters such as the non-solicitation of customers, suppliers and staff, and competition with the buyer. It is commonly held that a period of 2-4 […]

So you’re all best friends now and, in any case, it’s all about the music, man! However, as members of The Smiths would probably tell you, it’s worth taking some time to think about your legal relationship with your fellow band members, preferably before the band is making any serious money. In fact, this can […]

The Government has recently released its response to the Select Committee Report entitled a Better Deal for Mobile Home Owners and has concluded that the Report confirms ‘there are serious problems with the sector’ and that ‘malpractice is widespread’. This is perhaps unexpected. The main conclusions reached by the Government are as follows: SALE BLOCKING […]

Changes of planning law came into effect on 1 October to allow the ancillary space above retail shops (either A1 or A2) to be converted into residential use without the need to obtain planning permission. The main conditions to comply with are: The retail use is on a floor below the residential part of the […]

The Live Music Act came into force on 1 October 2012 with the effect that venues in England and Wales with a capacity of less than 200 people no longer need a licence for live music. The Act seeks to remove some of the restrictions on live music put in place by the Licensing Act […]

The Community Right to Bid is part of the Localism Act and came into force on the 21 September. This Act is an attempt to ensure important assets remain in public use and stay part of community life. This could be the village shop, the pub or library. Under the Localism Act, voluntary and community […]

On 10 July 2012, the House of Commons was presented with a Private Members Bill which aims to better control the use of former independent retail stores and public houses as supermarkets. The Bill was presented by Julian Huppert (Lib Dem MP for Cambridge) and will be read by the Commons for a second time […]