Corporate & Commercial

In part 1 of my blog, I set out our top tips for establishing a new business vehicle and structure. It is equally, if not more, important to ensure that you have the appropriate contracts and registrations in place when you business is ready to start trading. Here are our top tips for safeguarding your […]

Following the box office sensation “The Theory of Everything”, which was released in cinemas at the end of last year depicting the life of Professor Stephen Hawking, the famous scientist has sought to trade mark his own name. Hawking, along with fellow scientist Brian Cox, have both applied to the Intellectual Property Office to have […]

Setting up a new business is certainly an exciting endeavour. Entrepreneurs are by and large enthusiastic and ambitious about their chosen sector. However, despite gaining valuable experience in, or thoroughly researching the relevant industry, the legal pitfalls of starting a new business are often overlooked. Here are our top tips to get your new business […]

On Christmas Day during the Queen’s speech new legislation was announced (although you could have been forgiven for missing it); the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill (SBEE). Overview The SBEE has been enacted in response to the recession of 2008 to not only try and provide some transparency into the ownership of UK companies […]

If you are about to sell your business it is important not to underestimate the amount of time and effort involved. Not only can a typical sale take upwards of six months from the date a deal is agreed in principal to completion, but best practice would be to start preparing your business for sale […]

In August last year I blogged about how the global superstar and renowned fashion icon Rihanna successfully brought a claim against the parent company of clothing retailer giant Topshop over a T-shirt bearing her image. The case, Fenty – v – Arcadia, was the first successful celebrity case of its kind. The three Judges in […]

Commercial agreements are the life blood of business. They govern the relationships between businesses, allowing for the production, distribution and supply of a myriad of goods and services. Despite the fact that much legislation exists specifically to protect consumers where they are parties to a contract, very little protection is afforded to businesses engaged in […]

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK’s independent regulator for advertising across all media; and as such adjudicates on what is and is not acceptable in terms of advertising. The ASA has today issued new guidance to video bloggers (“vloggers”) following an investigation into five YouTube videos posted by various vloggers, all of which […]

Intellectual Property (IP) is an exceptionally valuable asset to many businesses, and by no means least to the car manufacturing industry. The Range Rover Evoque was launched by Jaguar Land Rover with a price tag ranging from around £30k -£50k, a price tag warranted by its “award winning design”. At the Chinese Guangzhou motor show […]

On 3 November this year, one of the longest-running adventures of famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was finally put to rest. Holmes is surely among the most famous and popular characters in the literary canon, a fact that was apparent to writers other than creator Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle even while he was still alive. French author […]

For some time now, owners of copyright in films and music have been able to ask the court to order internet service providers (ISPs) to prevent access to websites which make available unauthorised copies of their material. A recent judgment means that trade mark owners can now do the same. The case was brought by […]

A new law concerning the parody of copyrighted works came into force at the start of this month and the debates as to its effect have already begun. Will it merely lead to more social comment and entertainment which incorporates parody, or will it have a wider effect by, for example, allowing more risqué forms […]