In a decision that will be required reading for family, charity and company lawyers, a divorced former couple who founded a $4 billion children’s charity have won the backing of the High Court in separating their benevolent interests. The couple’s marriage had ended upon the
Basement extensions are increasingly popular, particularly in densely populated inner city areas with very high property prices, but they are by no means free from controversy. That was certainly so in one case in which plans to excavate under a listed building threatened to cause
Fines imposed for health and safety breaches at work are supposed to hurt and send a deterrent message to management and shareholders. However, the Court of Appeal has ruled that a £1,985,000 penalty imposed on a steel manufacturer following two accidents in which workers were
The current craze for vintage clothing gave rise to a guideline decision concerning the import duty classification of used garments in which trenchant criticism was levelled at the tax authorities’ perverse approach to the issue. The case concerned a company that imported vintage clothing in
Every step in litigation is subject to rigorously enforced time limits and sitting on your hands when faced with a claim is simply not an option. Developers found that out to their cost when their failure to act promptly resulted in the forfeiture of their
Senior employees know the intimate details of the companies they work for and their departure to a competitor’s fold can be a disaster. However, a High Court case showed that professionally drafted contractual restrictions on what they can and cannot do after they leave can
Insolvency proceedings must not be used as a means of bringing pressure to bear in commercial disputes and are only appropriate where there is a genuine inability to pay debts. The High Court made those points in blocking a winding up petition against a company
There is nothing commercially absurd about contractual restrictions on the right to litigate. The High Court made that point in dealing a blow to a subcontractor’s hopes of winning an additional £1 million for its work on a major infrastructure project. During the project, there
When you take out an insurance policy, it might seem tempting to minimise the risk insured against with a view to reducing the premium. However, one High Court case concerning a catastrophic property fire showed why absolute frankness is required. The case concerned a five-storey
Before accepting an employee’s resignation, it is crucially important to be certain that that is their true intention. In one case, an Employment Tribunal (ET) found that a letter in which a woman asked her manager to ‘please accept one month’s notice’ was ambiguous and
