In a case which raised important issues in relation to public procurement, the High Court has refused to strike down a development agreement entered into by a local authority with the objective of comprehensively regenerating a run-down industrial estate. The council owned the freehold of
This summer’s hot weather raised the issue of the law regarding temperatures in the workplace. What is a suitable environment will depend on the nature of the activity. For example, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers recommends a temperature of 20°C for offices, whereas
Taking out insurance on the life and/or health of a person key to your company’s business is often a very sensible precaution. The premiums for such insurance can be set against the business tax liability if paid by the company, provided the benefit of the
Charities that stretch their resources by charging those who can afford to pay for their services will be deeply concerned by a Court of Appeal ruling that one such organisation was engaged in ‘economic activity’ for tax purposes. The charity concerned provided water-based outdoor activities
Letters of intent are widely used in the building trade, because it is normal for both developer and contractor to wish to make progress on a building project without having to wait until the formal contractual arrangements have been fully agreed. However, letters of intent
Recognition of ‘units’ of workers for the purposes of collective bargaining can be a thorny issue and that was certainly so in one case in which supermarket chain Lidl fiercely objected to 223 warehouse workers – representing only about 1.2 per cent of its total
As any property professional will know, negotiations can be tense and it is common for various draft agreements to fly between parties without any final deal in fact having been reached. Exactly that happened in one case involving the proposed lease of a luxury central
Small businesses are often like families and directors feel a very personal obligation towards their employees. However, in one striking case, a woman’s battle to keep her IT company afloat and her staff in work led to her imprisonment for tax fraud. The middle-aged woman
Fringe benefits provided to employees are usually taxable – but there are exceptions, and one of them came under detailed scrutiny in a case involving a free bus pass issued to a local authority worker. The council had in the past operated a scheme whereby
The English commercial courts are truly multinational and are often seen as the oil on the wheels of world trade. In one case, the High Court in London was considered the right venue in which to resolve a $6 million contract dispute between Liberian ship
