In an important decision which established that computer software can properly be viewed as ‘goods’, notwithstanding its intangibility, the High Court has awarded substantial compensation to a commercial agent whose client backed out of a promotion deal without notice. The agent had agreed to promote
Freezing orders are an essential tool by which the courts ensure that alleged wrongdoers have no opportunity to disperse their assets prior to judgment or enforcement action. However, a Court of Appeal case has underlined the salutary duty on those who apply for such orders
In an important decision of which charities and religious bodies should take careful note, the Court of Appeal has underlined that they can be held legally liable for the misdeeds of volunteers as well as paid employees. The case concerned a man who held office
Employers are not legally permitted to delegate their duties to keep their staff safe – even if they are working in challenging environments overseas. In one case which makes that point, the family of an investment banker who died when a helicopter crashed into the
Failing to respond swiftly to litigation can be extremely costly. One mortgage lender found that out when its £1.4 million legal charge over a residential property was effectively rendered worthless by its failure to file a legal document on time. The house was lived in
Many people believe that everything on the Internet should be free. However, one case in which a businessman received a four-year jail term for wholesale breaches of film industry copyrights showed how very wrong that assumption is. The man made £280,000 in advertising revenue from
Edge of town shopping centres are often intensely controversial because of the serious impact they can have on existing high street trade. The Court of Appeal examined that issue in upholding a planning permission granted for a food store 500 metres from the heart of
In an important decision, the Court of Appeal has overcome an apparent lacuna in the drafting of the Equality Act 2010 to come to the aid of students who suffer discrimination whilst carrying out work placements as part of their studies. A student nurse who
An equal pay claim involving more than 7,000 female supermarket workers – which is said to be the most economically significant piece of litigation to be launched in the UK in recent times – will be heard by an Employment Tribunal (ET) after a novel
The trade in so-called ‘knock off’ goods is nowadays so widespread that people tend to forget that it is criminal. In one case, a shopkeeper who made up to £300,000 selling counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes was handed a hefty jail sentence. The man was caught
