In popular myth, the Internet is as lawless as the Wild West – but one important High Court case has strikingly revealed that the law can take very effective steps to block wholesale infringement of valuable trade marks online. The proprietors of trade marks in
Building contracts usually contain detailed payment schedules and provide means by which the amounts of bills can be queried. However, strict time limits almost always apply to such provisions and one High Court case has revealed the serious consequences of failing to meet them. Company
Adjudication of contract disputes is meant to be a swift and relatively cheap means of achieving justice. However, the High Court has expressed concern that too many adjudicators’ decisions are being challenged on meritless grounds and has laid down a marker that those who pursue
In a case of which all employers who have dealings with the public should take note, the Supreme Court has upheld a damages claim in respect of an incident in which a supermarket customer was savagely beaten by a petrol station attendant. In a ruling
Intellectual property laws are tough on infringers, who can expect to face substantial compensation bills or to be stripped of all the profits that they make from their wrongdoing. However, in one case, the Court of Appeal came to the aid of a company which
When one company transfers its workforce to another, employees generally have a right to be redeployed on the same pay and conditions as before. However, in a guideline case, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has considered the special rules which apply in cases of corporate
A failure to accurately disclose your financial position on divorce may seem clever to some but can come back to haunt you years after the event. Exactly that happened when a wife failed to reveal to her husband that she was on the verge of
Bank guarantees underwrite many major contracts and oil the wheels of international commerce. However, the High Court has criticised as ‘virtually incoherent’ one such guarantee issued by a high street lender in respect of an oil drilling contract. The bank had irrevocably and unconditionally guaranteed
In a classic example of the law moving on to meet the ever-changing requirements of modern life, the Supreme Court has corrected a legal anomaly which had for many years resulted in the loved ones of fatal accident victims being under-compensated. The widow of a
In a cautionary tale for employers, a High Court case has strikingly underlined how office affairs and family relationships are capable of creating conflicts of interest which can compromise the integrity of even the most trusted worker. Company A was awarded a multi-million-pound maintenance contract
