Brevity is usually to be preferred when drafting commercial agreements and an excess of verbosity can often be the source of intractable disputes. That was certainly so in the case of a £160 million public contract which contained a string of unworkable clauses despite running
Trade unionists have a vital part to play in many workplaces and employers have to be very careful not to penalise them for their activities. However, in one instance, a university successfully appealed against a decision that it had done just that in the case
Conversations with solicitors that are designed to achieve a compromise of legal proceedings are generally ‘without prejudice’ and admissions made cannot be relied upon in court. In an important decision, the Court of Appeal has analysed the extent of that rule in the context of
The enduring popularity of the English courts with litigants from every corner of the globe was strikingly underlined by a case in which the High Court came to the aid of a heavily indebted, Spanish-owned, group of companies, saving its creditors from what would otherwise
In May 2015, the Government acted to ban exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. However, recognising that further measures were necessary to prevent employers sidestepping the ban, further legislation has now been introduced to afford further protection to those working under such contracts. Under the
In a case which served as a salutary warning to property developers, a company’s plans for a prime plot of urban land were hamstrung by restrictions on the use of the site which had been in place for almost 60 years. The original owner of
Most employers ban staff from using office computers for personal communication purposes during working hours and, in an important decision, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that reasonable monitoring of emails is an acceptable means of ensuring that such strictures are complied with.
A company which was caught making bribes to secure contracts in Africa has been ordered to pay more than £2 million in fines and legal costs.. It is the first case in which a UK company has been convicted for overseas bribery contrary to UK
Businesses often feel under commercial pressure to grant credit to important clients but one High Court case showed how easy it is for such debts to get out of control. A commodities trading company had agreed to defer payment of part of a favoured customer’s
If you fail to lodge your 2014/5 Tax return with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by 31 January, you will be subject to an automatic fine. No paper reminders that there is a return due or tax payable will be sent by HMRC, unless your
