Budget 2015 – How will the Inheritance Tax changes affect you? The UK Government announced its Summer Budget 2015 last week and there were some notable changes which affect Inheritance Tax and thus Wills and Estate Planing. Our Solicitors set out briefly below those changes.
Professionals who sign contracts on behalf of their clients should beware following a High Court ruling which paved the way for trial of a £5.1 million claim by Royal Mail Estates Limited against a specialist firm of commercial property solicitors. Royal Mail had contracted to
A patent which underpins an immensely successful drug used in the treatment of aggressive breast cancer has been declared invalid by the High Court on the basis that the invention it described was ‘obvious’ in the light of pre-existing research. The patent related to the
Employment cases are subject to strict time limits and independent advice is essential to avoid the consequences of missing them. In one case, a former university research fellow had her hopes of compensation dashed after launching proceedings just one day too late. The woman, who
It is a basic principle of law that no one should be condemned without a fair hearing. In one case which illustrated the point, the High Court has ruled that a law firm was wrongly castigated by a judge as being ‘elbows deep in fraud’
Neighbourhood development plans (NDPs) have excited much controversy since their introduction by the Localism Act 2011 and a case in which a disappointed housebuilder complained that its land had not been allocated for development was true to form. The company’s land was viewed as a
More than half a century after the Beatles played their first concert on their tour of America, live footage of the Fab Four’s performance and the well-loved tracks they played became the focus of a High Court copyright dispute. The Beatles played 12 songs at
Insurance small print can be tedious – but a failure to read and understand it can lead to policies becoming worthless and premiums being a waste of money. In one telling case, an insurance company escaped liability in respect of a warehouse arson attack which
Statistical evidence of unequal treatment in the workplace is not enough by itself to found an indirect discrimination claim, the Court of Appeal has ruled in an important test case involving a group of Home Office employees. The members of the group had all failed
International sanctions against pariah states are increasingly far-reaching and can have a dramatic impact on individuals’ lives. In one case, a UK resident who was married to an alleged supporter of the repressive regime in Syria failed to convince the High Court to unfreeze her
