Unforeseen tax implications can turn what appears to be a good deal into a bad one, and that is why it is always wise to take expert advice before signing on the dotted line. The point was made by a case concerning Capital Gains Tax
Inheritance disputes take many shapes and forms, but few can have been as tragic or unusual as that concerning an elderly couple who were found dead in their home from hypothermia in circumstances which gave rise to bitter disagreement between their children as to which
Where commercial contracts come to nothing, it can be tricky to discern exactly how, when, and by whom they were terminated. As a High Court case concerning the aborted sale of a $30 million business jet showed, the resolution of such issues can have major
All companies operate subject to the ‘directing mind and will’ of one or more humans, but they are nevertheless independent legal personalities. The Court of Appeal made that point in finding that an engineering company was rightly convicted of involvement in a corrupt conspiracy to
High demand for new homes and a scarcity of land to meet it are factors that weigh powerfully in favour of planning permission being granted to residential developers. However, as a High Court case showed, they by no means always trump the harm that housing
Everyone has the right to campaign against what they perceive as injustice, but only if that does not involve trampling on the rights of others. In a case on point, a mother paid with her liberty for relentlessly publicising her complaints about the family justice
Sham legal documents are created for all sorts of nefarious purposes, but judges are thankfully well practised at spotting them. In a case on point, a bogus lease created with the intention of evading business rates failed to convince the High Court. After receiving non-domestic
The balance of power between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and individual taxpayers may appear to be all one way. However, as a Court of Appeal decision showed, expert legal advice can be highly effective in levelling the playing field. HMRC wished to open an
Distinguishing between legitimate clients and money launderers is a major challenge for many businesses, but they ultimately bear legal responsibility for doing so. In a High Court case on point, a company was almost put out of business after its bank formed the view that
In a decision which will cost the NHS many millions of pounds, the Court of Appeal has ruled that a hospital trust failed to properly monitor a group of junior doctors’ working patterns so as to ensure that they received adequate rest breaks. In a
