Many marketing and promotional campaigns offer ‘free’ goods to customers. A tax tribunal’s decision has, however, established the truth of the popular saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch, or for that matter a free bottle of wine. The case concerned
Contract adjudicators work under pressure and their decisions can sometimes bring to mind a curate’s egg. However, as a case concerning a £33.5 million construction project showed, judges have the power to sever the good from the bad, thus ensuring that swift and cost-effective justice
There is a risk that well-meaning or light-hearted marketing or advertising campaigns may inadvertently stray into the realms of discrimination. A brewery fell into that trap when it marketed a cut-price beer only to those who identified as women in a satirical attempt to highlight
There are roads and there are highways, but is there any real distinction between the two that can be legally defined? The High Court addressed that important issue in a case of interest to property and planning professionals. A property developer obtained outline planning permission
So-called squatters’ rights are a constant bone of contention because they can result in property being wrested from the ownership of those who have paper title to it. That was certainly so in an unusual case concerning a burial vault in which members of a
Professionally drafted restrictive covenants in employment contracts are a legitimate means of protecting businesses from unfair competition – but only insofar as they do not amount to an unreasonable restraint on an individual’s freedom to work. In an important test case, the Supreme Court considered
Discrimination in favour of one section of society over others can in some cases be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. In a guideline ruling, the Court of Appeal found that that exception applied to a social housing charity that preferred
Those intent on changing jobs can easily have their heads turned by glittering offers of remuneration and benefits made over lunch and a handshake. However, as one case strikingly showed, it is written terms of engagement that really matter, and taking expert advice is the
Many large country houses are equipped with stables and other leisure facilities, but if their use is more than merely domestic there could be potential tax consequences. Just that issue arose in a case concerning international-standard equestrian facilities built by a leading dressage rider in
If you are facing court proceedings, burying your head in the sand is the worst option you can take and you should consult a lawyer straight away. In a case on point, a pair of businesspeople who failed to take that sensible step were stripped
