Buying Development Land? Watch Out for Restrictive Covenants!
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
Monitoring of Employee’s Emails Did Not Violate His Privacy Rights
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
First Fine for Foreign Bribery Offences
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
Feeling Under Pressure to Grant Credit to a Client? Be Careful!
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
Reminder – No Tax Penalty Warning
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
Acas Guidance on Carrying Out Investigations in the Workplace
In any workplace, situations will arise where it is necessary for the employer to carry out an investigation before deciding what to do next. Common situations that require an investigation include: receiving a grievance from
Residential Developers Accuse Planning Officials of Victimisation
In a striking example of the heat which planning disputes can generate, residential developers who viewed themselves as ‘luckless victims’ of an over-zealous local authority managed to fight off a High Court bid for an
London Arbitrators Must Tackle Red Square Hotel Dispute
Commercial arbitrators are often called upon to address thorny jurisdictional issues where all the parties to a dispute, and its subject matter, have nothing at all to do with the UK. That was certainly so
Pay Disparities Are Not Always Discriminatory
Statistical disparities in pay are not always a sign of discrimination. In one important case which proved that point, a Muslim prison chaplain who pointed out that he and his co-religionist colleagues were on average
Industrial Espionage Claim Leads to £275,000 Payout
Employees sadly cannot always be trusted and industrial espionage is a threat which cannot be ignored. In one case, a company received £275,000 in damages and legal costs after a disloyal worker abused her position