Japanese knotweed gets Network Rail in a tangle
Japanese knotweed can be very problematic. It can cause damage to buildings and land by the spreading of its roots, which can affect the value, marketability and the insurability of…
Katie Duthie LLB (Hons)
Senior associate, solicitor
No more tribunal fees, but has it made a difference?
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor last summer, we saw fees for employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal being abolished.…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Trust compliance in 2018 – know your obligations
The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in trust regulation. The penalties for non-compliance can be onerous so here’s a quick look at these new regulations: Trust Registration…
Rachel Sugden LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Corporate Governance Reform - where are we now?
The government’s green paper, Corporate Governance Reform, sought views from a broad cross-section of business and society on specific aspects of corporate governance – executive pay, corporate governance in large…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
How confident are you in dealing with employment law issues?
If you find the ever-changing landscape of employment law and the reams of jargon-filled official guidance daunting, you’re not alone. Many of our clients have found our employment law seminars…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
GDPR: Useful insights from the ICO
Much has been written about GDPR, but one of the more useful recent documents is entitled “Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation – 12 steps to take now”, published…
Willans
Solicitors
“If science can help, then it should”: Court orders woman to take DNA test in landmark judgment
Litigation partner Paul Gordon is acting for a client in an inheritance dispute which has given rise to a “significant development” in the law. The case was heard in the…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Time for a legal spring clean? 6 tips for your business in 2018
From tidying up your data processes in time for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through to staying one step ahead of cyber criminals, we share some tips for a…
Willans
Solicitors
Just Eat in the spotlight after delivery driver uses customer data to send inappropriate texts
Just Eat are under the spotlight for a delivery driver using customer data to send inappropriate texts to a female customer. It is possible that the driver’s use of a customer’s…
Willans
Solicitors
An affordable forum for SMEs with IP disputes
Intellectual property (IP) disputes in the High Court can be costly and complex, but did you know that there is a specialist court which may provide SMEs with a quicker…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Our secret to longevity? A loyal team
With over 150 years’ worth of combined service from the seven longest-standing members of our team, celebrating our milestone 70th anniversary is testament to the dedication of our lawyers, management…
Willans
Solicitors
Reaching the platinum mark: A review of our 70th year in business
In 2017, Willans celebrated its 70th year in business. After wartime service in the Navy, Alec Willans founded the firm in 1947 as a small practice. 70 years and eight…
Willans
Solicitors
Pre-employment screening – what are the limits?
Recruiting the right member of staff takes considerable time and effort, and so understandably employers want to get it right. It used to be standard for an employer to require …
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
All I want for Christmas is…a rent review?
Christmas is fast approaching and with all of the distractions of the season it might be easy to forget that a rent review may be due under your lease, particularly…
Willans
Solicitors
Charities and leases – what trustees need to know
Regardless of their legal structure, all charities have to comply with certain requirements when dealing with land. Most of these duties set out in the Charities Act 2011 (the Act),…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
Duomatic principle throws shareholder consent under spotlight
The Duomatic principle is a long-established common law principle of company law. It allows shareholders of a company to consent to a matter informally, without the need for attending and…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
New protection for businesses against groundless threats
Under intellectual property law, individuals and businesses are protected from threats of legal action for infringing a third party’s intellectual property rights (IPRs) when those threats are groundless and unjustified.…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Equal Pay Day throws gender pay gap into the spotlight
This year, Equal Pay Day falls on Friday 10 November, which signifies the date of the year on which, as the gender pay gap reveals, women effectively stop earning in…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Unexpected liability for contaminated land
You might think that it would be safe to allow a statutory body such as the local authority onto your land to carry out potentially contaminating activities (such as landfill),…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
Residential care: your legal questions answered
Planning for the future can be daunting, at best. It is therefore sensible to seek legal and financial advice when you are considering taking big steps, such as moving into…
Rachel Sugden LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
New debt recovery protocol 2017: what do you need to know?
On 1 October, a new debt recovery protocol came into place which should be complied with before proceedings are issued by a creditor. It is designed to reduce the amount…
Megan Bullingham BA (Hons), FCILEx
Associate, chartered legal executive
Navigating the age of ‘Taylor’-made working practices
The modern workplace is increasingly characterised by flexible, ad hoc working as more people become self-employed or work under zero hours contracts. A flexible workforce can benefit businesses that have…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Bringing commercial property up-to-date - factors to consider
Many people see an opportunity in buying a house at a reduced price as it needs refurbishment or complete renovation. Equally, in the commercial sphere, there is scope for tenants…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
How to incentivise employees in growing businesses
How can small, growing companies incentivise their employees? One way is by putting an Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme in place, which can motivate staff to invest their time and…
Willans
Solicitors
Reality rules – business rates on development property
Property owners and occupiers who are developing vacant commercial premises will be delighted with a recent decision of the Supreme Court. Up to now there has been some confusion over…
Nigel Whittaker BA (Hons)
Partner
Giving free professional advice? You may still owe a duty of care
In Lejonvarn v Burgess (2017), the Court of Appeal has confirmed that a person who provides professional services to friends might do so on a “professional basis” and thereby assume…
Willans
Solicitors
What businesses need to know about the proposed E-Privacy Regulation
There has been a lot of talk recently about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but not so much about the new proposed E-Privacy Regulation (EPR), the breach of which…
Willans
Solicitors
Common sense prevails in appeal case
The courts have long been against clauses which limit or exclude a party’s liability and have thus tended to interpret them strictly using a variety of methods, including the contra…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
A step too far? Discriminatory dress codes in the workplace
In December 2015, Nicola Thorp was sent home from her job as an agency receptionist, without pay, for failure to comply with the agency’s dress code. She was wearing flat…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Tribunal confirms voluntary overtime must be included in holiday pay
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has confirmed, in the case of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v Willetts (and others), that employees who receive regular payments for voluntary overtime should have those…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Breaking news - employment tribunal fees scrapped
The Supreme Court has made history today by ruling that fees for bringing an employment tribunal case to court are unlawful. The court found that the fees prevented access to…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Protecting your business in the age of cyber-crime
Cyber-crime has made many headlines recently and it is more important than ever to guard your business against this ever-evolving threat. The potential consequences of a cyber-attack may include: the…
Nick Southwell BA (Hons)
Partner
ICO view on Virgin’s release of Jeremy Corbyn train footage
You may recall a while ago Jeremy Corbyn’s public criticism of a “ram-packed” Virgin train, in which he released a video showing him sitting on the carriage floor. Virgin Trains…
Willans
Solicitors
Playing fair in the ‘gig’ economy – advice for employers
In a recent report, former work and pensions committee chair Frank Field MP has warned that the government must intervene in order to prevent exploitation of ‘gig economy’ workers. A…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Requirements for reporting on payment practices for large companies and LLPs
Large companies and large limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are now required to report on their payment practices and policies in relation to certain specified contracts, according to The Reporting on…
Willans
Solicitors
The GDPR is coming – guidance to date
There has been much in the press lately relating to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is due to be implemented on 25 May 2018. There will be hefty…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
