Are you dealing with your digital legacy?
£25 billion. That is the current reported figure of unclaimed digital assets in the UK alone. What are digital assets? There is no precise legal definition but commonly they include:…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Announcing 2015 employment law seminar dates and topics
We have a new series of employment law breakfast briefings which will help employers keep up-to-speed on developments in this rapidly changing environment. Building on the success of previous years’…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Will week raises funds for National Star
We are delighted with the success of the ‘Make-a-will-week’ that we recently ran in association with, and in support of National Star, our charity of the year. The week was…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Beware the holiday car insurance traps
You may be starting to think about your summer holidays, perhaps joining the many British travellers who now choose a fly-drive option. If you have not done this before you…
Nick Cox LLB (Hons)
Consultant, solicitor
Fracking - myths and the truth
While the fracking debate continues to rage across the country, it should be noted that no shale gas has yet been produced from hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ as it is…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
Caution required when buying a listed building
While owning a listed building can bring great pleasure, it does bring many obligations. Before purchasing a listed property or starting renovations consider this guide. Cheltenham Borough Council recently won…
Suzanne O'Riordan
Partner, conveyancer (non-solicitor)
Our commercial and charity teams bolstered by arrival of new lawyer
We have recruited Kate Hickey to our company commercial team. She was previously a senior associate at Top 50 UK law firm. A Birmingham university graduate with first class honours,…
Willans
Solicitors
Chambers 2015 – leaders in their field
We are pleased to report another good showing in Chambers, the annual independent legal directory. It researches the UK legal scene, conducting interviews with lawyers, clients and business contacts and…
Willans
Solicitors
Shadow and de facto directors – are you at risk?
In the day-to-day running of a company, businesses are often overseen by individuals who are not legal directors registered at Companies House. However, those who undertake such roles should be…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Farmers solar farm subsidies to be cut
DEFRA has just announced plans that will see farmers lose their right to claim agricultural subsidies for fields filled with solar panels. According to DEFRA, this will help the countryside…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
Bear traps for the unwary employer
I sympathise with employers when they rail against being forced to treat employees with kid gloves. Employment law used to be a matter of common sense – if you were…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Cream of the crop - Taste Awards winners announced
The winners of the 2014 Taste of Gloucestershire Food & Farming Awards were revealed last night at a black tie dinner attended by more than 200 representatives from the food, farming…
Robin Beckley MA (Oxon)
Consultant, solicitor
New intestacy rules favouring surviving spouse/partner take effect today
Reforms simplifying what happens when someone dies without leaving a will came into force across England and Wales today, 1 October. Why have they changed? The Ministry of Justice said…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Single Payment Scheme, Basic Payment Scheme and the transfer window
Farmers are reminded that Single Payment Scheme entitlements become Basic Payment Scheme entitlements on 1 January 2015. Whilst the deadline for the transfer of entitlements is usually 2 April, if…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
No copyright, no cry: The court rules on Bob Marley copyright ownership
In the 1970s, internationally famous reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley attributed certain songs to other artists, including one of his most famous hits ‘No woman, no cry’, to avoid…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Too much monkey business
Gloucestershire based photographer David Slater was in Indonesia in 2011 taking wildlife photographs of a crested black macaque, when he decided to test the monkey’s innate curiosity. He set up…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Significant benefits to be had when voluntarily registering your land
We have been encouraging our clients for some time to make voluntary applications for the first registration of their property. The Land Registry has announced that approximately 20% of all…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
Residential tenancies - is a section 21 notice effective if served before the deposit is protected?
The outcome of a recent County Court case means it may now be possible to rely on a section 21 notice to end a tenancy agreement provided the tenant’s deposit is…
Nick Cox LLB (Hons)
Consultant, solicitor
Website blocking injunctions & ISPs
If you believe that someone is infringing your intellectual property rights by using your content on their website, as well as taking action against that infringing party, you may also want to seek…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Check for intellectual property provisions in your employment contracts
Although a business may create intellectual property (IP) during the course of its operations, in reality this IP is created by individuals. This may be by commissioning a third party…
Kym Fletcher LLB (Hons) Euro
Consultant, solicitor
Implied rights of way – not to be relied upon
A recent High Court case acts as a reminder that you should clearly outline rights of way in any transfers and leases of a property. Failure to do so may…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
The Companies (Striking Off) (Electronic Communications) Order 2014
This Order came into effect on 11 July 2014. It amends the Companies Act 2006 and Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 to enable the registrar…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Annual tax on enveloped dwellings – a pitfall for the farming community?
Since 1 April 2013, an annual charge has been levied on residential property worth more than £2 million owned by “non-natural persons”, known as the annual tax on enveloped dwellings…
Adam Hale BA (Hons), TEP, FALA
Partner
No apportionment of rents permitted unless the lease allows it
In last autumn’s seminar on break clauses Nick Cox reported on the case of Marks & Spencer v BNP Paribas. This case had suggested that if the lease included a break…
Nick Cox LLB (Hons)
Consultant, solicitor
Selling to customers? Be aware of the new regulations
It is important that any business which is selling to consumers reviews their terms of sale and websites to ensure that they are compliant with new laws which came into effect on 13…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Restrictive covenants in employment contracts - the tide is turning
A High Court case has recently demonstrated that the courts are more willing to uphold restrictive covenants. Employers will welcome the recent judgment of the High Court in Prophet plc…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Restoring a company to the register
Companies can be ‘struck off’ the register’, and therefore cease to exist, for a variety of reasons. But in certain circumstances they can be restored to the register and this…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Flexible working – a new dawn?
From June 2014, the flexible working legislation has been opened up as part of the government’s bid to reduce red tape, but where does this leave businesses faced with flexible…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Environment Secretary announces more detail about the greening element of the CAP changes
With the Basic Payment Scheme coming into effect in six months’ time, the government announced on 10 June some much needed clarification about how they intend to implement the new…
Robin Beckley MA (Oxon)
Consultant, solicitor
YouView TV infringes our client’s trade mark, High Court rules
Our litigation partner, Paul Gordon represented Total Ltd. in a High Court case which resulted in a ruling today that YouView infringes a trade mark owned by our client, an…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Agricultural buildings to residential dwellings
We have now seen the publication of changes to the Town and Country Planning General Permitted Development Order which in some cases, allows agricultural buildings to be converted into residential…
Robin Beckley MA (Oxon)
Consultant, solicitor
Landlords - beware of the risk of releasing guarantors
It is well-established law that a landlord risks releasing a tenant’s guarantor from its obligations under a lease if the terms of that lease are varied without consultation with, or…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
Mis-selling case identifies the importance of accurate descriptions when selling horses
A champion show jumper, who sold an elderly horse to one of her riding pupils, faces an estimated £150,000 legal bill after senior judges upheld the buyer’s appeal. The buyer,…
Robin Beckley MA (Oxon)
Consultant, solicitor
Transfer of existing agri-environment schemes
Natural England has confirmed that on the transfer of land subject to an existing agri-environment agreement, it will produce an agreement to assign the remaining obligations to the new owner,…
Robin Beckley MA (Oxon)
Consultant, solicitor
Beware of contractual deterrents in share purchase agreements
A recent Court of Appeal decision El Makdessi v Cavendish Square Holdings BV has clarified that certain types of contractual clauses in the context of a share sale could be…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
2014 property industry update – what will happen this year?
The government has aspirations to streamline the UK’s planning system and to encourage homebuilding and home ownership. Energy costs have dominated the news in recent months and property owners need…
Willans
Solicitors
