Wide machinery and rights of way
The implications of the ruling in Oliver v Symons are quite significant. A right of way granted for vehicular access was strictly limited to the width of the existing track.…
Shareholders’ agreements – Why do you need one?
Whether you are a small company with two, or a larger business with multiple shareholders, it is impossible to overstate the importance of having a properly drafted shareholders’ agreement. The…
More changes to consumer law
Businesses should prepare themselves for yet more reform of consumer law in the UK, as the Consumer Rights Bill received Royal Assent in March. The provisions of the Act are…
Changes to company law in the UK to be implemented
Last year the government introduced the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill which is designed to improve the legislative environment for small businesses and to enhance transparency of UK corporate…
Don’t delay on mobile phone mast lease renewals
Recent reports in the press have confirmed that Britain’s mobile phone operators are lobbying the government to intervene with landlords to reduce the rents payable for mobile phone masts. They…
Trustees of charities – is CIO status for you?
The Charities Act 2011 introduced the new form of a legal entity, known as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) 3,426 charities have registered as CIOs. We explain why it may…
Budget proposal threatens use of deeds of variation to avoid inheritance tax
After George Osborne delivered his Budget yesterday, our expert wills, probate and trusts lawyer Simon Cook considers the impact of one of the proposals. “I can also tell the House…
Facing up to Facebook
Millions in the UK use Facebook to communicate and organise large parts of their personal lives online. It is no secret that Facebook has provided a number of tools that…
Linking into LinkedIn
LinkedIn now has over 347 million registered users, with two new users joining every second. Despite these large numbers, it rarely makes the headlines in the same way as Facebook…
To tweet or not to tweet?
Social media are the communications and marketing tools of the moment. A significant majority of people have some form of social media involvement, whether that is through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…
Social Media and HR - dismissal by tweet?
Not a day goes by without social media hitting the headlines in one way or another. It goes without saying that social media is now ever-present and ever-changing. Sites such…
Companies House and their expensive typo
The High Court has held that Companies House was liable when it mistakenly recorded that a company which had been trading for 124 years had been wound up. Companies House…
New Consumer Rights Bill to come in to force soon
As reported in October 2014, the government has recently undertaken a number of legislative steps to simplify and update UK consumer law. Under the Consumer Rights Bill it intends to…
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:…
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’…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…