Fixed price legal advice for SMEs & the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has thrown a much-needed lifeline to businesses experiencing cashflow difficulties as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. 17 December 2020 Today, Rishi Sunak…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Your business post-Brexit: What has changed & what should you do now?
On Christmas Eve, the nation was informed that the UK and EU had struck a Brexit deal. The transition period is now over, and a clearer picture of the future…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
All change with reform at Companies House
Companies House has long been seen only as a source of information of businesses registered in the UK. From various filings and information posted, it is theoretically possible to find…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Equality Act: gender fluid & non-binary individuals protected
The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against individuals because of their ‘protected characteristics’. There are nine protected characteristics in total, namely: age, race, sex, sexual orientation, disability,…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
Location, Location, Reactivation: Residential lettings post COVID-19
Buy-to-let properties are a popular investment for private individuals and large-scale investors alike. For many, those buy-to-let properties are an important part of their capital investments and regular income. As…
Willans
Solicitors
Commercial landlords & tenants: What are your options?
Commercial property solicitor Emma Thompson answers some key pandemic-related questions for landlords and tenants in the commercial sphere. I am a tenant, do I have to pay my rent? If…
Emma Thompson LLB (Hons)
Senior associate, solicitor
Protecting your intellectual property: Messi wins again...(and you can, too)
The ECJ has recently dismissed an appeal from MASSI, a Spanish cycling company, to uphold the decision that Lionel Messi is able to register his name, “Messi”, as a trade…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Chancellor announces updates to new Job Support Scheme
The government has now published further details about the changes to the Job Support Scheme announced by the Chancellor yesterday. (Read the latest about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, also…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
No-fault divorce: It’s not you...and it’s not me, either!
At the end of June, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill received royal assent, paving the way for the first ‘no fault’ divorces. The landmark change seeks to minimise conflict,…
Jonathan Eager FCILEx
Partner, chartered legal executive
Stamp Duty Holiday: How does it work, and what does it mean for you?
The Government’s Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday runs until 31st March 2021, and removes the standard rate of SDLT for transactions under £500,000 in England. Transactions over this amount…
Willans
Solicitors
Chancellor introduces Job Support Scheme as part of coronavirus 'winter plan'
To help steer businesses and employees through a tough winter and avoid the much-feared ‘cliff-edge’ as the furlough scheme comes to an end, today Chancellor Rishi Sunak has introduced a…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
Planning use classes overhaul: COVID-19 sparks major change
From 1 September 2020, the categories under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987 are changing to create two new use classes. It is hoped that the overhaul…
Charlotte Cowdell BA (Hons), LLB
Senior associate, solicitor
New commercial property Code of Practice seeks to preserve landlord & tenant relationships
On 19 June, the Government published its “Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic” (the “Code”). The voluntary Code will apply until 24 June 2021 and…
Emma Thompson LLB (Hons)
Senior associate, solicitor
Section 1 statement rule changes - what employers should know
Avid readers of Employment Law Dispatches would have seen our piece about the changes to the minimum information that must be given to employees regarding their terms and conditions of…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
RICS Code 2020 – Leasing business premises
In February, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) released a new lease code (effective from 1 September 2020) that applies to lettings of business premises in England and Wales.…
Willans
Solicitors
Flexible furlough scheme - what employers need to know
The government has now released details of the new flexible furlough scheme, which employers can take advantage of from 1 July 2020, under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. In short,…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
Charity Commission guidance on managing financial difficulties and recovery
Trustees, in particular those of smaller charities, will welcome recent guidance from the Charity Commission on working through financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance, which…
Charlotte Cowdell BA (Hons), LLB
Senior associate, solicitor
Managing homeworking requests: Q&A for employers
The coronavirus lockdown has, by necessity, seen a vast ballooning of the numbers of people working from home. This situation won’t last for ever, but it is likely to lead…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme update: Arrangements for phasing out
On Friday 29 May 2020 the government announced more details about the extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Our employment lawyers summarise the latest below: Last date for furloughing…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Is my marriage legal?
The Court of Appeal has recently ruled that an Islamic marriage ceremony falls short of the legal provisions for marriage under English law. As a result, the couple in question…
Sharon Giles LLB (Hons)
Partner
Can a furloughed director fulfil their statutory duties?
The government guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the “scheme”) confirms that a director who is paid via PAYE can be furloughed. That same guidance also states that the…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
COVID-19 and filing obligations - the latest from Companies House
The current situation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic makes it difficult for companies to remain compliant with their filing obligations. In this article, we explain some of the key changes…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Corporate transactions: Getting back to business
The current coronavirus lockdown has inevitably resulted in numerous transactions and commercial initiatives being put on hold or, worse, aborted. This includes company and business acquisitions and sales and commercial…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
EMI share options: a SME-friendly, tax-efficient weapon in the ‘war for talent’
Attracting and retaining key talent isn’t easy for any business, but it is particularly challenging for smaller, higher-risk, growing companies. Without the financial resources to offer large salaries and extensive…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Residence Nil Rate Band allowance increase: are you up-to-speed?
On 6 April 2020, the Residence Nil Rate Band allowance increased to its maximum limit of £175,000. The Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) was first introduced in April 2017 to…
Laura Stone LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Furloughed workers and annual leave
The government has provided some long awaited guidance on the treatment of annual leave for furloughed employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic. One of our senior employment lawyers, Jenny Hawrot,…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
COVID-19: The landlord's dilemma
Much has been made of the steps which have been taken by the government to protect both commercial and residential tenants during the current crisis, which in many cases has…
Nick Southwell BA (Hons)
Partner
Automatic stay in squatter possession proceedings removed
Pressure from property litigation professionals has seen the Master of the Rolls modify the automatic stay in all possession proceedings, imposed on 26 March by a Practice Direction, when the…
Willans
Solicitors
Business immigration and COVID-19: FAQ for employers
For employers, keeping pace with employment law guidelines in the light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is no easy task, and businesses who sponsor workers from overseas face another layer…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Domestic abuse during the COVID-19 lockdown: Q&A
The lockdown associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a dramatic change to daily life for most of us. Despite the necessity of lockdown to protect the NHS,…
Jonathan Eager FCILEx
Partner, chartered legal executive
Coronavirus cash grants for charities: What support is available?
On 8 April, the Chancellor promised a £750m support package to boost the charity sector, of which £370m will go to smaller local charities supporting vulnerable people. The aim of…
Charlotte Cowdell BA (Hons), LLB
Senior associate, solicitor
Employing people from outside of the UK after Brexit: Q&A
The government has unveiled further details about a new immigration system that will be introduced as a result of the UK’s exit from the European Union. In this article, we…
Helen Howes LLM
Senior associate, solicitor
Corporate & commercial issues: COVID-19 FAQ
The global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the government’s resulting emergency measures have had severe implications for many businesses. Read on for answers to some frequently-asked questions on corporate &…
Chris Wills LLB (Hons)
Partner
Coronavirus: Q&A for employers and HR professionals
The last few weeks have seen a seismic shift in the numbers of the UK workforce now working from home, following the coronavirus lockdown. While businesses should always seek employment…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
Coronavirus: Furlough leave and holidays
One of the big unanswered questions which has been exercising the minds of HR professionals and employment lawyers alike since the announcement of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS),…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
COVID-19: Holiday time for guarantors?
With many tenants seeking rental holidays most landlords may be shaking their heads over a loss or reduction of income for one, two or maybe more quarters. Tenants are pressing…
Willans
Solicitors
