Business Law

The government’s housing agency, Homes England, has acquired 19 sites across the country that will be used to build 5,000 new homes. Matthew Bibby Solicitor in our property team provides an update. The land is worth a total of £180 million.  It’s hoped the new homes will help boost the housing market following the Covid-19 crisis. Many of the sites were acquired in the lead-up to the financial year-end as…

The government has extended the ban on businesses being evicted during the Covid pandemic until September. Stephanie Johnson Associate Solicitor in our Dispute Resolution team provides an update. The measures to protect struggling businesses include: amending the Coronavirus Act to extend the time period for suspension of the forfeiture of evictions from 30th June to 30th September 2020, meaning no business will be forced out of their premises if they…

Farm landlords seeking planning permission for development will be raising a small glass to the Court of Appeal after the decision in Rees v Windsor-Clive, Earl of Plymouth according to Jonathan Carroll Head of Agriculture and Property. Agricultural Holdings Act tenants have frequently tried to block landlords from getting planning permission or from being able to implement any they obtain.  Case B of Schedule 3 to the 1986 Act allows…

EMPLOYERS are facing tough decisions over redundancies as they consider what furlough changes will mean for their businesses. The government’s furlough scheme becomes more flexible on July 1 with a change designed to help businesses start to ease back into operation after lockdown. But for many business owners it’s the looming increased contributions they need to make to the scheme, which take effect a month later on August 1, that…

The government has announced a number of changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – more commonly referred to as ‘furlough’.  These changes start to take effect from 1 July. To help SMEs understand the changes and how they apply to them, UK200Group have produced a handy guide – Everything SMEs need to know about Furlough. Covering everything from what is furlough, what are the changes, how to make claims…

By Natalie Tatton Solicitor in our Dispute Resolution Team The tenants of eleven terrace houses had no right to acquire the freehold title as their leases excluded certain structural parts of their property. That was the decision of the High Court in a case involving Freehold Properties 250 Ltd v Beverley Ann Field & 18 Ors (2020). Freehold Properties appealed against a decision of the County Court that 11 of…

By Mark Aspin Director and Head of Dispute Resolution A finance company has successfully enforced a non-compete clause preventing an employee joining a rival firm for six months. The High Court heard that Julien Leonard had been recruited by Square Global Ltd as a broker in 2015.  He resigned on 11 November 2019. At that time, he had been in discussions for over seven months with a rival financial-services business…

The government has published its new bill designed to relieve the pressure on businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It’s hoped the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill will ease some of the pressures posed by the threat of reduced trading and allow directors to focus all their efforts on continuing to operate. The Bill will: introduce temporary easements on filing requirements and Annual General Meetings (AGMs) introduce new corporate restructuring…

Claire Davies Director provides an update. The UK’s points-based immigration system is on course to be introduced in January as planned, having passed the crucial second reading stage in parliament. The Immigration Bill introducing the system was approved by 351 votes to 252. Unless there is any unforeseen parliamentary opposition before the bill receives Royal Assent, free movement will end and the UK will introduce a points-based immigration system from…

Timing can be crucial in court and tribunal cases as shown in a recent case in which an employee was unable to bring an unfair dismissal claim for the sake of one week. The case involved Mr R O’Sullivan V DSM Demolition Ltd (2020). O’Sullivan had been employed by DSM as a demolition safety supervisor. Following his dismissal on 27 October 2017, he brought an unfair dismissal claim. He asserted…