Business Law

Join us as we count down the 12 days of Christmas with fun, practical, and surprising legal facts to keep you informed this holiday season! Day 1: Christmas Leave Facts “Did you know? Employers in the UK are not legally required to give you Christmas or Boxing Day off unless it’s in your contract. Holiday leave must follow your terms of employment — so plan ahead!” Day 2: Gift Return…

A building firm has won its legal argument that it was entitled to terminate a construction contract without issuing a warning for repeated late payments by the employer. Henry Box, Solicitor in our Dispute Resolution team, reports on this recent case. Hexagon, a housing provider, engaged Providence Building Services Ltd for a £7.2 million accommodation project in Purley, London, under the widely used JCT Design & Build Contract 2016. The…

A FREE event offering practical advice to commercial property landlords is taking place in Carlisle in January. Landlord Rights: What You Need to Know About Your Commercial Property will feature an expert panel from Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors and Dodd & Co offering advice on everything from drafting contracts to dealing with defaulting tenants. The breakfast event takes place on Thursday, January 16 at The Auctioneer on Rosehill Industrial Estate from…

It’s been an eventful few weeks for those in farming, either as owners or as landlords. You won’t have missed the storm of protest over the Budget. Who knows if the farmer protests will have any effect, but if not then those with farms and businesses will need to plan ahead. There are some obvious things that people should do, especially those who are married or young enough to expect at least…

The High Court has dismissed a company’s bid to enforce restrictive covenants against a former director. Mark Aspin Director and Head of Dispute Resolution reports on this recent case. The ruling determined that the covenants, which sought to prevent the director from competing for up to 10 years, were unenforceable due to their excessive scope and duration. The case involved Literacy Capital plc, an investment firm, which sought an interim injunction to prevent…

The government has revived plans to ban no-fault evictions and provide renters with greater protection and security. Laura Murphy, Paralegal in our Dispute Resolution team provides an update. The Renters’ Rights Bill will ban Section 21 evictions for new and existing tenancies, extend Awaab’s Law into the private rented sector and end blanket bans for those on benefits or with children.  Ministers say banning Section 21 will reassure tenants they…

THE agriculture team at a Cumbrian law firm has been ranked as one of the best in the country for the fifth consecutive year. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors’ agriculture team received top ranking in the prestigious Chambers UK Legal Guide 2025 which lists the UK’s best law firms and solicitors. The industry recognition comes less than a month after the department retained its Band 1 rating in The Legal 500 professional…

The Costcutter Supermarkets Group has won a contract dispute with two convenience store operators over whether a limitation clause meant they did not have to pay for goods received. Stephanie Johnson, Senior Associate Solicitor, reports on this recent case. The issue arose when Costcutter sought to enforce debts owed by the store operators. The stores argued that the limitation clause in their trading agreements capped their liability, effectively nullifying their…

The government has pledged to support small businesses and the self-employed by tackling what it calls “the scourge of late payments”. Rob Winder Senior Associate Chartered Legal Executive in our Dispute Resolution team provides an update. Delays to payment of invoices cost small businesses £22,000 a year on average and lead to 50,000 closures a year. The government is now consulting on tough new laws designed to hold larger firms to account. In…

When considering how to structure your business in the UK, there are several options available. One option worth considering is setting up a limited company. While it may seem daunting, it offers significant benefits compared to other business structures. A limited company is a separate legal entity from its owners, which means your personal assets are normally protected if things go wrong. This concept, known as limited liability, is one…