Staff

A forklift operator who was sacked for attending work after his son contracted Covid has won his claim of unfair dismissal. He said he believed his son was just faking symptoms. Joanne Stronach Head of Employment and HR reports on this recent case. David Lewis had worked for The Benriach Distillery Company for 23 years with a clean disciplinary and attendance record. In February 2021, his line manager learnt that Lewis’…

An architect and his firm face a negligence claim after a cinema was damaged by fire after he left a door open during an inspection. David Tew, Associate Solicitor reports on this recent case. The cinema belonged to Rushbond Plc. The architect worked for JS Design Partnership LLP. Together with an engineer and a quantity surveyor, he had carried out an inspection on behalf of a potential purchaser. He gained access…

It’s the start of a new year and with the new year comes opportunity as well as challenges. Two years on from the onset of the pandemic, we still find ourselves dealing with some restrictions. Arguably we are getting used to the different measures that have been and continue to be introduced and not having all our usual ‘freedoms’. But as business owners and managers it can be overwhelming to keep…

January is the time for making resolutions to give ourselves a fresh start for the New Year. Jane Oakley a member of our Wills, Probate & Inheritance team reports. It’s good to take stock and decide to eat less or exercise more but there’s so much more we could be doing to improve our lives and protect ourselves for the future. Here are three New Year Resolutions relating to the law…

A sales executive who suffered from a delusional disorder has lost his claim of disability discrimination. The Court of Appeal upheld the Employment Tribunal’s decision that his condition did not amount to a disability under the Equality Act. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr Sullivan, who had worked for Bury Street Capital Ltd since 2009. Following a relationship breakdown in 2013,…

The Christmas season is a time to take a break from our busy schedules and day-to-day commitments and spend quality time with the people who matter the most to us. Thinking it over with Carol Fish Director & Head of our Personal Injury Solicitors team. It’s also the perfect time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. If anything, these past 12 months have demonstrated that being part…

The government is hoping to provide more new homes by improving the way land is made available to developers, making it easier and more streamlined. Elizabeth Crouch Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential provides an update. Homes England launched its new Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to mark a significant shift in the way the agency procures housebuilders, as well as increasing flexibility and accessibility. For the first time,…

An employee at a biscuit factory who threatened a colleague while in a diabetic rage has won his claim of unfair dismissal. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team reports on this recent case Mr Dytkowski began working for Brand FB’s biscuit factory in 2009. He was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes in March 2018, which he described as a “difficult diagnosis to accept and manage”. Occupational Health staff helped Dytkowski adapt…

A 14-year-old who was dismissed for being too young to cope with the ‘severity’ of her job has won her claim of age discrimination. Joanne Stronach Head of Employment and HR reports on this recent case. The case involved Miss H Cassidy, who had a Saturday job at Daimler Foundation’s café. Her duties included serving customers, working the till and cleaning. After her first shift, which was described as being a…

An increase in family disputes and contested Will cases is extremely likely as more people turn to using online and homemade will writing services, a leading disputes solicitor has predicted. David Tew, a Will Disputes solicitor with Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, is raising awareness of the potential pitfalls of using unregulated and uninsured will writers advertising their product at a cheap rate on the internet after more families reported receiving inadequate…