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Beware of falling foul of conditions on effective exercise of lease termination rights 23rd April 2012

Hard hit businesses are being dealt a double blow as landlords refuse to accept break clauses when rents have been late, and experts are now warning companies to check the small print before signing new leases. The alert follows a court ruling where tenants were left unable to end a lease because they had not complied with the small print on interest payments for late rent. Commercial leases are normally granted for a specified period, such as seven years or fifteen years. A long lease gives ... more...

What the new employment changes mean to business 2nd February 2012

As we enter a new year employers are being reminded to prepare themselves for changes set for introduction over the coming 12 months. The Government is to put forward a raft of measures aimed at reforming employment law and whilst we wait to hear the detail, one change that is known for certain is the change in pension age. The Pension Act received the Royal Assent and became law last year. It means that the pension age for women will rise to 65 in 2018; the age for both men and women will... more...

More marriages are breaking up, but couples should jaw jaw 1st February 2012

As Spring is traditional for weddings, so January has earned a reputation for the time to kick off a divorce. And this year has been no exception, if celebrity announcements are anything to go by. Hard on the heels of Katy Perry and Russell Brand, super-couple Seal and Heidi Klum have said they will be going their separate ways, as will reality star Kim Kardashian. For the fortunate few, a court battle may bring a secure future and London has become the divorce capital of the world, with... more...

Homeowners warned to watch out for squatters 30th January 2012

The housing market is sluggish, prices static, and more people are staying put and renovating or extending. But homeowners wanting to protect their property value should also invest time in checking out their boundaries and making sure they don't have squatters. If you mention the word "squatters”, most people think of someone who has made themselves at home in an empty property. But squatters' rights, or adverse possession as it is known in law, can happen in all sorts of... more...

Flower power wins the day in Interflora trademark battle 16th December 2011

Internet advertisers who use competitor names to draw traffic have been dealt a rap on the knuckles following a high profile battle between Marks & Spencer and Interflora. In the fast growing world of internet advertising, new online techniques are demanding new rules and the latest ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) says that a trademark owner can stop a competitor from using their trademark as a keyword in a search engine such as Google. But the judgement s... more...

Common sense comes out on top in contract dispute 18th November 2011

Victory for common-sense as judgment is given in long running battle over bank payout Courts should apply business common sense when interpreting commercial contracts according to a judgment delivered this week (2nd November). The Supreme Court has ruled in the case of Rainy Sky SA and Others v Kookmin Bank, [2011] UKSC 50 that when the wording of a contract could be read in either of two ways, the court should opt for the interpretation that makes business common sense and reject the o... more...