But We Agreed, Didn’t We?
Contract law abounds with disputes over whether a binding contract has been created at a point in time, and many cases have been heard in which one side to the dispute alleges that a contract has been made whilst the…
Social Friends Don’t Always Make Good Business Partners
Personal friendship is sadly not always a good foundation for business relationships. In one case, a falling out between workplace colleagues who had been socially close for almost 20 years ended up being fought out before employment tribunals. The two…
Buy to Let Borrower Triumphs in Tracker Mortgage Test Case
Brochures designed to generate sales inevitably paint products in a positive light but, in a ground-breaking victory for a ‘buy to let’ borrower, the Court of Appeal has emphasised that they can create binding commitments that may prevail over inconsistent…
Written Contracts Can Be Orally Varied – So Watch What You Say!
The first resort of anyone involved in a contract dispute will be to look carefully at the wording of the document itself. However, one High Court case involving a delayed construction project underlined that words said and promises made after…
Entering Into a Joint Venture? – Take Advice First
Buying run-down properties and renovating them for resale with a view to profit is a very common way of making money. However, one young couple discovered to their cost the foolishness of entering into such ventures without proper legal advice. …
Marriage Vow is Sacred – Teacher Wins Religious Discrimination Ruling
In an important decision which emphasised everyone’s right to pursue their religious convictions, a teacher who considered her marriage vow sacrosanct, and stood by her husband despite his conviction for sex offences, won the right to compensation after she was…
Bank Director – Age Discrimination Ruling
Redundancy is a potentially fair reason for dismissal, but it may be found to be unfair – for example if a particular employee is unfairly selected for redundancy. Conversely, where voluntary redundancy is on offer, employers must take care not…
Failure to Anticipate Overrun Proves Costly
It is not unusual for construction projects to overrun. The contracts for such projects often contain a series of dates specifying when valuations of work done should take place and the stage payments should be made. Normally, this is done…
Unfairly Treated At Work? Take Advice Today or Forfeit Your Rights!
If you believe that you have been unfairly treated by your employer, you should seek legal advice straight away or risk forfeiting your right to compensation. That point was vividly made in a case involving a supermarket manager who was…
Is Your Business Properly Protected Against Employee Fraud?
In many organisations, employees have to be trusted to handle money or the business would simply grind to a halt. However, one case in which a company director made unauthorised transfers totalling about £1.8 million illustrates the importance of having…