The firm's annual Christmas party gives employers the opportunity to thank members of staff for their contribution over the past year and is a chance for everyone to relax and enjoy the holiday season. However, it is easy to forget…
Whether in the commercial sphere or when dealing with consumers, the ancient and haphazard rule that contract terms must not be penal in nature has not weathered well and is often a source of confusion. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling…
Contract drafting is an art which should only be undertaken by specialists. The truth of that statement was underlined by a case in which an arbitration clause in a major commercial contract contained references to non-existent ‘UK law’ and ‘UK…
Christmas is upon us, and the magic is in the air. Employees are eager with anticipation for a chance to let loose at the upcoming office party, while managers, including HR, are on edge. While employees plot spiking the eggnog,…
Love is a wonderful thing, but it can lead to unwise and life-changing decisions made without legal advice. In one case, a woman contributed thousands of pounds to the construction of her lover’s home in the mistaken hope that he…
Some misbehaviour at office social events is usually tolerated, but workplace rules continue to apply and those who go over the top can be lawfully dismissed. Exactly that happened in one case where a bank worker punched a colleague in…
Managing the affairs of elderly relatives who cannot make their own decisions needs skill and some understanding of the law. In one case, a daughter who lacked both those characteristics was placed under professional supervision by the Court of Protection…
The image of country dwellers up in arms at the prospect of housing developments is a powerful one. However, in one case, landowners intent on building 79 new homes on the edge of a West Sussex village have overcome objectors’…
Litigation is often expensive and time-consuming, but judges are growing ever more intolerant of avoidable delays and inefficiency by litigants. Their increasingly tough stance was strikingly illustrated by a case in which liquidators acting on behalf of HM Revenue and…
The law of intellectual property is seldom simple or without surprises. In 2014, the High Court decided that the 'corrugated' shape of the Kit Kat chocolate bar, whilst unremarkable in itself, had acquired a 'distinctive character' by way of use…
