News

Last week, the House of Lords considered the draft regulations which seek to impose five new mandatory conditions on all on-licensed premises.  The draft regulations were passed and three of the new mandatory conditions come into force on 6 April 2010 and the others on 1 October 2010.  They will all apply to existing as well as new on-licensed Premises Licences.

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Court puts a stop to late representations

It’s just over two months until World Cup 2010 in South Africa.  Large sporting events such as this present massive opportunities for pubs and bars.  Many pubs and bars rise to these great sporting occasions by putting up big screens and welcoming in fans with bunting, flags, and special offers.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has urged employers not to cut corners on health and safety as pressure mounts to slash costs in the wake of the economic slowdown.

New legislation, the Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 will increase penalties and provide courts with greater sentencing powers for those who flout health and safety laws.

Maitland Walker Solicitors specialist licensing department has a national reputation and attracts a broad mix of clients ranging from large companies to individual entrepreneurs, all of whom recognise the team’s dedication and energy.

The High Court yesterday held that homeowners should be aware that the nature of a pub’s business was such that disturbance to residents would be likely and that they should be wary of this before moving in.

Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product that kills when used entirely as it is intended.

If you want to carry out modifications to your property or build on your land you may discover your neighbour has covenants, which restrict you from doing this.

A leasehold property is a diminishing asset. However, qualifying flat owners have the separate individual right to purchase a new lease.

Is your business guilty of inadvertent intellectual property infringement? - you may be surprised!

Being a company director brings with it significant legal responsibilities, and a failure to face up to or comply with those responsibilities can lead to serious consequences. In particular, the risks for directors increase when a company is performing poorly.

Protecting a business during difficult economic times requires both obvious and more subtle legal measures. This article looks at some easy steps businesses can take to boost cash-flow and profitability through more effective management of their customer relationships.

If you are involved in reviewing or negotiating contracts you are likely to have come across the expression “time is of the essence” but what does it actually mean?

Anyone involved in reviewing or negotiating contracts will have come across expressions such as “A shall use reasonable endeavours to do X” or “B shall use its best endeavours to do Y..” or something similar. 

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008. The legislation was drafted in response to the difficulties found in prosecuting organisations under the health and safety ‘identification principle’, i.e., the offence is based on ‘senior management failure’.

West Business - local business news February 2009

Gloucestershire legal Review - 7th Nov 06

We are all aware of the situation where somebody sends a cheque which is expressed to be paid “in full and final settlement” of a debt.  Do you pay it in or return it? 

We are currently being bombarded by press with bad news about the economy and how inaccessible credit has become.  Although many of the headlines will be sensationalist, never the less the underlying news is not good.

Depending on who you talk to, the record breaking bad weather we have experienced so far this summer means we will either enjoy a sun soaked Indian summer or will be forced to endure yet more misery.  Let's hope for the former.

In these difficult times commercial tenants will often be looking to terminate a lease early.  The right to “break” may arise on one or more specified dates or it may be exercisable at anytime on a rolling basis.  Not all leases include a break clause and the terms can impose varying levels of compliance.

At present the Competition Act 1998 does not apply to property contracts. However, further to a recent consultation by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Competition Act 1998 (Land Agreements Exclusion and Revocation) Order 2004 which protects property contracts from the Competition Act's Chapter 1 Prohibition is due to be repealed in April 2011.  

A frequent question before an internal disciplinary or grievance hearing has been – who may an employee bring with them as supporter/representative.  The general response has been – a colleague or trade union representative – and these are the two categories of representative generally recognised in employment law.