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OFT report: The high cost of credit
In June 2010, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published the final report on its High-Cost Credit Review.
Date: 2010-07-28

EDS v BSkyB: Businesses' salutary reminder as dust settles
As the dust settles on one of the longest and most talked about IT cases in recent history, it is time to look to the future and to consider whether or not the EDS v BSkyB case will lead to fundamental changes in business practices.
Date: 2010-07-27

Short term occupation with long term consequences
Landlords and tenants often require flexible occupation arrangements. Though there are various ways of achieving this, the basis of occupation must be made clear. Otherwise, short term occupation can have potentially expensive, longer term consequences.
Date: 2010-07-26

CPI, SPA, default retirement age: Ones to watch in the coming months
The Government has announced it will change the basis on which private sector pensions will be required to be increased.
Date: 2010-07-20

Bribery Act delayed six months
The Government announced today that the Bribery Act will come into force in April 2011 - not October 2010 as previously expected.
Date: 2010-07-20

Oil companies get fingers burnt over Buncefield
The firms involved in the operation and maintenance of the Buncefield fuel storage depot, prior to the huge explosion in December 2005, have today been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling nearly £10 million.
Date: 2010-07-19

Town or village green risk for developers
Developers must take seriously the risk to development proposals for open land wherever the land has been used for dog walking, jogging or other sports and pastimes in the recent past.
Date: 2010-07-19

Ryanair: The dangers of inaccurate advertising
Ryanair and its chief executive, have issued an unreserved apology to easyJet founder and shareholder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, for depicting him as Pinocchio in an advertisement published in the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and on Ryanair's website.
Date: 2010-07-16

Employers: Why you must comply with employment law
Recent annual statistics for employment tribunal services show claims submitted reached a record figure this year – up 56% on last year.
Date: 2010-07-12

Green light for redundancy payment cap – but for how long?
A recent decision is good new for employers operating contractual redundancy payment schemes, but the position may change in the future.
Date: 2010-07-12

Panel considers 700th trade union recognition application
The Central Arbitration Committee’s annual report reveals that it dealt with its 700th recognition application during 2009-2010.
Date: 2010-07-12

Delivery charges do form part of the consumer's contract
Following this morning's announcement that Next will begin refunding delivery charges as well as the price of returned goods sold online, e-tailers should double check whether their returns policy complies with the Distance Selling Regulations.
Date: 2010-07-09

Bribery Act 2010: A joined-up approach to correct documentation
The requirement for ‘adequate procedures’ under the Bribery Act 2010 means businesses will want to ensure they have the appropriate documentation in place before this autumn, when the new, so-called Corporate Offence is expected to come into force.
Date: 2010-07-09

Agency worker changes under review
The new government has confirmed that the controversial Agency Workers Regulations 2010 are being reviewed – before they have even come into force.
Date: 2010-07-07

Equality Act 2010 will start coming into force in October
The new government has confirmed that it will stick with the implementation timetable for the Equality Act 2010 set by the previous Labour administration.
Date: 2010-07-05

Charities' cost-sharing arrangements may soon be more attractive
At a time when many charities have seen a decline in their income, cost-sharing arrangements between them may seem appealing.
Date: 2010-07-05

Let your employees watch the World Cup? Don't forget to claim tax relief
Employers who allowed staff to watch England’s World Cup matches should not forget that they may be able to claim tax relief on any expenditure incurred.
Date: 2010-06-30

Directors: Act now to appoint natural persons
The Companies Act 2006 introduced a requirement for all companies to have at least one director who is a ‘natural person’.
Date: 2010-06-29

The cloud: Coming of age
In August 2008 we predicted that the economic climate may lead to more businesses putting their heads in the 'cloud'.
Date: 2010-06-23

Emergency Budget 2010: Summary
The Chancellor delivered the 2010 Emergency Budget on 22 June. Here are the main tax points of interest.
Date: 2010-06-23

The Equality Act 2010: The Devil’s work?
One getting to grips with the new Equality Act 2010 may be concerned to note that ‘being taken as a devil’ is now, apparently, a protected line of work.
Date: 2010-06-22

The FSA is dead. Long live the Bank of England - and others
On 16 June, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced sweeping changes which will bring about a new regulatory structure for the UK’s financial services sector.
Date: 2010-06-22

£400,000 New Look fine will shake up fire safety risk profile
A Court of Appeal decision to uphold a £400,000 fine imposed against retail giant New Look for breaches of fire safety obligations, has no doubt left other industry players feeling a little hot under the collar.
Date: 2010-06-22

Wage rules set to change for apprentices
The new government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s previous proposals to increase the national minimum wage and introduce an apprentice rate for the first time from October this year.
Date: 2010-06-22

Supreme Court to consider the question of collective agreements on a TUPE transfer
Companies considering tendering for public sector work where employees’ terms and conditions are governed by collective agreements will be concerned to hear that the Supreme Court has granted permission for an appeal in the Alemo-Herron case.
Date: 2010-06-21

Dealing with grievances: What do managers need to know?
In this article we set out some guidelines for managers dealing with employees’ grievances.
Date: 2010-06-21

Privilege: Must you show your hand?
What is privilege? When the parties in dispute reach the stage of disclosure, they have to review their documents (both hard copy and electronic) in order to determine which they are obliged to disclose.
Date: 2010-06-16

Terminal dilapidations: Valuing the reversion
Damages for breach of a tenant’s obligation to repair a property cannot exceed the amount (if any) by which the value of the landlord’s reversionary interest is diminished by the breach.
Date: 2010-06-16

Government orders Vetting and Barring Scheme rethink
Voluntary registration with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) due to begin next month has been halted to allow the new coalition government to fundamentally remodel the scheme.
Date: 2010-06-15

Spotlight on SDLT sub-sales
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has added certain stamp duty land tax (SDLT) sub-sale schemes to the list of transactions it sees as ineffective due to tax avoidance motives.
Date: 2010-06-15

The new UK Corporate Governance Code: What does it mean for the board?
The new UK Corporate Governance Code was published on 28 May by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
Date: 2010-06-15

Parliamentarians are less privileged than they had hoped
In a much anticipated decision Mr Justice Saunders has ruled that three former Labour MPs and a Conservative peer are not entitled to protection from prosecution by parliamentary privilege against charges brought in the wake of the expenses scandal.
Date: 2010-06-14

Seminars prepare clients for CCD-Day
With the Consumer Credit Directive (CCD) set to introduce substantial changes to consumer creditr legislation, Shoosmiths' Lender Services Group has been helping clients prepare for it by providing practical advice.
Date: 2010-06-08

Court of Appeal shifts burden of proof where client went to litigation on solicitor’s advice
The Court of Appeal has held that the normal inference is that a client whose solicitor advises him to fight rather than settle will generally rely upon that advice unless it is proven otherwise.
Date: 2010-06-07

The groceries sector: Addressing competing interests
Large supermarkets must act to address the anti-competitive effect of restrictive covenants and exclusivity agreements in the groceries sector.
Date: 2010-06-03

Corporate governance: New guidance for owner-managed, joint venture and other unlisted companies
In April 2010, the Institute of Directors (IoD) published the first edition of Corporate Governance Guidance and Principles for Unlisted Companies in Europe, an initiative of the European Confederation of Directors’ Associations (ecoDa).
Date: 2010-06-03

The new UK Corporate Governance Code: What does it mean for directors?
The final version of the new UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code) was published on 28 May by The Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
Date: 2010-06-03

Can Guarantors reap a Good Harvest?
The recent Good Harvest Partnership LLP v Centaur Services Limited case could be welcome news for guarantors of former tenants, forced to pay out under a guarantee they have given in an Authorised Guarantee Agreement (AGA).
Date: 2010-06-01

Competition Commission reaffirms PPI ban at point of sale of credit
On 14 May 2010, the Competition Commission (CC) published the provisional decision on its proposed ban of payment protection insurance (PPI) at the point of sale of credit (the point of sale ban).
Date: 2010-05-26

Website accessibility: Industry standards and best practice
In part one of this article, we explored the law on website accessibility as it stands and as it is likely to be when the Equality Act 2010 comes into force later this year.
Date: 2010-05-26

Ten things managers need to know about...misconduct disciplinary situations

Date: 2010-05-26

Flat conversions: Tax reliefs
On the conversion of commercial properties to flats, there are a number of potential reliefs or incentives that should be considered, although not all of them will be available in every case.
Date: 2010-05-24

Disclosure: A duty to seek, not hide
What is disclosure? It is the stage of a dispute when each party is required to disclose to the other party the documents relevant to the issues in dispute. It normally takes place after each party has set out its position in their statement of case.
Date: 2010-05-24

Residential services contracts: Consult with tenants?
The recession has meant developments take longer to sell. Developers have to manage schemes for longer before selling their interest, often without detailed knowledge of the statutory controls that affect residential tenancies.
Date: 2010-05-17

Beat the CGT rise: Act now!
The coalition government has announced that the rate of capital gains tax on non-business assets will rise in the emergency Budget that has been promised within the first 50 days of the new administration.
Date: 2010-05-17

Waste: Don’t rubbish it
Everybody knows that sending all waste to landfill is not going to help the environment in the long term.
Date: 2010-05-14

2010 Finance Act: Employee share schemes and trusts
The Employee Finance Act 2010 contains a couple of minor amendments to approved share option schemes.
Date: 2010-05-13

Employers need game plan for tackling World Cup absences
With the World Cup getting under way in South Africa next month, employers need to consider their strategy for keeping control of employee absences during the tournament.
Date: 2010-05-12

Company disposals and share schemes
With the recent upturn in company disposals, it is worth remembering some basic housekeeping points where share schemes are involved.
Date: 2010-05-11

Change of legal provider was not a TUPE transfer
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently ruled that TUPE did not apply when a client changed the lawyers on its legal panel.
Date: 2010-05-11

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Karen Carter

Director of Business Development and Marketing
T: 03700 86 4086
I: +44 (0)121 625 4086
E: karen.carter@shoosmiths.co.uk