News Feed | Leathes Prior

Covert recordings of meetings, what can we do about it?

Many times in the past we have been asked by our clients “what can we do about it?”. Historically, our dejected response has been “not a lot”. Well...not anymore

British Airways fined £183m for data breach: What does this mean for GDPR?

The Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO) remind businesses not to underestimate the GDPR

2019/2020 season’s new FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries

The revised Regulations not only impact football agents (“Intermediaries”) in the coming season but also all clubs and players that deal with such.

Leathes Prior grows the firm’s Business Development and Marketing Team

The latest news on Charlotte Sheehy and Peter Lambert.

The Latest Holiday Pay Update – Voluntary Overtime

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust v Flowers

Leathes Prior’s Dan Chapman, head of our Employment Team, appeared on BBC Radio Norfolk this morning to discuss the issue of tattoos in the workplace.

Following the highly publicised decision earlier this week by Air New Zealand to end their ban on staff having visible tattoos, BBC have been debating whether UK employers should follow suit.

Claire Woolliscroft announced as highest scoring Diploma graduate in England & Wales

Claire announced as highest scoring Diploma graduate in England & Wales in her STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates.

The Digital Copyright Directive - does this protect the creator?

The aim of the Directive is to harmonise EU law in relation to copyright and related rights, with a specific focus on digital and cross-border uses of content.

Leathes Prior announce new Partner joining the firm

Leathes Prior is delighted to announce that Lucy Whipps has joined the firm as a Partner, working within our Commercial Property Team.

When are probate fees going to be increased? An update…

Solicitor, Beth Slaughter gives us an update on the proposed increase in probate fees.

Have you been affected by Universal Asset Protection Ltd? Part 2

We are still being approached by former clients of Universal Asset Protection Ltd (‘Universal’) who are seeking assistance with their Trusts, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Positive outcome for employers in recent vicarious liability case

Senior Associate, Gareth Stevens takes us through the latest employment legal update - Shelbourne v Cancer Research UK 2019

What is a Consent Order and do I need one when getting divorced?

Financial Consent Orders on divorce

Latest promotions announced at Leathes Prior

Leathes Prior are delighted to announce the promotion of eight key members of staff.

Does the end of “no-fault” evictions spell disaster for landlords?

Last week the government has announced proposals to abolish “no-fault” evictions in England

Data Protection Legislation Bears Teeth: Bounty (UK) Limited fined £400,000

The ICO this week issued a timely reminder that failure to comply with data protection legislation can have serious consequences.

Leathes Prior become primary sponsors of Sync the City

BREAKING NEWS

The latest on ‘No-Fault’ Divorce

UK legislation to allow no-fault divorce for the first time.

Piercing the corporate veil? High Court rules against “worst gangmaster ever” in landmark case

The High Court handed down a very important decision yesterday (08/04/19) which has implications for employers and employees.

How to: Sell farm land for development

Associate, Lucy Chambers, takes us through what to consider when selling farm land for development.

When can opposite-sex couples enter into a civil partnership?

Civil partnership vs marriage – what is the difference?

5 Top Tips for Early–Stage Growth Businesses

Alex Saunders takes us through the 5 top tips for early-stage growth businesses.

Employment Law Changes: April 2019

As ever in April, there are a number of key changes which come into force today and this week.

Lily Beel Qualifies into the Residential Property Team

Congratulations from everyone here at Leathes Prior

‘No-fault’ divorce to become law?

The Justice Secretary has committed the government to reforming divorce law through legislation in the next Parliamentary session, which starts in May 2019.

Brexit and EU Trade Marks: Deal or No Deal

A view on the potential outcomes

DEAL OR NO DEAL: Government announces the UK will remain open for seasonal work after Brexit

On 4 March 2019, the UK government published guidance for employers wishing to recruit EU seasonal workers to work in farming and food businesses after the UK leaves the EU.

Claire Woolliscroft passes STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates – England & Wales with 4 distinctions!

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

Raw Milk: Are you compliant?

On 4 March 2019, the UK's first Raw Milk Producers Association (“RMPA”) was launched to protect future sales of raw milk.

Tack-ling your application for a Licence to Keep a Riding Establishment

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018

Seasonal Agricultural Workers Pilot Scheme

A step in the right direction.

Issuing Contracts of Employment

An update coming out of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT).

Leathes Prior add new recruit to Agriculture Team

Lucy Chambers will spearhead the Agriculture Team.

Myths amongst builders

David Richards unravels the truth behind certain myths within the construction industry.

Breaking news – more LP action down at Carrow Road

Leathes Prior's sports management division, Full Contact, have today completed the transfer of the footballer William Hondermarck from Irish club Drogheda United to Norwich City.

Whistleblowing cases - Interim Relief - The needle in the haystack

Last week Leathes Prior’s Associate Solicitor Gareth Stevens was successful on behalf of a Claimant in obtaining Interim Relief.

Bulletin for Pre-Settled or Settled status

Apply for Settled Status through the Android app today

Charities of the Year 2018 - The Final Figure

The final figure for 2018 is...

Liquidators gonna liquidate (but they can’t adjudicate)

Lonsdale v Bresco

CHARITY OF THE YEAR 2019

Let's Do It Anyway

Leathes Prior agree to sponsor Swardeston CC for 2 further years

We look forward to the next 2 years working closely with Swardeston CC, both on and off the pitch, to make it a success.

How to get paid! Legal Foundations 3 review

How to get paid!

IS IT GOOD TO WORK?

The Government have today confirmed the launch of their “Good Work Plan”.

Leathes Prior help guide McKenzie Intelligence Services Limited through seed investment round

"Alex and his colleagues at Leathes Prior guided us throughout the whole process, simplifying every step of the journey.”

LEATHES PRIOR CLIENT MAKES IT TO FORMULA 1

We are delighted to announce that our client Alexander Albon has today been confirmed as a Formula 1 driver, having signed for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team.

You lose some, you win some - The end of smash and grab!

The development of construction law has, for a number of years, felt like the personal achievements of Mr Justice Coulson.

Don’t let this be you next year

The Home Office is cracking down

Leathes Prior agree to become sponsors for Norfolk ProHelp and extend pro-bono commitment

Leathes prior continue to support Norfolk ProHelp.

Playing hardball in negotiations

Arcadis v AMEC (2018) - a lesson learnt.

Data Breaches under the GDPR

Data breaches are back under the spotlight following the decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) to issue a £500,000 fine to Facebook.

How did Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong get a divorce in 30 seconds?

Was it really a '30 second' divorce?

Leathes Prior’s Professor Hare & His Magic Library raises £14,000 at Break GoGoHares Auction

The crowds gathered at the Forum Norwich yesterday as Break Charity hosted their auction to mark the end of the GoGoHares trail. The trail has been a huge success with 50 fantastic hare sculptures positioned across Norwich throughout the summer.

A compensation system in cricket: howzat?

It is not often that followers of cricket look to football as a model to be copied, with many cricket fans looking down on the perceived greed within football and the out-of-touch nature of those running the game. However, one area in which cricket fans and county executives alike may be looking enviously at football, is the issue of compensation payable on the signing of a player.

Have you been affected by Universal Asset Protection Ltd?

We have recently advised a number of clients in relation to Trusts set-up and managed by Universal Wealth Preservation (‘Universal’) and its associated companies. For those interested, there will be a BBC ‘Inside Out East’ report being aired on Monday 8 October.

Artificial Intelligence: challenges for the existing copyright framework

The common perception of artificial intelligence (AI) is that of SkyNet in the Terminator series, the hosts in Westworld or Ava from Ex Machina; unnerving and implausible in equal measure. However, artificial intelligence and the application of AI in modern life is more wide-ranging than many would anticipate.

Leathes Prior retains its Lex 100 crown

Leathes Prior are named as 'Winners' of three Categories in the latest Lex 100 survey; the student guide to the UK's premier law firms.

Swardeston Cricket Club bring home second place from the National Twenty20 competition

Leathes Prior travelled to Derby 3aaa County Ground yesterday (Sunday 16th September) to support Swardeston CC as main club sponsors as the club battled it out in the Vitality Club Twenty20 final.

Leathes Prior’s Charity Committee complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

Our Charity & Community Projects committee have this weekend successfully completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of Leathes Prior’s three charities of the year; Finnbar’s Force, Norwich Door to Door and Norwich Cruse Bereavement Care.

Leathes Prior welcomes two new Trainee Solicitors to the firm

Leathes Prior welcomes two new members of staff with the recruitment of Trainee Solicitors Anneke Micallef-Eynaud and Myles Chingara.

Legal musts for tenants and landlords of commercial properties

Whether you are a landlord or tenant of a commercial property, you will have a duty to ensure the business premises are well maintained and safe, healthy places for people to work. The law and the terms of the lease determine whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for certain aspects of commercial property.

All four Trainee Solicitors retained to qualify into a range of teams at Leathes Prior in September

Leathes Prior is delighted all four of its 2016 intake of Trainee Solicitors qualifying this September have accepted offers to stay on at the firm post-qualification.

Leathes Prior welcomes new Human Resources Manager; Anastasia Panova

We are delighted to welcome Anastasia Panova to the firm as our new Human Resources Manager. Anastasia will be working closely with the firm’s Partners advising on all aspects of human resources.

Leathes Prior Wills Week; raising funds for our three Charities of the Year

The Charity & Community Projects committee at Leathes Prior have organised for a group of our staff to take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday 15th of September, to raise money for the firm’s three Charities of The Year. In order to boost the fundraising for our group of volunteers, we will be running our very own “Wills Week” (Monday 13th - Friday 17th August).

Leathes Prior congratulates Partner Dan Chapman; one of only two Norwich employment lawyers to be recognised in the global “Legal 500 Hall of Fame”

We are proud to announce that Leathes Prior Partner, Dan Chapman, has been named in the recently launched Legal 500 Hall of Fame which aims to highlight the world’s leading lawyers.

The Supreme Court dismisses wife’s appeal to allow divorce on basis of husband’s unreasonable behaviour

The Supreme Court has today handed down its highly anticipated judgment in the case of Owens v Owens dismissing Mrs Owen’s appeal of the Court of Appeal’s decision not to allow her Divorce Petition filed on the grounds of her husband’s unreasonable behaviour.

‘Congratulations and Jubilations’ Sir Cliff Richard – what the world didn’t need to know

When it comes to celebrities, few have such inter-generational appeal than Sir Cliff Richard. Whilst Sir Cliff is not the only celebrity who seems to have been around forever, it would be true to say that many of Sir Cliff’s contemporaries have lost their shine, as a result of allegations of historic sex abuse, since their heydays in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Dementia Awareness – avoiding an “incapacity crisis”

You may well have seen in the press in recent days, a report released by Solicitors for the Elderly (“SFE”), which indicates that as a nation we are heading into an “incapacity crisis”.

Leathes Prior proudly sponsor Paint Out Norwich 2018

We are delighted to announce our sponsorship of Paint Out 2018, following support in previous years. The local art competition, now in its fifth year, is designed to reinvigorate and re-invent ‘en plein air’ (art work carried out in the open air) art practice.

The Leathes Prior Three Peaks Challenge – the preparation has begun!

On the 15th of September, 19 of the Leathes Prior team, along with some of their partners, will be taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the firm’s three Charities of The Year: Finnbar's Force, Norwich Door 2 Door and Norwich Cruse Bereavement Care.

Chequers or not: making sense of the muddle as EU workers begin to turn their backs on Norfolk

New statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) reveal that the number of EU workers coming to work in Norfolk has already fallen by a fifth since the Brexit vote in June 2016.

Capital Gains Tax on Divorce

When a married couple get divorced, Capital Gains Tax can be a very important issue to consider to ensure an equitable outcome and avoid any nasty surprises in the future.

Sainsbury’s Centre

This isn’t very law related, but I visited the Sainsbury’s Centre for Visual Arts last weekend. I like to go to a lot of the exhibitions they have on; we really are very lucky to have a place like that in Norwich. This particular exhibition was called “Superstructures: The New Architecture 1960 – 1990”, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Residential Conveyancing Solicitor Norwich - Poringland Lakes

Poringland Lake Trustees thank Partner and Head of our Residential Conveyancing Team David Clarke

Tuesday 26th June saw Poringland Lakes acknowledge one of their longest serving and committed supporters, Partner and Head of our Residential Conveyancing Team David Clarke.

Grenfell - duty of care revisited

The Grenfell Tower fire last year was a major tragedy. A lot has been written in its aftermath, and the inquiry into its causes is still underway. A single person or organisation to blame has not yet been established. It seems that there were a catalogue of failures that led to what happened.

What a performance – “The gig economy”

Two years ago no one would know what you were talking about if you mentioned the gig economy. However, over recent months those engaged in this area have been thrust into the limelight.

Professor Hare and his Magic Library hops into the Cathedral Close on Sunday 24 June

The evening of Thursday 14th June saw sponsors, artists, supporters and members of the public attend the launch of the GoGoHares ‘Premi’Hare’ at Riverside, kicking off the GoGoHares trail which will be hitting our streets on Sunday. The

Businesses offering customers complimentary alcoholic refreshments: take note!

Complimentary alcoholic drinks are regularly offered by a wide array of businesses to incentivise customers.

Local professionals conquer Leathes Prior’s challenge to raise funds for OPEN Youth Trust!

Friday 25th May saw eight teams of local professionals conquer Leathes Prior’s challenge to climb the 96 metre height of Norwich Cathedral spire to raise funds for OPEN Youth Trust.

You gotta fight for your right (to be forgotten!)

Being forgotten is a strange thing to strive for. After all, many thousands of people throughout history have achieved incredible feats in an effort to be remembered. However, in a world where everyone (from a future employer to your mother-in-law) can carry out a simple Google search on your name, the ability to have certain parts of your past expunged can be attractive.

Legal Foundations 2 - Choice of contract

Thank you to all of our guests for our Legal Foundations talk at the Marlingford Bell on 17 May. Fish & chips and beer was enjoyed by all, and I suspect at least some who attended listened to what Nina and I had to say!

No fault divorce: Owens v Owens – Supreme Court Hearing

The Supreme Court is today (17th May 2018) hearing Mrs Owens’ appeal against the Court of Appeal’s refusal to allow her to divorce her husband on the basis of his alleged unreasonable behaviour.

No oral variation clauses – solid as a Rock

The new ruling in MWB Business Exchange v Rock Advertising is hot off the press, with the Supreme Court overturning the decision of the Court of Appeal this morning. This blog post will explore what the changes mean and how it relates to construction contracts.

When trade marks get Messi

It’s been a long time coming, but mercurial Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has finally got what he always wanted. It took over seven years, but the European Court of Justice have decided that Lionel Messi should be allowed to register “MESSI” as a European Union Trade Mark.

leathes_prior_promotions_008(compressed).jpg

Leathes Prior Solicitors is today delighted to announce two key promotions

Leathes Prior Solicitors is delighted to announce the promotion of two key members of staff. Tej Thakkar and Sabina Haag have both been promoted to Associate level.

CITB

Despite opinions from some quarters, the construction industry is necessarily an extremely highly skilled area, with specialists in almost every niche area you can think of.

Clarification for employers of when notice of termination takes effect in Supreme Court landmark judgment

The Supreme Court have today provided confirmation that notice to terminate employment does not take effect until an employee has had a “reasonable opportunity” to read such notice. This means that it is now more difficult for an employer to contend that notice of termination takes affect the day a letter, sent by first class post, should have been delivered.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors issue new draft code for leasing business premises

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have just finished their consultation period where they invited professionals’ views on a new draft code, labelled a “Professional Statement” (“the New Code”) for leasing business premises. This will replace the existing Code for Leasing Business Premises 2007.

UK immigration rules inaccessible: is this a problem?

There are a number of reasons why an individual may wish to move to the United Kingdom: work; family; and education to name a few. However, unfortunately for those individuals, UK immigration law is anything but accessible and clear, making it difficult for individuals to know exactly what is required of them under the law when completing the relevant applications.

Two-stage procurement, PCSAs, Centre Point and Pizza

If you want to get some relatively complicated or high value construction work done, and you want it done right, you are going to want to get your contractor involved at an early stage. Much as your architect, engineer and other consultants will be able to advise, the contractor is usually an invaluable source of experience and expertise.

Leathes Prior challenge local professionals to climb the height of Norwich Cathedral spire to raise funds for OPEN Youth Trust

Friday 25th May will see Leathes Prior and other local professionals take on the challenge to raise funds for OPEN Youth Trust by climbing the height of the Norwich Cathedral spire (96 metres) on their indoor climbing wall – Norfolk’s tallest indoor wall.

EU Trade Marks – A Brexit Update

As Brexit negotiations have continued over the past few months there has been speculation around the impact Brexit may have on the rights of EU trade mark (EUTM) holders.

Oral variations – but for how long?

I do like a good box-set. Game of Thrones, Suits, Breaking Bad, and some far more embarrassing series that aren’t worth repeating on this blog. If you ever get bored of box-sets, though, the Supreme Court has been televising all of its hearings for several years now.

Bitcoin and divorce; the potential issues

Cryptocurrency was only created in 2009 but interest in the digital currency is rapidly growing. Bitcoin, the most widely known type of cryptocurrency, has exploded in popularity in recent years and now has over 10 million users making hundreds of thousands of transactions per day.

Clumsy severance notice causes dispute over family farm

The High Court has recently given judgment in a complex estate dispute among the Lee family in Looe, Cornwall. The dispute arose after the father, William Lee, died and a series of mistakes were unearthed meaning the farm land did not pass as intended by his last Will.

Commercial and agricultural tenancies; lessons to be learned

The recent case of Smyth-Tyrrell v Bowden [2018] EWHC 106 (Ch) has shown how important it can be to formalise your property dealings in writing rather than relying on any perceived mutual understandings or beliefs.

Payment Notices – why Heathrow caused some relief

Picture the scene. You’re a relatively successful small business with your own premises in a rural spot in Norfolk. There’s a big bit of land out back and you’ve decided to expand into it and build a new workshop/factory. It’s a big project, but your business has a decent trading record so you’ve been able to borrow, say, £2m to get the work done (secured over everything you’ve got).

To register, or not to register: that is the question (for The Hamlet)

It is not often that trade mark and intellectual property issues hit the mainstream news but that is what happened this week as an interesting subplot to a long running dispute between a non-league football team and their landlord.

Major overhaul of the law affecting Wills; what to expect

Rulings in favour of disinherited adult children has led to a rise in the number of Will disputes before the Courts, prompting debate as to whether the existing legislation remains ‘fit for purpose’, with the Law Commission and practitioners alike acknowledging that reform is long overdue.

Adverse weather conditions

It’s snowing! The snow has actually been a bit of a pain for me this week. I missed what sounded like an excellent Society of Construction Law course in Cambridge on the new NEC4 contracts on Monday and a no doubt very informative Strutt & Parker property briefing on Wednesday because of snow related traffic.

Landlords take note - EPC Regulation changes that will affect you

The regulations regarding Energy Performance Certificates are changing on 1 April 2018 and will affect both residential and commercial properties in the private rental sector (PRS).