NEWS & KNOWLEDGE
Key Steps to Navigating Redundancy Proceedings
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to navigating redundancy in the UK: Identify Redundancy Needs - Analyse the business needs and identify the roles that are no longer necessary. Speak to Trade Unions – In situations where more...
What is the Difference Between Redundancy and a Settlement Agreement?
Terminating the contract of an employee is not usually a decision that is made without much consideration. The process for terminating employment will be different depending on the circumstances of the employment and the reason for the termination. Whether or not the...
Five things you probably didn’t know about Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property (IP) protection is essential for people working across a wide range of industries, from business owners to people working in creative services. With a proper understanding of IP law, you can ensure that your work is thoroughly protected, and...
Including a Reference as Part of a Settlement Agreement
It's common practice for an employee to request a reference as part of their Settlement Agreement with you, but what are your legal obligations? Interestingly, unless you are part of a regulated industry, there is no legal requirement for you to provide a reference...
Why you need a Shareholders Agreement
For privately owned companies, a shareholders agreement is absolutely essential. Even if you’ve started a business with friends or relatives, this formal legal document sets out ground rules for ownership of the business, including the roles, the responsibilities and...
The Role of TUPE in Restructures and Redundancies
According to employment laws in the UK, employers have a legal obligation to consult thoroughly regarding both restructuring and redundancy. This includes not only discussions on the necessity of reducing workforce roles or creating new ones to better align with the...
6 things to look out for when buying a franchise business
Investing in a franchise business can seem like a quick and easy route to success: there’s already an established brand identity and goodwill, so you may think that takes a lot of the leg work and risk out of starting a business. While this may be true to an extent,...
Corporate Insolvency for businesses: 6 things you need to know first
In challenging economic times, it is not uncommon for businesses of all sizes to find themselves in dire financial straits, which can lead to a company becoming insolvent. While insolvency is not a desirable scenario, some insolvency procedures can be the life raft a...
What to consider when selling your business
When selling your business, the foremost concern is usually getting a fair price for all of the hard work you’ve put into building your company over the years. However, there are also important legal considerations to take into account to ensure the transaction...
Building a business with an exit strategy
With more and more start-ups making headlines for multi-million-pound acquisitions by powerhouses like Facebook and Google, it’s unsurprising that many of today’s entrepreneurs are setting up their businesses with the ultimate goal of selling. Regardless of whether...
Why is Independent Legal Advice Important And How Does it Benefit Me?
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. Some of the instances that you may require ILA include inter alia – personal...
Buying share capital vs buying assets
Many buyers of a business are often unclear as to the differences and repercussions of a share purchase versus an asset purchase, yet each type of acquisition involves very different procedural and legal requirements. In a share purchase or share acquisition, the...
What is a deed of postponement between creditors?
It is very common for a company to borrow money from several different creditors for varying reasons and in varying ways. As a result, creditors may be classified as a senior or junior creditor, depending on their level of risk. Junior creditors assume a greater risk...
What is the difference between a Warranty and an Indemnity?
Warranties and indemnities are frequently used during negotiations over the acquisition of a company, yet there is often confusion over the differences between them and their ramifications. What is a warranty? A warranty is a contractual statement by the seller,...
7 things to consider when starting a business
Starting a business can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it is also a lot of work. Firstly, need to carefully consider the type of business you want to start, determine the industry you want to work in, the products or services you want to offer, and the...
5 reasons why you need to have a Shareholder’s Agreement
A shareholder’s agreement is an essential part of any business venture involving multiple shareholders. The agreement is a legal binding contract between all shareholders and is designed to protect the interests of the parties involved. We have highlighted the 5 main...
Staff Handbook Vs Employment Contract – Knowing the Difference
As an employer, providing your employees with clear and legally approved contracts of employment is critical, both to adhere to legal requirements and to set out what is expected from both parties during the term of employment. In addition, many employers also issue...
Redundancy Selection Pools and How to Use Them
A redundancy selection pool is a way to group employees with similar roles who are at risk of redundancy. It is crucial to ensure that the selection process is impartial and without discrimination and to document the selection criteria and methodology used. It's worth...
Understanding the Redundancy Consultation Period
A recent ACAS publication shows that around 20% of SMEs are facing the prospect of making redundancies in 2023 due to the significant economic pressures plaguing the UK. Whether your SME is one of the 20% or not, understanding how to run a redundancy consultation is a...
7 things to consider when lending money to friends & family
Lending money to a friend or family member often results in issues like late payments or accusations of non payment. Nonetheless, there may come a time when you are asked to give a loan to a friend or family member, so here are seven key points to consider as the...
What is a confidentiality agreement and why do you need one?
In the UK, confidentiality agreements are often referred to as non disclosure agreements (or NDAs), and they can offer critical protection for your businesses and as individuals. need to safeguard trade secrets, sensitive information and confidential data when working...
Leases for squat dental practices and existing dental practices
What do we mean by “Squat practice”? Squat practices are dental practices that are set up from scratch and are often established in an empty property or a property that is used for another purpose for example a retail unit, residential property or office building. A...
6 clauses every business contract should have
In business contracts, the clauses typically found at the end of an agreement are known as the boilerplate clauses, which set out provisions for specific aspects of the contract. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to drafting these clauses, as they will...
How to dismiss a company director
Directors bear a great deal of responsibility and are legally bound to work in the best interests of the company. As such, any non compliance with the company’s articles, or any breach of duty must be treated seriously and in certain circumstances, a director’s...
Everything you need to know about Independent Legal Advice
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
What are your duties as a company director?
When the Companies Act 2006 came into force in the UK, company directors were legally bound to fulfil certain duties or risk facing severe repercussions, including dismissal or disqualification by court order. Here is an overview of some of the general duties to give...
Non-Compete Clauses – Can you rely on your contract?
A non-compete clause is intended to protect the business interests of employers or franchisors by preventing the other contracting party from taking and using their trade secrets, customer information, business relationships, or any other information that may be...
How TUPE impacts you if you are selling your business.
If your business hires employees, it is more than likely that they are protected by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, also known as TUPE. This means that if you’re selling your business, you must act in compliance with TUPE’s...
How to vary an employment contract
There are different steps to be taken when changing the terms of an employment contract, depending on whether the changes are being proposed by the employer or the employee, and depending on the nature of the changes. First, obtain the employee’s written consent by...
Six things your solicitor can teach you about business
Although there is a common misconception that lawyers are only needed for drafting complex legal documents and mediating disputes, the reality is that the insight and guidance of solicitors can be more important for your business than you think. The right legal advice...
Essential legal tips for every start-up business.
Launching a start-up business is more than coming up with a great business idea, and it can be daunting to tackle all the legal requirements for your new company. That’s why we’re sharing a few key tips for every soon-to-be start-up founder, to set you and your...
What to write on your website’s terms and conditions page
Today, a well designed and well written website is the expected standard in the business world. However, there’s more to consider than cutting-edge design and engaging copy when launching your business website; there are essential legal elements that must be included...
Independent Legal Advice – Common Questions About Your Obligations: Asked and Answered
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
Everything you need to know about Independent Legal Advice
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
Looking to buy or sell a dental practice?
Just like life, the market conditions for the sale of a dental practice go in a cycle – once popular NHS practices no longer are in favour over private specialist practices. Where does that leave most sellers, and how does the process of selling affect this? When I...
What Are The Consequences Of Not Obtaining Independent Legal Advice
The term Independent Legal Advice is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. Independent Legal Advice is required in order to protect the party deemed as not...
What Legal Documents do I need when starting a Business?
There are lots of crucial nitty-gritty elements to starting your business, including key legal documents which could help you avoid pitfalls in the long run, from customer disputes to employee claims and the illegal disclosure of your company’s confidential...
Employee-friendly Settlement Agreement FAQ
1. What is a Settlement Agreement? A Settlement Agreement is a legally binding agreement between you and your employer. The purpose is to resolve a dispute between you and your employer; however, a Settlement Agreement is usually entered into on termination of your...
Employer-friendly Settlement Agreement FAQ
What is a Settlement Agreement? A Settlement Agreement is a legally binding agreement between you and an employee. It is usually needed on termination of an employee’s employment, but its general purpose is to aim to resolve a dispute between you and an employee. In a...
What is Insolvency and Restructuring: UK Law
Insolvency and restructuring are covered by comprehensive but complex legislation in the UK. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about how this area of law works in practice within the UK. What is the legal definition of insolvency? There are a number...
CQC Applications
I am a first-time buyer, what CQC applications will I need to have in place to facilitate my dental practice purchase? The CQC application is onerous and will require a substantial amount of preparation prior to submission. The first application is the primary one and...
24 Hour Retirement – the “cash-out” button for your NHS Pension
What is a 24-Hour Retirement? The process is to retire from your current GDS/PDS contract over a weekend (for 24 hours Saturday to Sunday) before returning to work as normal on the Monday. Following your return to work you will receive a lump sum from your NHS pension...
Everything You Need To Know About Holiday Pay For Part Year Workers
In light of the recent court case of Harpur Trust v Brazel, which was heard in the Supreme Court, you may have some questions surrounding the outcome of the judgement and what this means in terms of paid holiday days for employees who have irregular working hours or...
Hashmi v Lorimer-Wing – What does this mean for Sole Director Companies?
Hashmi v. Lorimer-Wing [2022] EWHC 191 is a recent case that exposed anomalies within the Model Articles and raised concerns about the legality of decisions made by private corporations who operate with sole directors. What Are...
Why You Should Use A Solicitor When Submitting Trademark Applications
Many organisations are unaware of the importance of their company's intangible assets, although they are frequently crucial to developing a relationship with customers. A trademark logo or brand-specific designs or colour combinations can help your business stick out...
Selling A Pharmacy – The Four Points To Consider
If you’re selling a pharmacy, there are lots of things that you need to keep in mind, especially if you’ve never been in this position before. With this in mind, here are four key points that you should consider to help streamline the process and ensure that...
How Much Do You Know About Basic Working Rights?
Whatever sector or industry you’re working in, you should know your basic working rights. It’s essential, however, to note these rights will depend on what employment status you have – whether you’re self-employed, an employee, or a worker. If you’re a worker, you’ll...
Top Tips For Purchasing An Optical Practice Without Any Added Stress
Buying your optical practice is exciting, but it can also be very stressful. Even when businesses look similar on paper, the buying experiences may differ wildly. There are several factors to keep in mind, and here, we look at some top tips to help you minimise the...
What Considerations Should Be Kept In Mind When Buying Commercial Properties?
Although some business owners want to lease their commercial premises, others prefer to buy in order to enjoy greater flexibility and freedom. Buy a commercial property represents a good choice for many SMEs that want to expand, but it’s important to understand the...
What Should I Consider If I Want To Sell My Business?
It’s always a good idea to plan your business sale well before you may wish to start the process. However, for everything to run smoothly, you’ll need to know what you need to keep in mind, so here is a list of considerations. Why Do You Want To Sell? You need to...
