Staff handbook provisions had contractual effect, rules Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 27th, 2016 in appeals, contract of employment, contracts, documents, employment, news by sally

‘A recent decision by the Court of Appeal provides a “helpful summary” of the circumstances in which employment terms set out in separate documents should be considered incorporated into employee’s contracts, according to an employment law expert.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th Aoril 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Van der Merwe v Goldman and another – WLR Daily

Posted April 20th, 2016 in contracts, law reports, mistake, rescission, setting aside by sally

Van der Merwe v Goldman and another [2016] EWHC 790 (Ch)

‘The claimant and the first defendant were husband and wife and the joint freehold owners of a house, where they lived. On 24 March the claimant and the first defendant executed a transfer of the title to the house to the claimant alone, for no stated consideration. On 27 March the claimant executed a deed of settlement whereby he settled the house on the terms of that deed and appointed himself and the first defendant as trustees of the settlement. The claimant also executed a transfer of the title to the house to himself and the first defendant as the trustees of the settlement. The principal beneficiaries of the settlement were the claimant, the first defendant, their children and remoter issue. Although the transactions were entered into in order to obtain certain tax advantages, in fact, as a consequence of a change in the law, they gave rise to a substantial tax liability. The claimant and first defendant brought a claim for an order setting aside the transfer of 24 March and the settlement and transfer of 27 March. In issue in the proceedings, to which the revenue was joined as a second defendant, was whether the transactions were governed by common law rules for declaring a contract to be void by reason of mistake or the equitable rules for setting aside a gift for mistake.’

WLR Daily, 11th April 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Conveyancers on both sides held liable for fraud in landmark case – Legal Futures

Posted April 19th, 2016 in breach of trust, contracts, conveyancing, fraud, money laundering, news, solicitors by sally

‘The conveyancers on both sides of a property fraud have been found jointly liable for the £470,000 loss suffered by the buyer.’

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Legal Futures, 18th April 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

G4S fined 100 times since 2010 for breaching prison contracts – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2016 in contracting out, contracts, fines, news, prisons by tracey

‘G4S has been fined at least 100 times for breaching its contracts to run prisons since 2010, according to data obtained by Labour.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Appeal court: judge wrong to interfere with exclusion clause when wording sufficiently clear – OUT-LAW.com

‘A High Court judge was wrong to override an exclusion clause in a complex contract for the hire of an offshore drilling rig, as the parties were commercial equals and the wording of the clause was sufficiently clear, the appeal court has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th April 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Court of Appeal orders retrial over aggregation of claims against solicitors – Legal Futures

Posted April 15th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, indemnities, insurance, law firms, news, retrials, third parties by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling that had protected law firms from financial risk through restricting the way professional indemnity insurers could aggregate multiple claims.’

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Legal Futures, 14th April 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

What are you referring to…?” The increased latitude required when considering adjudicators’ jurisdiction – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 14th, 2016 in arbitration, construction industry, contracts, jurisdiction, news by sally

‘With both the US and London mayoral elections gaining momentum, and leading commentators poised to offer independent research, enlivened views and sage analysis, you really would be forgiven for not having had your eyes trained on recent enforcement action in the TCC.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 1st April 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Employment Law Implications for Liquidated Damages and the Penalty Rule Following El Makdessi – Littleton Chambers

Posted April 14th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, damages, employment, news, penalties, Supreme Court by sally

‘In English law there is a presumption in favour of freedom of contract. The penalty rule represents an exception to that principle. A properly drafted liquidated damages clause entitles the claimant to recover the amount stipulated in the clause even if the actual loss is less than the amount payable. The inclusion of the clause is intended to provide certainty, to make the recovery of damages easier and less costly and, from the opposite perspective, to limit liability.’

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Littleton Chambers, 4th April 2016

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

The impact of new consumer regulations – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 13th, 2016 in consumer protection, contracts, drafting, EC law, landlord & tenant, leases, news by sally

‘On 1 October 2015 the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (“CRA”) came into force. CRA superseded the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (“UTCCR”). The CRA aims to modernise, simplify and consolidate key parts of consumer law; it is the cornerstone of an extensive consumer law reform programme. Anyone acting in a landlord and tenant dispute or drafting tenancy or lease agreement needs to be familiar with its provisions’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 11th March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Opportunity doesn’t knock twice: recovering damages for consequential loss – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Today’s banks are in receipt of the largest fines ever imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or its predecessor the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and although they are taking responsibility for a number of failings (eg PPI, Derivatives, LIBOR and FOREX), restrictions on recovering loss, in particular where consequential loss is concerned, have come under significant scrutiny. This article examines the measure of loss in tort and contract, and particularly explores investors’ difficulties when making claims for loss of profit caused by mis selling.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 31st March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Commercial Landlord & Tenant Law – New Square Chambers

‘In 2011, Marks and Spencer plc (“M&S”) operated a “break clause” in commercial leases of office premises. Following determination, M&S sought to recover from the landlord advance quarterly rent that it had paid for the period after the successful break. M&S relied, in part, on an implied term claim that post-break rent should be returned to it. The landlord denied the claim and litigation ensued. Morgan J in the High Court gave judgment for M&S on the claim. The Court of Appeal unanimously reversed the judgment. The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed M&S’ appeal and re-stated the principles for the implication of contract terms: Marks and Spencer plc v BNP Paribas Securities Services Trust Co (Jersey) Ltd[2015] UKSC 72, [2015] 3 WLR 1843.’

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New Square Chambers, 11th April 2016

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

Global firm must pay £118k over negligent advice – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 8th, 2016 in contracts, costs, damages, documents, employment, law firms, negligence, news, standards by tracey

‘A High Court judge has ordered global firm King & Wood Mallesons to pay damages over negligent advice it gave to a commodities business intelligence firm – although they were only 5% of the sum claimed.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 7th April 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Junior doctors’ row: Government hit with second legal challenge over contracts – BBC News

‘A second legal challenge has been made over the government’s decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors in England.’

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BBC News, 4th April 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed…A Cautionary Tale – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in contracts, duty of care, news, pro bono work by sally

‘It can be a common misconception that where services have been offered without charge then there will be no liability in the event that something goes wrong. This point was addressed in the recent case of Burgess and another v Lejonvarn [2016] EWHC 40 (TCC) and serves as a warning to all professionals offering free advice.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 4th March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

A laundrette by any other name smells less sweet – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in contracts, covenants, leases, news by sally

‘This Q&A deals with user clauses in commercial leases. What is permitted by a covenant permitting use solely as a laundrette? Does such a clause permit the provision of dry-cleaning services?’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 21st March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Alan Ramsay Sales & Marketing Ltd v Typhoo Tea Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted March 15th, 2016 in agency, agreements, contracts, evidence, law reports, privilege by sally

Alan Ramsay Sales & Marketing Ltd v Typhoo Tea Ltd [2016] EWHC 486 (Comm)

‘The claimant was a commercial agent who acted for the defendant. The agency agreement between the parties provided for 12 months’ notice of termination. The claimant’s case was that, by e-mails dated 18 and 26 March 2013, the defendant gave notice of termination with effect from 11 February 2013, to terminate on 11 May 2013 and was thereby in repudiatory breach of contract, which repudiation the claimant accepted as bringing the agency agreement to an end. The claimant brought a claim for, inter alia, damages for termination with insufficient notice and sought to admit the defendant’s e-mails as evidence of the defendant’s repudiation. The defendant contended that the two e-mails, both marked “Without Prejudice”, were part of a series of without prejudice negotiations to settle a dispute as to termination of the agency and that, as such, they could not be relied on by the claimant as repudiatory and were inadmissible in evidence.’

WLR Daily, 8th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Ministry of Justice officials ‘helped private firms win government contracts’ – The Guardian

‘Ministers have ordered an immediate inquiry into allegations that former senior civil servants from the Ministry of Justice have used their Whitehall knowledge and contacts to help private companies secure government contracts worth millions.’

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The Guardian, 14th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BMA ignored lawyers’ advice before launching judicial review over new contracts for junior doctors – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 1st, 2016 in contracts, doctors, industrial action, judicial review, news by sally

‘The British Medical Association ignored the advice of its own lawyers before launching a judicial review over new contracts for junior doctors, it has emerged.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Value of the thresholds under the directives on Public Procurement applicable from 1 st January 2016 – Henderson Chambers

Posted February 24th, 2016 in contracts, EC law, news, public procurement by sally

‘On 15 December 2015, the Commission adopted new Regulations, Regulation (EU) Nos 2015/2340, 2015/2341 and 2015/23421, amending respectively Directives 2004/17/EC, 2004/18/EC and 2009/81/EC in respect of the relevant thresholds for the application of the procedures for the award of public contracts. The reason for this was to set the new procurement thresholds for the two year period beginning 1 January 2016 and to align the thresholds in the Directives with the thresholds applicable under the Agreement on Government Procurement.’

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Henderson Chambers, 10th February 2016

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Junior doctors launch legal challenge to Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose new contract – The Independent

‘Junior doctors have a launched a legal challenge to Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose a new contract, and announced that three fresh strikes will hit the NHS in the spring.’

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The Independent, 23rd February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk