Under the Equality Act (Disability) Regulations 2010 (the “Regulations”), a number of conditions are said not to be impairments. This means that they are not disabilities and do not therefore receive protection under the Equality Act (the “Act”). ...
Over recent months the issue of plastic pollution, particularly in our oceans, has come to the fore and is recognised as one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Who can forget those appalling images of the sea of plastic covering large swathes of our oceans, or seeing marine life tangled, and strangled by plastic....
The Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment in the case of R (Faraday) v West Berkshire Council [2018] EWCA Civ 2532, which has important consequences for local authorities and developers entering into development agreements. ...
Earlier this month, the Government published its latest report showing the representation of women on the boards of FTSE 350 companies. The report shows a rise above 30% representation on FTSE 100 boards and a rise to 26.7% of representation across FTSE 350 boards....
Last year a Tribunal found that private hire drivers engaged by Addison Lee were workers and not independent contractors (see our blog on this previously). Addison Lee’s appeal against this judgment has now been dismissed....
Most people at work will be more affected by Artificial Intelligence in the future than they realise. ...
According to various media reports[1] a Swedish microchip company called BioHax is in talks with several high-profile legal and financial UK companies to implant employees with microchips....
The Court of Appeal recently confirmed that an ambiguous letter of acceptance of resignation from an employer did not vary the original termination date by agreement. JLT Speciality v Craven concerned a bonus advance of £500,000 which was agreed to be repayable if the Claimant resigned “on or before 31 December 2016”. ...
A district judge, is trying to raise £10,000 to fight a Court of Appeal decision that judges cannot be classed as workers by requesting donations towards her cause. At the point of writing just over 25% of the target funds have been raised. ...
Embracing diversity enhances business resilience – and the UK can lead the way, says Clarkslegal’s Monica Atwal...
Chancellor Hammond’s new Digital Services Tax may not be the robust tax-attack on Tech Giants some were hoping for but many believe it’s a tangible step in the right direction. ...
The tech sector is booming. We live in a time of the mega private business in which the likes of Uber and Airbnb are extending their lives as privately held businesses by delaying public offerings. The venture capital asset class is more buoyant than ever and now includes atypical investors such as hedge and sovereign wealth funds who seek a piece of the action. Governments globally are also trying to attract innovation and tech talent using all manner of inducements, from tax breaks to immigration. So, are we living in the golden age of tech or is the frothy venture capital market a sign of a bubble reminiscent of that which led to the dot com bust of 1999/2000, and why does this matter to entrepreneurs? ...
Technology used ethically can help retain valued staff by spotting potential problems which could cause them to quit...
Clarkslegal is pleased to announce two new partner appointments to its Thames Valley office. Stuart Mullins joins the Corporate team and brings with him a wealth of experience acting for SMEs and corporates on mergers, acquisitions, banking, corporate law and commercial matters. Mark Izquierdo is appointed to head the Real Estate team in Reading and brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the property market. Mark specialises in investment and development work (residential and commercial) and is highly regarded for the transactional work he undertakes. Managing Partner, Monica Atwal, welcomes Stuart and Mark commenting: “We are delighted with the new appointments to key growth areas for our practice. The appointments demonstrate our continued commitment to the Thames Valley and underline our position at the forefront of commercial legal services in the region”...
The implications for a landlord consenting to tenant’s alterations in breach of an absolute prohibition contained in a lease were recently highlighted in the case of Duval v 11-13 Randolph Crescent Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 2298 (Decision 18 October 2018). Although this is a case concerning a residential lease, the finding also has implications for landlords of mixed use and commercial properties. ...
Clarkslegal has recently assisted a boatyard owner in the disposal of an abandoned steamboat. Whilst this is was an unusual scenario, it is often the case that when a tenant vacates a property, they leave behind unwanted possessions or goods, which have to be cleared before the property can be re-let. If what has been left behind is clearly just rubbish, the landlord can probably just dispose of it. But items or goods, even if the tenant appears to have abandoned them, are more complicated and cannot simply be thrown away. In this case, the landlord becomes what is known as an ‘involuntary bailee’ of the items and has a duty not to deliberately or recklessly damage or destroy them. So what should the landlord do with them?...
The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 has now achieved parliamentary approval. This introduces additional reporting requirements for certain qualifying companies. Ahead of their inaugural year we have outlined some of the Regulations’ key provisions. ...
The government has confirmed this week that it is considering reintroducing fees for employment tribunal claims. Following the introduction of fees in 2013 (which ranged between £390 and £1,200), the total number of tribunal claims dropped from approximately 80,000 to roughly 20,000 per year....
The Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Act, which received Royal Assent earlier this year, is expected to come into force in 2020. The Act introduces a new statutory right to time off work for employed parents following the loss of a child, enabling the parent to grieve and easing recovery. ...
One of the final acts of Coulson J before his elevation to the Court of Appeal was to sound the death knell for smash and grab adjudications. We report here on his first instance decision in Grove v S&T. ...