All News
| From the Home Page section: | |
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New credit-easing measures for SMEs The government has recently published further details of a package of credit-easing measures aimed a... |
|
Sale of Business by Company in Administration - Court Ruling Increases Buyer's Exposure In the recent case of Amble Assets LLP v. Longbenton Foods Ltd., the High Court ruled on the ... |
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Entrepreneurs' Relief Applied to Sale of Part of Business Business people will welcome a recent ruling that the sale of part of a business qualified for entre... |
 |
ECJ Talks Sense on Holiday Pay and Sick Leave In a recent case the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that EU law does not require the unlimite... |
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Court of Appeal Clarifies Law on AGAs A recent decision of the Court of Appeal provides some welcome clarification on the law relating to ... |
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Residential Tenancy Deposits - Sledgehammer Legislation Repealed Residential landlords will be relieved to learn that the sanctions that for non-compliance with the ... |
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Supreme Court Cuts Unmarried Father's Share in £250K House from 50% to 10% The Supreme Court has overturned the controversial ruling handed down last year by the Court of Appe... |
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Break Clause - Blunder Cost Tenant £200K A recent Court of Appeal decision highlights the need for business tenants to take care when exercis... |
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Hot Shot Lawyer Falls Foul of Data Protection Act The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled that Ruth Crawford QC, a leading Scottish lawy... |
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New Collaborative Lawyer Heald are delighted to announce that family lawyer Dawn Millar, has joined Mary Banham-Hall, by beco... |
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Unfair Dismissal - Withdrawal of Incentive to Accept Change in Terms We recently reported on the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Garside and Layco... |
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Taxman Clobbers Granny A Tribunal has ruled that the conversion of a barn into a granny-annex was subject to VAT because th... |
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Marks and Spencer Fined £1m for Breach of Asbestos Rules Following a sentencing hearing in Bournemouth Crown Court on 27 September 2011, Marks and Spencer pl... |
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Why Use Heald Solicitors For Wills, Probate, Powers Of Attorney & Trusts Heald Solicitors have been established in Milton Keynes now for 30 years. It has a long and establi... |
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Raising money through wine, cheese and other smellies The Well Heald Team, a team of cyclists comprising Nick Crook and Esther Marchant of Heald Solicitor... |
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STAR WARS : The Trilogy The Supreme Court has recently ruled in the long running and third instalment of the case between Lu... |
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The Last Will and Testament of ... But Not Necessarily the Last Word Lawyers are forever chivvying their clients about making Wills and, as a general principle, making a... |
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Sick Employee Could Carry Untaken Holiday Over to Next Leave Year In NHS Leeds v. Larner, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that an employee who had b... |
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Dismissal for Refusing to Accept Pay Cut In the current economic climate many employers have been forced to look at imposing a pay cut on the... |
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Mortgage Valuation Trap for Buy-to-Let A recent decision of the Court of Appeal shows that a buy-to-let purchaser cannot safely rely on a v... |
|
Private Sewer Transfer – Some Good News for Householders and Businesses On 1st October 2011 the responsibility to repair and maintain private sewers and lateral drains (a d... |
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Commercial Agents A commercial agent is an individual or company appointed to sell goods on behalf of another. They a... |
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Late Payment Interest under Commercial Contracts - Improved Rights for Creditors on the Way It has been estimated that in the Euro Zone there is currently just under €2 trillion worth of unpai... |
|
Time Off for Emergency Child Care – Unimplemented Policy Wasn’t Much Use In Clarke v Credit Resource Solutions, an Employment Tribunal ruled that an employee had been... |
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All Reasonable Endeavours - Commercial Contracts – Airport’s Obligation Proves Terminal The ideal commercial contract covers every eventuality with clarity and precision. Sadly if such a ... |
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"Terms and conditions available on request" Sounds familiar? Rather than supplying their T&Cs as a matter of routine, many suppliers simply inf... |
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Agency Workers Regulations – Government Issues Final Guidance The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 come into force on 1 October 2011. The Regulations give tempora... |
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Service Charge Consultations - Residential Landlord Who Spent £270,000 On Repairs Only Recovered £1,250 A recent decision provides a clear warning to residential landlords to ensure they comply fully with... |
| Positive Discrimination – the Perils! Sometimes, employers may perhaps be forgiven for thinking that they are damned if they do and they a... |
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Human Rights Commission Code on Service Provision The Statutory Code of Practice covering the provision of services, public functions and associations... |
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Insurance Broker Loses Sentence Appeal in Corruption Case Bribery and corruption is very much a hot button issue with the Bribery Act 2010 scheduled to come i... |
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The Bribery Act 2010 – Latest The Bribery Act 2010 is now scheduled to come into force on 1st July 2011. Meanwhile, on 30th Mar... |
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The Protection from Harassment Act Strikes Again! Originally intended to deal with stalkers and nuisance phone calls, the Protection of Harassment Act... |
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Closure of Public and Business Counters Following the FCO’s recent announcement of the closure of the public and business counters on the 24... |
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Building Contracts - Court of Appeal Clarifies Law on Dual Liability In its recent decision in Robinson v P E Jones (Contractors) Ltd, the Court of Appeal has provided w... |
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First Corporate Manslaughter Case - Company Fined £385,000 Corporate Manslaughter History - On 17th February 2011, Cotswold Geotechnical (Holdings) Ltd (CGH) ... |
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Abolition of Default Retirement Age The Government has recently confirmed the phasing out of the Default Retirement Age of 65. Unde... |
|
Is Google a bully? It was interesting to see the reports over the last couple of days about Google’s Eric Schmidt expla... |
|
New Paternity Rights Apply From 3rd April 2011 New paternity rights will apply where a child is due on or after 3rd April 2011. Under existing l... |
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Supreme Court Rules on De Facto Directors In the case of Holland v HMRC, the Supreme Court split 3-2 on whether Mr Holland was a de facto dire... |
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Law Of Guarantees All Over The Shop House of Fraser has defeated the Landlord’s demand for a Parent Company Guarantee. In a complex d... |
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Playing Hardball Could Cost Developer Up To £2.5 Million The moral of this case is clear. A commercial developer who proceeds with a project in the face of ... |
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Residential Rent Deposits – An Important Point Clarified Life would appear to have become easier for landlords who take rent deposits for assured shorthold t... |
|
Marmite – 1; BNP - 0 The facts in the recent case of Unilever plc v Griffin were unusual. However, the case is a good il... |
|
Break Clauses - Beware Of Pitfalls Break clauses give rise to many disputes. In the current economic climate, many tenants have prem... |
|
Guidance and Principles for Corporate Governance for unlisted companies On November 22 2010 the Institute of Directors (IoD) launched its Guidance and Principles for Corpor... |
|
Data Protection Fines Imposed With effect from 6th April 2010, the Information Commissioner has had the power to impose fines for ... |
|
Lottery Winner Pays Ex £2m A multi-million lottery winner has agreed to pay a slice of his winnings to his ex-wife in an out-of... |
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Trade Marks and Exhaustion of Rights Lawyers tend to get very excited about arguments about the burden of proof. To a non-lawyer, such a... |
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Dilapidations And Damages At Lease End The recent decision of the High Court in PGF II S.A. and Another v. Royal and Sun Alliance Insura... |
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Extra mile Black forest challenge 2010 Last year we had an easy ride in the autumn sunshine round the valleys of the Loire. This year the ... |
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New Guidance On Illegal Working Issued The UK Border Agency has published new guidance for employers on the prevention of illegal working. ... |
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Supreme Court Confirms That Dismissal Only Took Effect When Employee Read Letter In the recent case of Gisda Cyf v Barratt, the Supreme Court has confirmed that where an empl... |
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Pre-Nups Get Green Light From The Supreme Court The process of getting divorced is invariably a time of great distress. Often a great deal of the ... |
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New Anti-Discrimination Laws Come Into Force On 1st October 2010, most of the provisions of the long-awaited Equality Act 2010 came into force. ... |
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TUPE - Changing terms and conditions The recent decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Todd v. Strain serves as yet a... |
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Adwords and Trade Mark infringement One particularly hot topic in intellectual property law at the moment concerns the use of adwords an... |
|
Using Disciplinary Procedures A recent decision of the Court of Appeal demonstrates the importance of an employer not rushing into... |
|
Protection of your product’s brand image Drinks manufacturers have a history of spirited and resolute protection of brand image. This has le... |
|
High Court Rules On “Battle Of The Forms” Dispute In the recent case of GHSP Incorporated v AB Electronic Ltd., the High Court was asked to rul... |
|
The Provision of Services Regulations 2009 The Provision of Services Regulations 2009 (the Regulations) came into force on 28 December 2009. T... |
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Heald Solicitors Riding High The economic cycle may have been on the downturn, but Heald's plucky pedallers are celebrating once... |
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2010 Moo Walk for charity Angela Poole and her friends had a long evening on Saturday night, along with over 2000 other women ... |
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Company fined £400,000 for failure to take proper Fire Precautions In the recent case of New Look Retailers Ltd. v. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Autho... |
|
Letters of Intent If doubt exists over contractual obligations, and the court has to decide the matter, the judge will... |
|
When may directors or employees become personally liable for company liabilities? The basic position, of course, is that a limited company exists as a legal entity in its own right: ... |
|
DANGER! - Unexploded Rent Review! In the recent decision of Bello v. Idealview Ltd. the High Court ruled that a thirteen year d... |
|
The Bribery Act 2010 The Bribery Act 2010 received Royal Assent on 8th April. Although matters are a little uncertain in... |
|
Variation to works under a construction contract does not amount to an oral variation to the contract Under the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (known to its friends in the constru... |
|
Sanctions imposed for dishonest evidence Last month a substantial High Court action against Cable & Wireless PLC by a number of companies in ... |
|
Equality Act 2010 On 14th April 2010, the Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent. It is widely anticipated that most... |
|
Sale of Shares: Directors Personal Liability Where a company has made representations in negotiations, and also in a Share Purchase Agreement, wh... |
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Binding contract can be formed before the parties think negotiations are complete Contracts are often negotiated on the basis that no contract will be effective until it has been sig... |
|
Administrative Restoration now available for Companies and LLPs struck off under The Companies Act 1985 Until now, a company struck off under the Companies Act 1985 could only be restored to the register ... |
|
When Contract Tenders Go Wrong When tendering for work, there is a natural temptation for a bidder to pitch his case in the best li... |
|
Tax on Share Valuations The recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Scottish case of Grays Timber Products Ltd. v. HM... |
|
Construction Litigation – Proposals to Reduce Cost The recent review by Lord Justice Jackson on litigation costs has made proposals aimed to reduce the... |
|
Going the extra mile... And when to check the terrain first! Most businesses want to give outstanding customer service. We talk about "going the extra mile" and... |
|
Contractors – are payments being delayed? The cumbersome title of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 may not sound exci... |
|
Company in Administration – Rent must be treated as administration expense In a recent decision which will be welcomed by commercial landlords, the High Court has confirmed th... |
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ACCESSIBILITY ALTERATIONS – THE LAW HAS REAL TEETH In its recent landmark judgment in Allen v. Royal Bank of Scotland, the Court of Appeal uphel... |
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DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION IN RELATION TO DEPENDANTS It is clearly illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee on the grounds of the e... |
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LEASES, SERVICE CHARGES & DILAPIDATIONS LUNCHTIME SEMINAR 12 NOON THURSDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2009 As a Landlord are you aware of the latest opportunities to reduce costs? As a Tenant what can you... |
| RELOCATION, RELOCATION, RELOCATION It is a problem that regularly crops up. A couple with children split up. The children live with ... |
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STRESS CLAIMS – OFFERING CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELLING IS NOT THE WHOLE ANSWER The decision of the Court of Appeal in Dickins v. O2 provides a useful reminder to employers that if... |
| HIGH COURT AWARDS EMPLOYEE INVENTORS SUBSTANTIAL SUMS In a recent groundbreaking decision, the High Court ordered an employer to pay two employee inventor... |
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| DIVORCE SETTLEMENTS – COURT OF APPEAL SAYS “NO” TO DEAL BEING REOPENED The recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Myerson v. Myerson is a stark reminder that the courts... |
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| DIRECTORS WHO DO NOTHING INCUR MASSIVE LIABILITIES Corporate responsibility is definitely a hot topic at the moment. Directors must perform their duti... |
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UNLAWFUL PAYMENTS BY LIMITED COMPANIES One of the advantages of doing business through the medium of a limited company is that in normal ci... |
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Free Seminar on Separation and Divorce The Heald Family team are running a Free information seminar covering aspects of Separation and Divo... |
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COMPANY ACCOUNTS - LATE FILING PENALTIES INCREASED The civil penalties payable by companies that fail to file their accounts at Companies House on time... |
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BLANKET BAN ON EMPLOYEES REQUIRING WORK PERMITS MAY AMOUNT TO DISCRIMINATION Dealing with the immigration status of prospective employees can be something of a minefield for emp... |
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Race For Life This year the ladies of Heald Solicitors decided to unite against cancer and participant in the nume... |
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Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures - The End Is In Sight On 13th November 2008 the Employment Act 2008 received Royal Assent. When Section 1 is brought into... |
| Redundancy Selection Criteria In the current economic climate, many employers are facing the difficult task of selecting employees... |
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ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING When doing business, it is a very human inclination to trust others and to rely on a handshake. How... |
| Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide The failure to obtain convictions for corporate manslaughter following the Herald of Free Enterprise... |
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HEALD EXTRA MILE CYCLE CHALLENGE SUCCESS More than 170 cyclists completed the Extra Mile Cycle Challenge sponsored by Heald Solicitors. The ... |
| Directors - The Risk of Personal Liability Those involved in running a business will often be well-advised to set up a limited company to minim... |
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| ECJ Ruling Widens Scope of Discrimination Law In Colman v. Attridge Law, the European Court of Justice has recently ruled that what is some... |
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Failing to Pay the National Minimum Wage All the signs are that the Government is intent on cracking down on employers who fail to pay the Na... |
| Employing People Subject To Immigration Control The Previous Position Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 made it a crimi... |
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| RATES ON UNOCCUPIED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – A BADLY-TIMED INCREASE IN BUSINESS COSTS At a time when business costs are rising generally, the Rating (Empty Properties) Act 2007 has subst... |
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| Construction – New Rules on Site Waste Management The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 came into force on 6 April 2008. It is now illeg... |
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| HEALTH AND SAFETY – WHEN THINGS GET OUT OF CONTROL .... Yet again the Court of Appeal has dealt with a case about the Provision and Use of Work Equipment R... |
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| HEALTH AND SAFETY –WHEN OCCUPIERS ARE LIABLE The recent case of Mason and Satelcom Ltd. v. East Potential Ltd. provides a vivid example of... |
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| THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING BY THE RULES When running a small family company, in particular, it is always tempting to take a fairly relaxed a... |
|
| Oil Pollution Services Limited A Heald team led by partner David Dees recently completed an acquisition of an engineering company f... |
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| Joint Insurance – Don’t Be Lulled Suppose A negligently damages B’s property. B makes a claim on his insurance. The insurers pay out... |
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£226 PER MILE ON THREE DAY CHARITY CYCLING CHALLENGE On Thursday evening, Preston Ayres, Extra Mile trustee, announced that 184 people from in and around... |
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Extra Mile celebrates its fifth year of raising funds – at the Holiday Inn, on 28 February 2007’s Extra Mile Four-Nation Challenge, on 21–23 September, saw more than 45 teams ride in relay ov... |
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Bank adds lawyer to advice panel CLYDESDALE Bank has added Milton Keynes based law firm Heald Solicitors to its panel of legal advise... |
| Stopping Competition By Ex-Employees An Interesting Case For many employers it is their worst nightmare. One or more employees... |
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| Pensions – When is an Internal Transfer not an Internal Transfer? When it’s an External Transfer! In a recent case, an actuary was instructed as a joint expert to ... |
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| Dismissal – If In Doubt Use the Statutory Disciplinary Procedure The recent case of Klusova v. London Borough of Hounslow is a good example of how a failure to follo... |
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THE EFFECT OF TUPE 2006 REGULATIONS ON CONTRACT OUTSOURCING The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) apply when a busines... |
| HARASSMENT AT WORK AND THE PROTECTION FROM HARASSMENT ACT 1997 Specific statutory provisions deal with harassment in the workplace on the grounds of race, sex, sex... |
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| RECOVERING RENT ARREARS – IMPORTANT CHANGES ARE AFOOT The ancient remedy of distress allows a landlord to seize a tenant’s goods, sell them and use the pr... |
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INCENTIVISING MANAGEMENT THROUGH EMI SCHEMES Many private companies chose to offer incentives to key members of staff by offering the managers th... |
| PROPERTY OWNED BY COHABITING COUPLES – WELCOME GUIDANCE FROM THE HOUSE OF LORDS Lots of people who live together without being married. Another, more recent, trend is the result of... |
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| INSURANCE – DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT When it comes to insurance, it is all too easy to get it wrong. It is important to understand that w... |
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| Unlawful Loans to Directors Subject to a number of exceptions - for example, loans not exceeding £5,000 - the Companies Act 1985... |
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| THE INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION OF EMPLOYEE REGULATIONS 2004 FAILURE TO CONSULT CAN COST SERIOUS MONEY The Information and Consultation of Employee Reg... |
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| 45 Team Challenge Sell Out All 45 team places in the 2007 Four Nations Challenge were snapped up before the June 30 deadline, g... |
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| COMMERCIAL LEASES – POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND As lawyers, we often find that by the time we become involved in negotiations relating to a commerci... |
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| From the Commercial section: | |
|
New credit-easing measures for SMEs The government has recently published further details of a package of credit-easing measures aimed a... |
|
Sale of Business by Company in Administration - Court Ruling Increases Buyer's Exposure In the recent case of Amble Assets LLP v. Longbenton Foods Ltd., the High Court ruled on the ... |
|
Entrepreneurs' Relief Applied to Sale of Part of Business Business people will welcome a recent ruling that the sale of part of a business qualified for entre... |
|
Court of Appeal Clarifies Law on AGAs A recent decision of the Court of Appeal provides some welcome clarification on the law relating to ... |
|
Residential Tenancy Deposits - Sledgehammer Legislation Repealed Residential landlords will be relieved to learn that the sanctions that for non-compliance with the ... |
|
Break Clause - Blunder Cost Tenant £200K A recent Court of Appeal decision highlights the need for business tenants to take care when exercis... |
|
Hot Shot Lawyer Falls Foul of Data Protection Act The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled that Ruth Crawford QC, a leading Scottish lawy... |
|
Taxman Clobbers Granny A Tribunal has ruled that the conversion of a barn into a granny-annex was subject to VAT because th... |
|
Marks and Spencer Fined £1m for Breach of Asbestos Rules Following a sentencing hearing in Bournemouth Crown Court on 27 September 2011, Marks and Spencer pl... |
|
STAR WARS : The Trilogy The Supreme Court has recently ruled in the long running and third instalment of the case between Lu... |
|
Mortgage Valuation Trap for Buy-to-Let A recent decision of the Court of Appeal shows that a buy-to-let purchaser cannot safely rely on a v... |
|
Private Sewer Transfer – Some Good News for Householders and Businesses On 1st October 2011 the responsibility to repair and maintain private sewers and lateral drains (a d... |
|
Commercial Agents A commercial agent is an individual or company appointed to sell goods on behalf of another. They a... |
|
Late Payment Interest under Commercial Contracts - Improved Rights for Creditors on the Way It has been estimated that in the Euro Zone there is currently just under €2 trillion worth of unpai... |
|
All Reasonable Endeavours - Commercial Contracts – Airport’s Obligation Proves Terminal The ideal commercial contract covers every eventuality with clarity and precision. Sadly if such a ... |
|
"Terms and conditions available on request" Sounds familiar? Rather than supplying their T&Cs as a matter of routine, many suppliers simply inf... |
|
Service Charge Consultations - Residential Landlord Who Spent £270,000 On Repairs Only Recovered £1,250 A recent decision provides a clear warning to residential landlords to ensure they comply fully with... |
|
Human Rights Commission Code on Service Provision The Statutory Code of Practice covering the provision of services, public functions and associations... |
|
Insurance Broker Loses Sentence Appeal in Corruption Case Bribery and corruption is very much a hot button issue with the Bribery Act 2010 scheduled to come i... |
|
The Bribery Act 2010 – Latest The Bribery Act 2010 is now scheduled to come into force on 1st July 2011. Meanwhile, on 30th Mar... |
|
Building Contracts - Court of Appeal Clarifies Law on Dual Liability In its recent decision in Robinson v P E Jones (Contractors) Ltd, the Court of Appeal has provided w... |
|
First Corporate Manslaughter Case - Company Fined £385,000 Corporate Manslaughter History - On 17th February 2011, Cotswold Geotechnical (Holdings) Ltd (CGH) ... |
|
Abolition of Default Retirement Age The Government has recently confirmed the phasing out of the Default Retirement Age of 65. Unde... |
|
Is Google a bully? It was interesting to see the reports over the last couple of days about Google’s Eric Schmidt expla... |
|
Supreme Court Rules on De Facto Directors In the case of Holland v HMRC, the Supreme Court split 3-2 on whether Mr Holland was a de facto dire... |
|
Law Of Guarantees All Over The Shop House of Fraser has defeated the Landlord’s demand for a Parent Company Guarantee. In a complex d... |
|
Playing Hardball Could Cost Developer Up To £2.5 Million The moral of this case is clear. A commercial developer who proceeds with a project in the face of ... |
|
Residential Rent Deposits – An Important Point Clarified Life would appear to have become easier for landlords who take rent deposits for assured shorthold t... |
|
Marmite – 1; BNP - 0 The facts in the recent case of Unilever plc v Griffin were unusual. However, the case is a good il... |
|
Break Clauses - Beware Of Pitfalls Break clauses give rise to many disputes. In the current economic climate, many tenants have prem... |
|
Guidance and Principles for Corporate Governance for unlisted companies On November 22 2010 the Institute of Directors (IoD) launched its Guidance and Principles for Corpor... |
|
Data Protection Fines Imposed With effect from 6th April 2010, the Information Commissioner has had the power to impose fines for ... |
|
Trade Marks and Exhaustion of Rights Lawyers tend to get very excited about arguments about the burden of proof. To a non-lawyer, such a... |
|
Dilapidations And Damages At Lease End The recent decision of the High Court in PGF II S.A. and Another v. Royal and Sun Alliance Insura... |
|
Adwords and Trade Mark infringement One particularly hot topic in intellectual property law at the moment concerns the use of adwords an... |
|
Protection of your product’s brand image Drinks manufacturers have a history of spirited and resolute protection of brand image. This has le... |
|
High Court Rules On “Battle Of The Forms” Dispute In the recent case of GHSP Incorporated v AB Electronic Ltd., the High Court was asked to rul... |
|
The Provision of Services Regulations 2009 The Provision of Services Regulations 2009 (the Regulations) came into force on 28 December 2009. T... |
|
Company fined £400,000 for failure to take proper Fire Precautions In the recent case of New Look Retailers Ltd. v. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Autho... |
|
Letters of Intent If doubt exists over contractual obligations, and the court has to decide the matter, the judge will... |
|
When may directors or employees become personally liable for company liabilities? The basic position, of course, is that a limited company exists as a legal entity in its own right: ... |
|
DANGER! - Unexploded Rent Review! In the recent decision of Bello v. Idealview Ltd. the High Court ruled that a thirteen year d... |
|
The Bribery Act 2010 The Bribery Act 2010 received Royal Assent on 8th April. Although matters are a little uncertain in... |
|
Variation to works under a construction contract does not amount to an oral variation to the contract Under the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (known to its friends in the constru... |
|
Sanctions imposed for dishonest evidence Last month a substantial High Court action against Cable & Wireless PLC by a number of companies in ... |
|
Sale of Shares: Directors Personal Liability Where a company has made representations in negotiations, and also in a Share Purchase Agreement, wh... |
|
Binding contract can be formed before the parties think negotiations are complete Contracts are often negotiated on the basis that no contract will be effective until it has been sig... |
|
Administrative Restoration now available for Companies and LLPs struck off under The Companies Act 1985 Until now, a company struck off under the Companies Act 1985 could only be restored to the register ... |
|
When Contract Tenders Go Wrong When tendering for work, there is a natural temptation for a bidder to pitch his case in the best li... |
|
Tax on Share Valuations The recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Scottish case of Grays Timber Products Ltd. v. HM... |
|
Construction Litigation – Proposals to Reduce Cost The recent review by Lord Justice Jackson on litigation costs has made proposals aimed to reduce the... |
|
Going the extra mile... And when to check the terrain first! Most businesses want to give outstanding customer service. We talk about "going the extra mile" and... |
|
Contractors – are payments being delayed? The cumbersome title of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 may not sound exci... |
|
Company in Administration – Rent must be treated as administration expense In a recent decision which will be welcomed by commercial landlords, the High Court has confirmed th... |
|
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION IN RELATION TO DEPENDANTS It is clearly illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee on the grounds of the e... |
|
COMPANY ACCOUNTS - LATE FILING PENALTIES INCREASED The civil penalties payable by companies that fail to file their accounts at Companies House on time... |
|
Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures - The End Is In Sight On 13th November 2008 the Employment Act 2008 received Royal Assent. When Section 1 is brought into... |
|
ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING When doing business, it is a very human inclination to trust others and to rely on a handshake. How... |
| Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide The failure to obtain convictions for corporate manslaughter following the Herald of Free Enterprise... |
|
| Directors - The Risk of Personal Liability Those involved in running a business will often be well-advised to set up a limited company to minim... |
|
| RATES ON UNOCCUPIED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – A BADLY-TIMED INCREASE IN BUSINESS COSTS At a time when business costs are rising generally, the Rating (Empty Properties) Act 2007 has subst... |
|
| Construction – New Rules on Site Waste Management The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 came into force on 6 April 2008. It is now illeg... |
|
| HEALTH AND SAFETY – WHEN THINGS GET OUT OF CONTROL .... Yet again the Court of Appeal has dealt with a case about the Provision and Use of Work Equipment R... |
|
| THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING BY THE RULES When running a small family company, in particular, it is always tempting to take a fairly relaxed a... |
|
| Oil Pollution Services Limited A Heald team led by partner David Dees recently completed an acquisition of an engineering company f... |
|
| Joint Insurance – Don’t Be Lulled Suppose A negligently damages B’s property. B makes a claim on his insurance. The insurers pay out... |
|
|
Bank adds lawyer to advice panel CLYDESDALE Bank has added Milton Keynes based law firm Heald Solicitors to its panel of legal advise... |
| RECOVERING RENT ARREARS – IMPORTANT CHANGES ARE AFOOT The ancient remedy of distress allows a landlord to seize a tenant’s goods, sell them and use the pr... |
|
|
INCENTIVISING MANAGEMENT THROUGH EMI SCHEMES Many private companies chose to offer incentives to key members of staff by offering the managers th... |
| INSURANCE – DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT When it comes to insurance, it is all too easy to get it wrong. It is important to understand that w... |
|
| Unlawful Loans to Directors Subject to a number of exceptions - for example, loans not exceeding £5,000 - the Companies Act 1985... |
|
| COMMERCIAL LEASES – POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND As lawyers, we often find that by the time we become involved in negotiations relating to a commerci... |
|
| From the Employment section: | |
|
ECJ Talks Sense on Holiday Pay and Sick Leave In a recent case the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that EU law does not require the unlimite... |
|
Unfair Dismissal - Withdrawal of Incentive to Accept Change in Terms We recently reported on the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Garside and Layco... |
|
Sick Employee Could Carry Untaken Holiday Over to Next Leave Year In NHS Leeds v. Larner, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that an employee who had b... |
|
Dismissal for Refusing to Accept Pay Cut In the current economic climate many employers have been forced to look at imposing a pay cut on the... |
|
Time Off for Emergency Child Care – Unimplemented Policy Wasn’t Much Use In Clarke v Credit Resource Solutions, an Employment Tribunal ruled that an employee had been... |
|
Agency Workers Regulations – Government Issues Final Guidance The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 come into force on 1 October 2011. The Regulations give tempora... |
| Positive Discrimination – the Perils! Sometimes, employers may perhaps be forgiven for thinking that they are damned if they do and they a... |
|
|
Human Rights Commission Code on Service Provision The Statutory Code of Practice covering the provision of services, public functions and associations... |
|
Insurance Broker Loses Sentence Appeal in Corruption Case Bribery and corruption is very much a hot button issue with the Bribery Act 2010 scheduled to come i... |
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The Bribery Act 2010 – Latest The Bribery Act 2010 is now scheduled to come into force on 1st July 2011. Meanwhile, on 30th Mar... |
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The Protection from Harassment Act Strikes Again! Originally intended to deal with stalkers and nuisance phone calls, the Protection of Harassment Act... |
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New Paternity Rights Apply From 3rd April 2011 New paternity rights will apply where a child is due on or after 3rd April 2011. Under existing l... |
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New Guidance On Illegal Working Issued The UK Border Agency has published new guidance for employers on the prevention of illegal working. ... |
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Supreme Court Confirms That Dismissal Only Took Effect When Employee Read Letter In the recent case of Gisda Cyf v Barratt, the Supreme Court has confirmed that where an empl... |
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New Anti-Discrimination Laws Come Into Force On 1st October 2010, most of the provisions of the long-awaited Equality Act 2010 came into force. ... |
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TUPE - Changing terms and conditions The recent decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Todd v. Strain serves as yet a... |
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Using Disciplinary Procedures A recent decision of the Court of Appeal demonstrates the importance of an employer not rushing into... |
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Equality Act 2010 On 14th April 2010, the Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent. It is widely anticipated that most... |
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DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION IN RELATION TO DEPENDANTS It is clearly illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee on the grounds of the e... |
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STRESS CLAIMS – OFFERING CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELLING IS NOT THE WHOLE ANSWER The decision of the Court of Appeal in Dickins v. O2 provides a useful reminder to employers that if... |
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BLANKET BAN ON EMPLOYEES REQUIRING WORK PERMITS MAY AMOUNT TO DISCRIMINATION Dealing with the immigration status of prospective employees can be something of a minefield for emp... |
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Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures - The End Is In Sight On 13th November 2008 the Employment Act 2008 received Royal Assent. When Section 1 is brought into... |
| Redundancy Selection Criteria In the current economic climate, many employers are facing the difficult task of selecting employees... |
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| ECJ Ruling Widens Scope of Discrimination Law In Colman v. Attridge Law, the European Court of Justice has recently ruled that what is some... |
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Failing to Pay the National Minimum Wage All the signs are that the Government is intent on cracking down on employers who fail to pay the Na... |
| Employing People Subject To Immigration Control The Previous Position Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 made it a crimi... |
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| HEALTH AND SAFETY –WHEN OCCUPIERS ARE LIABLE The recent case of Mason and Satelcom Ltd. v. East Potential Ltd. provides a vivid example of... |
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| Stopping Competition By Ex-Employees An Interesting Case For many employers it is their worst nightmare. One or more employees... |
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| Dismissal – If In Doubt Use the Statutory Disciplinary Procedure The recent case of Klusova v. London Borough of Hounslow is a good example of how a failure to follo... |
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THE EFFECT OF TUPE 2006 REGULATIONS ON CONTRACT OUTSOURCING The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) apply when a busines... |
| HARASSMENT AT WORK AND THE PROTECTION FROM HARASSMENT ACT 1997 Specific statutory provisions deal with harassment in the workplace on the grounds of race, sex, sex... |
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| THE INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION OF EMPLOYEE REGULATIONS 2004 FAILURE TO CONSULT CAN COST SERIOUS MONEY The Information and Consultation of Employee Reg... |
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| From the Family section: | |
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Supreme Court Cuts Unmarried Father's Share in £250K House from 50% to 10% The Supreme Court has overturned the controversial ruling handed down last year by the Court of Appe... |
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New Collaborative Lawyer Heald are delighted to announce that family lawyer Dawn Millar, has joined Mary Banham-Hall, by beco... |
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Why Use Heald Solicitors For Wills, Probate, Powers Of Attorney & Trusts Heald Solicitors have been established in Milton Keynes now for 30 years. It has a long and establi... |
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The Last Will and Testament of ... But Not Necessarily the Last Word Lawyers are forever chivvying their clients about making Wills and, as a general principle, making a... |
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Lottery Winner Pays Ex £2m A multi-million lottery winner has agreed to pay a slice of his winnings to his ex-wife in an out-of... |
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Pre-Nups Get Green Light From The Supreme Court The process of getting divorced is invariably a time of great distress. Often a great deal of the ... |
| RELOCATION, RELOCATION, RELOCATION It is a problem that regularly crops up. A couple with children split up. The children live with ... |
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Free Seminar on Separation and Divorce The Heald Family team are running a Free information seminar covering aspects of Separation and Divo... |
| Pensions – When is an Internal Transfer not an Internal Transfer? When it’s an External Transfer! In a recent case, an actuary was instructed as a joint expert to ... |
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| PROPERTY OWNED BY COHABITING COUPLES – WELCOME GUIDANCE FROM THE HOUSE OF LORDS Lots of people who live together without being married. Another, more recent, trend is the result of... |
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| From the Residential section: | |
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Mortgage Valuation Trap for Buy-to-Let A recent decision of the Court of Appeal shows that a buy-to-let purchaser cannot safely rely on a v... |
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Private Sewer Transfer – Some Good News for Householders and Businesses On 1st October 2011 the responsibility to repair and maintain private sewers and lateral drains (a d... |
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Service Charge Consultations - Residential Landlord Who Spent £270,000 On Repairs Only Recovered £1,250 A recent decision provides a clear warning to residential landlords to ensure they comply fully with... |
| From the Community section: | |
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Raising money through wine, cheese and other smellies The Well Heald Team, a team of cyclists comprising Nick Crook and Esther Marchant of Heald Solicitor... |
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Extra mile Black forest challenge 2010 Last year we had an easy ride in the autumn sunshine round the valleys of the Loire. This year the ... |
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Heald Solicitors Riding High The economic cycle may have been on the downturn, but Heald's plucky pedallers are celebrating once... |
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2010 Moo Walk for charity Angela Poole and her friends had a long evening on Saturday night, along with over 2000 other women ... |
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Race For Life This year the ladies of Heald Solicitors decided to unite against cancer and participant in the nume... |
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HEALD EXTRA MILE CYCLE CHALLENGE SUCCESS More than 170 cyclists completed the Extra Mile Cycle Challenge sponsored by Heald Solicitors. The ... |
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£226 PER MILE ON THREE DAY CHARITY CYCLING CHALLENGE On Thursday evening, Preston Ayres, Extra Mile trustee, announced that 184 people from in and around... |
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ANNOUNCING 2008’s EXTRA MILE MASSIF CHALLENGE On 28 February, Martin Banham-Hall, senior partner of major sponsors, Heald Solicitors, revealed the... |
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Extra Mile celebrates its fifth year of raising funds – at the Holiday Inn, on 28 February 2007’s Extra Mile Four-Nation Challenge, on 21–23 September, saw more than 45 teams ride in relay ov... |
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HEALD CYCLISTS COMPLETE THE FIFTH EXTRA-MILE CHALLENGE The Heald Solicitors Extra Mile Four Nations Challenge saw 184 men and women from the local busines... |
| 45 Team Challenge Sell Out All 45 team places in the 2007 Four Nations Challenge were snapped up before the June 30 deadline, g... |
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| Swimathon Heald's Windo Wonders combined their efforts in the annual Swimathon on the 10th March to raise mone... |
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| From the Notary section: | |
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Closure of Public and Business Counters Following the FCO’s recent announcement of the closure of the public and business counters on the 24... |
