As we enter into the New Year with a new Covid variant leading to increasing social restrictions and rising case numbers and sadly deaths, it is tempting to be drawn into the cycle of despondency that confronts us all as soon as we open a paper or watch the news or click on social media.
Network Rail has won a £13m contract dispute that centred on the meaning of the word “default”. The issue arose after Network Rail engaged ABC Electrification Ltd to carry out some major works. Under the contract, ABC was entitled to payment based on the “”total cost””, which was defined to exclude “”disallowed cost””. ABC had
The government has extended the ban on business evictions until the end of March because of the continuing Covid pandemic. There will also be a review of commercial landlord and tenant legislation, to address concerns that the current framework does not reflect the current economic conditions. This final extension to protections from the threat of
The High Court has convened meetings for four separate classes of creditors to consider the proposed restructuring of a group of three failing companies. The case involved Deepocean 1 UK Ltd, which comprised of three companies providing sub-sea services. The group had underperformed for several years due to uneconomical charter rates, large and complex projects,
Businesses struggling with debt due to the Covid-19 crisis have been given extra breathing space to help them avoid insolvency. A temporary measure introduced by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act restricting the use of statutory demands and winding-up petitions, which was due to expire on 31 December 2020, has been extended to the 31
Sotheby’s auction house has won a $10m contract dispute over the sale of a painting because experts could not agree if it were genuine. The case involved a painting believed to be the work of Frans Hals, the Dutch Golden Age painter. The owners arranged for it to be sold through Sotheby’s to a private
The terms of a tenancy agreement entitled a landlord to add grounds maintenance to the services for which it could charge. That was the decision of the Court of Appeal in a case involving Curo Places Ltd and Anthony Pimlett. Curo Places was a registered provider of social housing. It had entered into a tenancy
P14 MEDICAL LIMITED v EDWARD MAHON [2020] The High Court has recently provided helpful guidance on post terminations and confidentiality restrictions in employment contracts in the case of P14 Medical Ltd v Edward Mahon. In this case an employer had sought to restrict a former employee with very extensive restrictions including a very wide definition
Are employers liable for their employees’ practical jokes if they go badly wrong? This was the question considered by the court in Chell v Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd [2020] EWHC 2613. The background to the claim concerned the Claimant, Mr. Chell, one of a number of sub-contractors, and Mr. Health who was employed by the Respondent.
Bullying does not only occur in schools or online. It can happen anywhere, including in the workplace. According to the National Bullying Helpline, one in four employees have experienced bullying at work. Bullying can have a significant impact on an employee’s mental and physical health, as well as their confidence and performance at work. Unless