Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, keeping you up to date with all the latest legal news.
The Bribery Act: Are you Ready?
A survey conducted by accounts software giant Sage into a thousand UK businesses revealed that as many as 71% were totally unprepared for the introduction of the Bribery Act which came into force on 1st July 2011. If your business is involved in international trade; has dealings with public officials or corporate gifts and hospitality, you could be affected by this new law. The Act applies to all businesses and introduces tougher penalties for those involved in corruption. If you are not prepared with adequate policies and procedures, or in the dark about how the law might affect you, talk to us.
Conveyancing Quality Scheme
Some of you may have seen details of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) in the media. The scheme has been designed an implemented by the Law Society to provide a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. We always strive to achieve the highest standards in all areas of the services that we offer and we therefore confirm that we are in the final stages of our application to become CQS accredited and we hope to bring news of our acceptance very soon. In the meantime, if you would like more information on the scheme then please click here. Retirement Planning
Further information appears on our website this month from financial advisers Business & Personal Investment Limited turning the spotlight onto Retirement Planning. Click here to read their article. Inheritance and Divorce
Family solicitor, Pui Au-Yeung, this month looks at the important, but often ignored area of finances on divorce. To read Pui's article, follow the link below. Neves News
Neves were proud to be asked to be involved with the Hertfordshire School Awards as Sponsors and Judges in the competition. Mary McEvoy, attended the judging and helped to select shortlists and then finalists and winners and then presented the awards at the ceremony which took place at the Oaklands College Campus in St Albans on 7th July. We congratulate the winners and all those who were shortlisted. For the full report and a link to a photo of the winners click here. Simeon Clipstone has this month cause for a double celebration. As a regular blood donor he has recently donated his 50th pint, he claims not to have any proof as yet (his certificate is apparently in the post), but offered to photograph his bruise as evidence of the momentous ocasion. Thankfully, we accepted his achievement without requiring such proof! Simeon also completed his ECB level 2 cricket coaching qualification. For further details on this, click here. Despite risking the wrath of his fellow society members, Stewart Matthews this month again won the Milton Keynes Chamber Golf Society event, held at Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands Golf Club (having already won the event twice previously)! The win was made all the more embarassing as Neves had sponsored the event and Stewart was presenting the prizes. Graciously Stewart agreed to forego his prize, but was still required to shake his own hand in acceptance of the top spot! Below is a rundown of breaking news in the legal world. For advice on any issue, contact us. | 
When the economy shows signs of recovery, newly over-confident businesses tend to go down the dangerous route of ignoring basic credit control. According to a recent report from Creditsafe, more than half of UK firms have suffered losses in the last year because they either neglected to do their homework on those with whom they were forming contracts or failed to attend to contract formalities. Just because things are picking up in the economy is no reason to abandon good business practices. Talk to our legal experts for advice on taking on new clients, drafting terms and conditions and on any type of insolvency issue. More on this story can be found on our website. 
The Office of Fair Trading has issued guidance on changes which came into force in April 2011 in relation to the extension of the Competition Act 1998 to cover agreements made in regard to land. The change will affect owners and occupiers of land because, up until April, it was common for agreements to contain exclusivity clauses, such as where a tenant retailer agrees with its landlord that no competitor of the tenant will be allowed retail space in the same development. Such agreements may now be unlawful, so if you have a similar agreement in place, ask one of our legal experts to review it for you so you know where you stand. Read this important story in full on our website. 
