Welcome to the January edition of our newsletter, keeping you up to date with all the latest legal news.
Mergers to Increase in 2011?
If your business is thinking of restructuring in the coming year, you are not alone. According to UBS, one in six firms across the whole of Europe will be looking to make acquisitions or merge during 2011 following a lull of activity in the past year. It is even suggested that the amount of business acquisitions could reach the highs of 2004. Mergers and business acquisitions call for specialist legal advice, so if you are considering this route, contact us for guidance and advice in this area so that your business is protected.
Are your Terms and Conditions Up to Date?
Many businesses still have not reviewed their standard terms and conditions following the introduction of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Contracts that were drawn up a few years ago may be considered unfair today, which could leave you open to prosecution. Ask for our expert legal help if you fear your terms and conditions may be out of date; we will ensure all your contracts and documents comply with the latest guidelines and laws.
Finally, we hope you had a good Christmas and New Year’s break and we would like to wish you a prosperous 2011. To ensure the year goes without a legal hitch, always remember we’re on hand to deliver the advice and guidance you need to keep things running smoothly.
Neves News
In previous Newsletters we promised to update you on the final figures for the 2010 Will Aid Campaign. We still have more money to collect in but we have already raised in excess of £8600 and the final figure looks likely to be approaching £10,000. This is a fantastic achievement by our Private Client Fee Earners. Well done Gail Donaldson, Paul Ashby, Atiyyah Younis, Kiera Brennan and Siobhan Breheny. For more information about Will Aid visit the Will Aid Update page of our website.
Continuing in the charitable theme, we once again this year decided to donate money to local charities rather than send Christmas cards to our clients and contacts and we have received lovely letters of thanks from MK Snap in Milton Keynes and Lamp in Luton.
The New Year has heralded a change for two of our trainees. Joanne Norris has moved from our Dispute Resolution department to Residential Property and Atiyyah Younis has moved from Private Client department to Dispute Resolution. We wish them both well in their new seats.
A couple of dates to save for February:
Our Family department is involved in a Speed Networking Event to be held in Luton on Monday 7th February 2011 at 4.30pm. Click here for more details.
Our Dispute Resolution department is hosting a seminar on Thursday 3rd February 2011 titled "A practical guide to managing and terminating assured shorthold tenancies". Click here for more details or to book your place to attend. |
Employment Law Changes - What to look out for in 2011  There are some important Employment Law changes in 2011, including the Abolition of the Default Retirement Age (DRA), the Right to Request Flexible Working Extension, Changes to Maternity/Paternity Leave Provisions, the Bribery Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010.
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Under 18 ID Policy In Force  Licensees should be aware that it is now compulsory to ensure that there is an age verification policy in place for anyone who appears to be under the age of 18. In some cases, anyone who looks under 21 years of age could also be checked. One council has also started checking that licensees are making smaller measures such as half a pint of beer or 35ml of spirits available for purchase. Read more on this on our website and contact us for further licensee advice.
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First Monetary Penalties for Serious Data Protection Breaches  The Information Commissioner has hit Hertfordshire County Council with a £100,000 penalty for allowing serious and highly confidential data to be faxed to the wrong recipients. In another case, a £60,000 penalty was levied against an employment services agency which was judged to not have taken reasonable steps to prevent the theft of a laptop which contained sensitive information on 24,000 people in Leicester and Hull. These penalties should send a warning to you if your business handles personal information. The story is detailed on our website and remember to contact us for advice should you have any queries relating to data protection.
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HMRC Issue New Tax Guides  HMRC have just released three new ‘toolkit’ guides providing an insight into directors’ loan accounts, property rental and capital and revenue expenditure issues. More information can be found on our website, including a link to the guides.
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Small Businesses Gloomy Over Prospects  According to a recent economic report from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 56% of micro-businesses said they did not expect to see an increase in turnover in the next two years. This gloomy outlook could mean many businesses will instead look to cut down on costs, resulting in suppliers having to adjust prices downwards to survive. Further findings can be read on our website. For advice on all areas of business law, contact us today.
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