Insights & News

Limited partnerships: litigation following dissolution and winding up

30 November 2023

A decision has been taken to wind up a limited partnership - that heralds the end for all concerned… or does it? Can a cause of action which accrued pre-dissolution be litigated by the general partner post-dissolution following the apparent winding up of the limited partnership? The High Court (at least on an interim basis) has said, yes.

Company’s register of people with significant control (PSCs)

Inbrief

22 March 2023

Most UK companies and LLPs are required to find out and record details of the individuals or legal entities that have significant beneficial ownership or control over them. The information must be recorded in the company’s register of people with significant control (PSC register) as part of its statutory books.

Innocent partners may not be liable for losses caused by the fraudulent conduct of rogue partners

28 July 2021

In July 2021 the Court of Appeal held that innocent partners in a firm of solicitors are not always liable to former clients of the firm for losses caused by the acts of a fraudulent partner[i].

COVID-19 advice for corporate occupiers

16 June 2021

Commercial tenants – whether occupying offices, retail premises, industrial units or other property - face potentially existential questions arising out of their landlord and tenant relations, how to manage cashflow and outgoings as revenues dry up, premises shut down and uncertainty reigns.

Any member of an LLP may be subject to a Disqualification Order – not just those on the Management Committee

06 April 2021

Pursuant to the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA) the court may, in certain circumstances, make a ‘Disqualification Order’ preventing an individual from being a company director for a period of up to 15 years.

If you refuse to even try and settle a dispute – there will be consequences

28 September 2020

All businesses are suffering from the effects of Covid-19 and the various measures being taken to combat the spread of the virus. Disputes are continuing to rise and contracting parties remain desperate to ensure that they receive their contractual entitlements without delay – particularly payment.

Business Interruption Insurance Claims - The Court Gives a Boost to Business

24 September 2020

Many businesses making claims under business interruption insurance policies for losses resulting from business closures, due to the Covid pandemic and restrictions imposed by the Government, suffered a rejection of such claims by many of the insurance companies. Although the insurance companies would base those rejections on interpretations of the wording of the specific policy and the facts on which a claim was based, it was apparent that a number of common grounds were being used by the insurance industry to reject claims.

A Deed of Retirement doesn’t always protect a retiring partner

09 June 2020

It’s not unreasonable to think that if a partner retires from a limited liability partnership (“LLP”) under the terms of a Deed of Retirement which contains a waiver and release clause, that partner will not be subjected to claims for any liabilities to the LLP.

Deferring tax to January 2021 – a word of warning to management teams and partners

05 May 2020

In seeking to survive the coronavirus lockdown, partners and management teams at many professional services firms will have welcomed the package of support provided by the UK Government, including the proposal that on account tax payments due by 31 July 2020 may be deferred until 31 January 2021.

Subject access in a professional services context

22 April 2020

Data subject access requests made to professional services firms can raise some particularly difficult issues. This article considers the problems that can arise and how firms can navigate the potentially available exemptions.

Does the management team of a professional services firm have the power to deal with an extended lockdown?

17 April 2020

Like all other businesses, professional services firms are feeling the effect of the coronavirus outbreak and are having to take steps to ensure survival in a world of mass remote working, empty offices, a decline in clients seeking services and increasing financial pressures.

Implying terms into commercial contracts impacted by COVID-19

31 March 2020

We live and work in unprecedented times. The health of the population is rightly the priority, but it is abundantly clear that steps taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are having a very significant impact on the ability of businesses to fulfil obligations in commercial contracts.

Coronavirus creating uncertainty for landlords

13 March 2020

Covid-19 (or the coronavirus as it is more commonly known) has now been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

#MeToo - The story continues

Press

11 February 2020

In an article for Accountancy Age, Leonie Sheridan examines how accountancy firms have been tackling the ongoing issue of sexual harassment at work.

Without Prejudice and Without Prejudice Save as to Costs – Reasons to be Careful

21 November 2019

The judgment in Sternberg Reed Solicitors v Andrew Paul Harrison [2019] EWHC 2065 (Ch) has put practitioners on notice that mislabelling without prejudice correspondence may have serious implications.

“Once privileged, always privileged”

24 October 2019

The Court of Appeal has held that legal advice privilege attaching to communications between a company client and its lawyers survived the dissolution of the company client, even where the Crown had disclaimed its interest in the documents concerned.

Oliver Watson writes for Accountancy Age: How to keep up with technology and the cost of doing nothing

Press

25 September 2019

Oliver Watson has written an article for Accountancy Age discussing how the job of an accountant is transforming due to productivity optimisation and new technologies.

Victoria Goode comments for Accountancy Age: Industry experts give their take on impending IR35 legislation

Press

22 July 2019

Victoria Goode has commented in an article for Accountancy Age that discusses last weeks revelation that HMRC are scrutinising television presenters to determine whether they will be subject to new IR35 tax regulations.

Steven Jennings comments for The Telegraph: Fraudsters try to cash in on the good name of British legal companies

Press

15 July 2019

Steven Jennings has commented in an article for The Telegraph that discusses how leading British law firms are being targeted by cyber criminals who set up fake email accounts and pose as top lawyers to try to con people and companies out of millions.

Unreasonable non-compete clause could be rescued by severance

03 July 2019

The Supreme Court (“SC”) has given a landmark judgment about the limits of post-termination restrictions (“PTRs”) in employment contracts. It ruled that although a six-month non-compete clause went too far by restricting an employee from holding a minority shareholding in a competing business, the employer could still enforce the key part of the clause.