A court has ruled that a subcontractor should be paid for its involvement in a large project despite being dismissed before work got under way. The case involved an oil company that was hired to carry out development work in Iraq. It then decided to outsource some of the work to the subcontractor. The entire
The Law Society has launched a media campaign to highlight the importance of using a professional solicitor when seeking legal advice. ‘Use a Professional. Use a Solicitor’ is the tagline, and adverts will be appearing on numerous media outlets including television, railway stations and public buses. In recent years, various unregulated advisers and do-it-yourself legal
Machins Solicitors LLP has been recommended in The Legal 500 United Kingdon in the following seven practice areas: – South East Corporate and commercial – Corporate and commercial – Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx– South East Dispute resolution – Commercial litigation – Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx– South East Dispute resolution – Debt recovery– South East Human
A company has been ordered to pay a consultant his fee for helping to negotiate a business deal, despite there being no written record of any agreement being made. The company was part of a Swedish industrial and transportation conglomerate. It had been working on a contract with the oil company Shell. The consultant was
A distribution company has been ordered to pay commission to an agent on deals that were completed after his retirement. The agent started working for the company, based in Holland, in 1997. It produced and exported various products. The agent’s role was to introduce these products into the UK market, and be a point of
A court has ruled that a director who tried to start an affair with his business partner’s wife was unfairly excluded from the management of a company in which he held shares. The case involved two men who had been close friends and operated their business as a quasi-partnership. Things turned sour when the director
A public company has been ordered to pay a consultant a commission fee, despite there being no evidence that he contributed to the success of a special business project. In January 2013, one of the company’s shareholders had publicly criticised the board and ordered a meeting with the intention of ousting the chairman. The company
A new programme has been launched that will make it easier for UK businesses to apply for patents in China. The pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme will streamline patent applications between the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and their counterparts in China. It means that a business that has obtained a patent in the
A new Bill to help small businesses is being introduced by the government. The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill contains several measures designed to make it easier for small firms to thrive. They include: • Strengthening the rules on director disqualifications and measures to help creditors recoup losses resulting from director misconduct. • Assisting
When setting up a business venture involving two or more people it is essential to have a written agreement so that everyone understands their responsibilities and entitlements. Failure to do so can lead to confusion and the need for legal action, as illustrated in a recent case before the High Court. It involved three people