Company Commercial

The Government is introducing new measures which it says will both simplify and strengthen company reporting. The reforms mean that annual reports will include additional information on human rights issues, gender representation across the company and disclosures on greenhouse gas emissions. Ministers say the changes are designed to address concerns that reports from public listed

The Government wants to allow more business development applications to be fast tracked through the planning process. Currently, only applications that have a national significance such as transport, water, waste or energy projects can benefit from fast-tracking. Planning Minister Nick Boles wants to extend the system to help businesses grow as quickly as possible. He

The Government is introducing new legislation designed to clarify the rights of consumers and businesses. Ministers say the Consumer Rights Bill will streamline complicated legal issues currently contained in eight different sets of regulations. Under the draft Bill consumers will have the right to: get some money back after one failed repair of faulty goods

Machins Solicitors LLP’s Company and Commercial team is happy to announce the start of a working relationship with Tacit Fusion, a relationship that is sure to mutually benefit both organisations’ clients. Under the arrangement Machins will provide legal support and advice to Tacit Fusion clients when required, helping them to protect and exploit their intellectual

A new code designed to prevent local authorities making unnecessary health and safety checks on low risk businesses came into effect on 29 May. The Health and Safety Executive’s statutory National Enforcement Code for local authorities will instead shift the emphasis to a more targeted approach. Councils will now be required to concentrate on higher

A council has been ordered to compensate the owners of an amusement arcade which lost business when a seaside pier was closed for safety reasons. The case arose after the arcade owners became concerned about the structural integrity of the pier and commissioned a survey. It then provided a copy of the survey to the

Two directors have been disqualified for five years for taking a total of £59,000 from company funds instead of paying creditors after their business got into financial difficulties. Neither director disputed that they took the money at a time when the company’s tax liabilities had risen to more than £109,000 and when a trade creditor

The Government has unveiled plans to introduce a 90-day patent service to help creative and innovative businesses. Under the present system it can take a number of years to obtain patent protection. Ministers say this is acceptable for most patent applications as it gives innovators time to develop their ideas and make important commercial decisions.

When drawing up contracts with automatic renewal clauses it is important to ensure that you fully understand what is being agreed. Failure to do so can prove costly, as demonstrated in a recent case before the High Court. It involved an IT company and a bank that had entered into an agreement. There was a