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The dismissal of a man who suffered mental health issues after having a heart attack at work was unfair. That was the decision of the Employment Tribunal in a case involving mechanic Gordon Flemming and East of England Ambulance Services NHS Trust. Mr Flemming was classified as disabled due to his anxiety depression disorder, but
Changes being introduced by the government could prove costly for families who haven’t yet dealt with the estate of a family member who died recently. The issue arises because since 2007, surviving spouses have automatically inherited the unused inheritance tax allowances of their dead partner. This has led some people to delay applying for a
An 88-year-old woman who was dismissed from her job with the NHS has become the oldest person in the UK to win an age discrimination claim. Eileen Jolly told the Employment Tribunal that she felt “humiliated and degraded” by the way she was treated by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Mrs Jolly had started
The Tenant Fees Act that caps tenancy deposits and protects against unfair practices has now received the Royal Assent and passes into law. The government introduced the new regulations because it believes that unexpected letting fees and high deposits can make properties harder for people to afford and are often not clearly explained upfront –
Manchester Building Society has lost its £48m negligence claim against the accountancy firm Grant Thornton. The claim arose because Grant Thornton had audited the society’s accounts from 1997 until 2012. In 2006, the society began a policy of hedging lifetime mortgages by entering into 50-year interest rate swaps. The 2008 financial crisis led to a
A firm of brokers have won a commission claim against an investment company that started to bypass it by approaching its clients directly. The case involved Medsted Associates Ltd and Canaccord Genuity Wealth (International) Ltd (2019). Medsted had introduced several investors to Canaccord under a set of agreed terms. Medsted then alleged that Canaccord had
Three directors had damaged their family business by paying themselves too much and benefiting from company loans. That was the decision of the High Court in a case involving AMT Coffee Ltd. The company had been incorporated in 1993 as a retail coffee-selling business. Upon incorporation, four ordinary shares were issued, one each to three
Landlords and developers will soon have to join new regulatory schemes under proposals drawn up by the government to protect tenants and homeowners. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has announced that there’s to be a Housing Complaints Resolution Service for the entire housing market. Mr Brokenshire said that unlike other sectors such as financial services, the
The car manufacturer BMW has successfully defended its trademark after bringing a claim of infringement and passing off to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. The other company in the case was BMW Telecommunications Ltd, whose owner had the initials BMW. It provided consulting services to railway companies regarding signalling and telecommunications. The car manufacturer claimed
The Justice Secretary, David Gauke, has confirmed that the government is planning to reform divorce law to end the ‘blame game’ that can cause so much stress for some couples when they separate. Under the current system, there are five reasons for being granted a divorce by the courts: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, two years