Briefing Notes

Many privately-owned companies with a small number of founder or other significant shareholders put in place a shareholders’ agreement and dovetailed articles of association. This guide considers the main reasons for this and provides a checklist of...

Introduction Every business markets its products and services using strategies and methodologies tailored to suit its own ambitions and customer base. Marketing opportunities change constantly and now include social media, web and app sales, interactive TV...

This guide addresses some of the preliminary questions faced by new businesses considering occupying leasehold premises. This is an area where unwanted or unexpected liabilities can arise, and professional advice may be very valuable. We are experienced in...

Whether you are a prospective tenant or an ongoing tenant of commercial premises, your requirements and needs for space will change over time. Apart from sorting out the practical details such as architects and builders, a tenant should always check that any...

If a company is insolvent or in danger of becoming insolvent, it is essential that directors are aware of the duties they owe to creditors, and of the things they should and should not do. It is important to note that, in certain circumstances, personal...

Pre-sale planning and preparation is an important step when contemplating a sale. Ultimately it can increase the price you achieve, save time and cost when the sale process commences and avoid the risk of an aborted sale. If, having considered this guide,...

Once you start negotiating a sale and before you give the buyer access to information and launch full scale into the sale process you should first consider entering into heads of terms and ensure that you have protected confidential confirmation. If, having...

This briefing note is designed to give some practical guidance to non-executive directors of UK private companies. Traditionally, non-executive directors have been appointed to the boards of UK public companies.  Their role is typically supervisory and...

General information requirements for companies UK companies and LLPs must include on their websites, electronic and other business letters (including emails) and order forms the following details: their full registered name; their registered number; ...

Commercial advantages The outsourcing of essential functions within a business can often provide real benefits, both operationally and financially. Outsourced services and functions are diverse: payroll, billing, IT support, call centres, mailroom services,...

Sponsorship is a popular method of marketing a product or a brand and can give the sponsor greater exposure to a wider audience than the more usual advertising methods. Sponsorship can take a number of different forms – for example, an individual or...

Background The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (“Regulations”) implemented the provisions of Directive 2002/58/EC concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic...

On 6 April 2017 the UK tax rules relating to the taxation of long-term UK residents changed dramatically, leading to a seismic shift in the UK tax treatment of non-UK domiciled individuals once they have been resident in the UK for at least 15 out of the...

Under the new Requirement to Correct regime (the RTC) punitive penalties apply where a person has offshore undeclared tax liabilities at the end of the 2016/17 tax year and fails to correct them between 6 April 2017 and 30 September 2018 (the RTC period)....

Easements which have not been properly investigated or understood have the capacity to sterilise development of land.  This note explains briefly what easements are, examines why they might be important to a developer and considers what can be done...

The Contaminated Land Regime applies to all land, regardless of use. It can affect owners, occupiers, developers and lenders. Liability under the legislation is retrospective as well as prospective. Local authorities have a duty to continue to inspect their...

Many privately-owned companies with a small number of founder or other significant shareholders put in place a shareholders agreement and dovetailed articles of association. These help to ensure that the company is run in an orderly manner and the rights of...

If you are looking to buy or sell a business carried on by a company there are two common sale structures: the company can either sell its business and assets (asset sale) or the shareholders can sell the shares in the company (share sale). Both structures...

    This guide provides directors of UK incorporated companies with a general overview of the statutory and other duties and obligations which should be complied with in that role. Additional duties will be applicable to directors of listed...