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Perspective - Blog

Costs overruns in Target Costs contracts

Published on 22 Mar 2013.

Who is liable for costs overruns in a Target Cost contract, and to what extent? AMEC Group recently went to the TCC to appeal against an arbitration decision which found the Secretary of State for Defence ("the Authority") would only be liable for actual costs which were reasonably and properly incurred.

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Perspective - Blog

NPPF – 1 year on: smooth transition or wasted opportunity?

Published on 21 Mar 2013.

Given that over 50% of Britain's local councils are still to adopt Local Plans, is the window of opportunity for local residents to take control of development in their local area about to close?

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Perspective - Blog

New Kids on the Block : alternative funders in the real estate lending market

Published on 15 Mar 2013.

Over the last couple of years, there has been a surge in real estate lending by non-bank lenders as traditional banks started withdrawing from the market.

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Perspective - Blog

Good Faith Clauses

Published on 26 Feb 2013.

There is no general doctrine of good faith in English law and it is not therefore implied into contracts.

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Perspective - Blog

JCT Insurance Options: what's the right fit for fit-out?

Published on 18 Feb 2013.

Where a tenant is fitting out premises within a multi-occupied building, the JCT's standard insurance options are not always appropriate and, left unaddressed, place unintended and severe risks on the tenant.

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Perspective - Blog

Government property, Kirstie and Phil style?

Published on 01 Feb 2013.

Ok, so Ms Allsopp and Mr Spencer haven’t quite been called in yet, but almost.

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Perspective - Blog

Is the Green Deal a great deal?

Published on 29 Jan 2013.

There is no denying the Green Deal has many advantages but consider the deal in relation to short term leases and it may not be as great as it initially seems.

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Perspective - Blog

NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract "Guidance Notes": more important than you realise for interpreting the ECC

Published on 18 Jan 2013.

Certain terms of the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract ('ECC') are open to interpretation, and the recent case of E-Nik Ltd v Department for Communities & Local Government [2012] EWHC 3027 (Comm) has cast into doubt whether even something as routine as VAT is crystal-clear under the ECC.

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Perspective - Blog

Development incentives – but at what cost?

Published on 14 Jan 2013.

In light of what is starting to appear to be a wholehearted failure to persuade local communities to meet requisite housing targets, Nick Boles last week proposed self-proclaimed "bungs" to local communities.

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Perspective - Blog

Leaving customers without signal: the task of re-building the Telecoms Code

Published on 05 Dec 2012.

Now almost 30 years old, the Electronic Communications Code (the 'Code'), falls far short of representing the needs of a swiftly developing communications network.

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Perspective - Blog

H&M: Brave New World?

Published on 27 Nov 2012.

We have all been involved in lease negotiations where there are differences of opinion as to what is or is not institutionally acceptable.

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Perspective - Blog

End of the line for Village Greens?

Published on 14 Nov 2012.

Nothing can be more frustrating for a developer to see its scheme delayed or worse still derailed by an application for the registration of land as a town or village green ("TVG").

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Perspective - Blog

Employer lessons from teacher's menopause bias win

Published on 17 Jul 2024. By Kelly Thomson, Partner, ESG strategy lead and Ellie Gelder, Senior Editor Employment & Equality

On May 31, a Scottish employment tribunal made its decision in Allison Shearer v. South Lanarkshire Council and awarded a teacher over £60,000 ($77,829) for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, following her dismissal for ill health after a period of long¬term sickness absence.

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Perspective - Blog

Menopause discrimination: Where are we now?

Published on 16 Nov 2023. By Ellie Gelder, Senior Editor Employment & Equality and Kelly Thomson, Partner, ESG strategy lead

October heralded an important legal first when a Leicester employment tribunal began hearing the case of Rooney v Leicester City Council. It is the first case where a person's menopausal symptoms have been deemed by an appeal court to potentially amount to a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

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Perspective - Blog

Adjusting your recruitment process for a candidate with a disability: What is reasonable?

Published on 18 Sep 2023. By Ellie Gelder, Senior Editor Employment & Equality and Charlotte Reid, Senior Associate

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held that a failure to make enquiries into a job applicant's disability amounted to a failure to make reasonable adjustments.

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Perspective - Blog

Recent judgment on ad hoc admission of overseas counsel tells of wider COVID-19 story

Published on 10 Dec 2021. By Samuel Hung, Partner and Jennifer Leung, Associate and James Lee, Associate

Applications for ad hoc admission, pursuant to section 27(4) of the Ordinance, are fact dependent and the relevant legal principles are well-established.

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Perspective - Blog

Netflix files lawsuit over 'Unofficial Bridgerton Musical'

Published on 24 Aug 2022. By Ela Broderick-Basar, Associate

On 29 July, Netflix filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. against two TikTok stars, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, alleging that their Grammy-winning “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” project infringed the hit show's intellectual property rights.

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Perspective - Blog

Stream on! CMA halts plans to investigate music streaming market

Published on 02 Aug 2022.

The UK's Competition & Markets Authority recently published its interim report on the music streaming market, prompting mixed responses from the music industry. Record labels, publishers and streaming providers appear generally pleased with the findings, but various artists, musicians, songwriters and managers say they believe it has underdelivered.

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Perspective - Blog

Parliamentary Group urges UK government to help musicians and crew tour Europe more easily

Published on 21 Jul 2022.

The All-Parliamentary Group on Music (a cross-party group of more than 100 MPS and Peers) together with representatives from the music industry set out the urgent steps the Government needs to take to help UK musicians following Brexit.

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Perspective - Blog

CMA ends its investigation into online console gaming subscription practices

Published on 14 Jun 2022. By Jonathan Greenway, Senior Associate and Joshua Charalambous, Partner

The UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has now closed its investigation into subscription practices in the online console gaming sector after key players Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft committed to making improvements to their contract terms with a view to better protecting customers.

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Perspective - Blog

A "golden age" of television? - Government announces overhaul of broadcasting legislation

Published on 29 Apr 2022. By Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate

On 28 April the government published a white paper setting out its vision for the broadcasting sector. Plans include regulation for streaming services, changes to the public service broadcasting regime, and reform to broadcasting rights for major sporting events.

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Perspective - Blog

Eurovision contestant and Rudimental come out on pop in copyright dispute

Published on 19 Aug 2021. By Jessica Pease, Associate

Coming out on pop: Rudimental's single Waiting All Night, composed by Eurovision 2021 contestant James Newman, was not the product of copying a song written in 2001 by a contestant on the Voice UK.

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Perspective - Blog

(Sex) Pistols at dawn over Danny Boyle's new biopic series

Published on 19 Jul 2021.

Sex Pistols band members accuse frontman John Lydon of being No Fun and creating Anarchy for refusing to authorise licences for the use of the band's music in Danny Boyle's forthcoming TV series, Pistol.

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Perspective - Blog

(Sex) Pistols at dawn over Danny Boyle's new biopic series

Published on 19 Jul 2021.

Sex Pistols band members accuse frontman John Lydon of being No Fun and creating Anarchy for refusing to authorise licences for the use of the band's music in Danny Boyle's forthcoming TV series, Pistol.

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Perspective - Blog

Who gets to deliver my news? - Ofcom starts its consultation on changes to media ownership restrictions

Published on 30 Jun 2021. By Kiran Dhoot, Associate

Ofcom is looking to update old rules governing media ownership in the UK to reflect consumers increased access to news online and the fragmented use of traditional media, and the implications of reform could be far reaching.

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Perspective - Blog

Streaming platforms to consolidate? "The stuff that dreams are made of"

Published on 10 Jun 2021.

Discovery and AT&T's WarnerMedia are merging to create a streaming behemoth named Warner Bros. Discovery, and Amazon is reportedly in talks to acquire Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM). Will this mark a trend in the consolidation of streaming platforms, and what are the implications?

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Perspective - Blog

Court of Appeal upholds copyright infringement decision against digital radio aggregator

Published on 12 Apr 2021. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

The Court of Appeal has refused TuneIn's appeal of a 2019 judgment finding that it had infringed the copyright of Warner and Sony by linking to online radio stations.

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Perspective - Blog

Court of Appeal upholds copyright infringement decision against digital radio aggregator

Published on 12 Apr 2021. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

The Court of Appeal has refused TuneIn's appeal of a 2019 judgment finding that it had infringed the copyright of Warner and Sony by linking to online radio stations.

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Perspective - Blog

UK Courts find hidden voice in film authorship dispute

Published on 12 Feb 2021.

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) has found that there was there was an additional joint author of the Florence Foster Jenkins screenplay – in a decision of significant relevance to the film industry.

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Perspective - Blog

Reproduction of infringing content online: who's liable?

Published on 21 Jul 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Louise Morgan, Senior Associate

Keyword advertising, search engine optimisation and liability for infringement via online marketplaces: In recent years, there has been a plethora of cases concerning the various ways that trade marks may be infringed, through use on the internet.

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Perspective - Blog

All change! No extension means major changes for IP rights holders from 1 January 2021

Published on 02 Jul 2020. By Ben Mark, Partner and Sarah Mountain, Partner

Under Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement, 30 June 2020 was the last day that the UK could have requested an extension to the Brexit transition period. The COVID-19 outbreak prompted many to speculate that a request would be made but the deadline passed, without event.

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Perspective - Blog

Nederlands Uitgeversverbond v Tom Kabinet Internet – a CJEU guide on how to play it by the book

Published on 11 Feb 2020.

Tom Kabinet (the Defendant) is a Dutch company which sells used e-books online (the Books). The Books are purchased by the Defendant, either from individuals or official distributors, and are then re-sold for a lower price to customers who are registered on the Defendant's website as members of a "reading club".

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Perspective - Blog

All that glitters is not "Gold"

Published on 09 Jan 2019. By Ciara Cullen, Partner

How does the court calculate what a reasonable license fee is, and what conduct will be sufficient for the court to award additional damages under section 92(2) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998?

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Perspective - Blog

The summer of discontent?

Published on 31 Jul 2020. By Kelly Thomson, Partner, ESG strategy lead and Ben Roberts, Partner

What comes to mind when you hear the word "summer"? The unbridled joy of no more school for 6 whole weeks? Buckets, spades and wind-swept beaches? Perhaps the call of a sun-soaked tropical island? For most, summer means taking some time out to recharge and switch off.

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Perspective - Blog

LOIs and liability for inducement of breach of contract

Published on 01 Feb 2019.

A recent Court of Appeal ruling highlights the risk to traders and, in particular, to their officers and employees personally, of giving/arranging a letter of indemnity to a carrier against liability arising out of delivery of goods without presentation of the bills of lading. This blog examines the risk of such arrangements giving rise to a liability on their part under the tort of procuring a breach of contract.

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Perspective - Blog

Letters of Credit under commodity contracts – keep the focus

Published on 17 Aug 2018.

This blog takes a look at the issues concerning the timing of the provision of letters of credit under commodity contracts and the importance, from both the buyer's and seller's perspective, of keeping an "eye on the ball".

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Perspective - Blog

Arbitration awards and fraud revisited

Published on 10 May 2018.

The English Court of Appeal has rejected a further attempt by the buyers of goods to set aside enforcement of a CIETAC arbitration award on grounds of fraud.

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Perspective - Blog

Sabotage at sea - The LADY M

Published on 13 Feb 2018.

In The LADY M, the English Commercial Court held that shipowners could rely on the Hague-Visby Rules fire defence even when the fire was set by the crew (without owners’ knowledge). In so doing, the admiralty concept of barratry received rare consideration by the Courts.

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Perspective - Blog

Commodity specification breach – can I reject?

Published on 23 Jan 2018.

A common question which arises in day to day commodity trading is whether a buyer can reject goods which do not meet the specifications set out in the contract. This blog discusses the factors which commonly come into play in determining that question.

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Perspective - Blog

Liability for commencement of approach voyage under voyage charters - absolute?

Published on 25 Oct 2017.

A recent judgment of the Commercial Court examines a novel point in respect of the obligation on an owner under a voyage charter to get the vessel to the load port when the charter contains a cancelling date but no expected readiness to load date or load port ETA.

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Perspective - Blog

Show me the money – turning liens into cash

Published on 24 Aug 2017.

Most charterparties give owners the right to lien cargo for unpaid hire or freight. However, it may be necessary to sell the cargo in order to obtain payment. The English Commercial Court has recently considered the circumstances in which it would be prepared to order the sale of cargo held under a shipowners' lien.

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Perspective - Blog

Odd but clear contract lines not to be disturbed by the Court

Published on 24 Jul 2017.

In a recent Commercial Court decision on the construction of a tailored demurrage provision in a charterparty, the Court refused to rewrite the parties agreement regarding demurrage merely because "it might be thought odd".

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Perspective - Blog

Know your (package) limitations

Published on 21 Jul 2017.

High Court decision clarifying application of the Hague-Visby Rules (HVR) to sea waybills and package limitation for containerised goods

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Perspective - Blog

I see no ships – condition precedents under FOB contracts

Published on 13 Jul 2017.

A recent judgment of the Commercial Court suggests that a FOB buyer can be excused from nominating a vessel by an unaccepted renunciation of contract by a seller. This blog questions the court's approach in this case and examines the basic principles engaged.

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Perspective - Blog

Payment against letters of indemnity – is it safe?

Published on 03 Jul 2017.

In the commodity trading world, it is traditional for payment to be made by the buyer against the presentation by the seller of certain shipping documents including bills of lading. That is the case whether payment is to be made under a letter of credit (LC) or by direct tender of documents to the buyer. However, a common practice has developed, particularly in the oil trade, for parties to agree in their contracts that the seller may, instead of presenting shipping documents to trigger payment, present a letter of indemnity instead. But there are risks to the buyer in paying against such letters of indemnity.

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Perspective - Blog

"NEW FLAMENCO" – Supreme Court reverses Court of Appeal

Published on 30 Jun 2017.

In a shock decision, the Supreme Court has allowed shipowners' appeal in the "NEW FLAMENCO". The Supreme Court held that the sale of the ship following the repudiation of the charterparty was not an act in mitigation, and was not relevant to the calculation of damages for breach of contract.

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Perspective - Blog

Pushing the (port) limits

Published on 11 May 2017.

The recent case of Navalmar UK Ltd v Kale Maden Hammaddeler Sanayi ve Ticaret AS [2017] EWHC 116 (Comm) essentially re-affirmed the principles set out in the well know case of The Joanna Oldendorff [1973] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 285, dealing with when a vessel was an arrived ship and what must be considered in deciding the limits of the port. However, as this case demonstrates, it remains a matter of fact as to whether a vessel is within the port limits or not.

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Perspective - Blog

"Fraud unravels all" – or does it?

Published on 20 Feb 2017.

The English Commercial Court has upheld the enforcement of a foreign arbitration award against a buyer of goods even though the seller submitted forged bills of lading under the letter of credit

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Perspective - Blog

Security for costs – be reasonable!

Published on 07 Feb 2017.

A recent Judgment in Hong Kong on a security for costs application reinforces the wide discretion of the Court as to the form and quantum of security which should be accepted

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Perspective - Blog

An acceptable degree of uncertainty

Published on 26 Oct 2016.

Certainty, we are told, is a good thing, as a matter of both legal principle and commercial common sense. Certainty means predictability, which companies and merchants value because it allows them to plan and make decisions in the knowledge of the likely outcomes. This has been a major feature of English commercial law since at least the time of Lord Mansfield.

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