Latest News and Legal Updates

Fredericks Foundation - Trading Places - June 10

Rickerbys Expand Commercial Property Team - May 10

Rickerbys finalise office plans - May 10

Judge considers the views of young child - May 10

Senior Apoointment at Rickerbys - April 10

Rickerbys’ Survey reveals Gloucestershire Businesses are fighting back - April 10 

The Right To Request A Lawyer At Internal Disciplinaries - March 10

Cheltenham Lawyer Takes up Challenge with Olympic Legends - February 10

Almost a quarter of Gloucestershire Businesses made redundancies last year but confidence is now returning to the County - February 10

Glamour and excitement await you at the Gloucestershire Motor Show 2010! - February 10

Another reason to avoid mortgages over shares in English companies - January 10

Rickerbys expands with New Employment Partner - December 09
Leading Gloucestershire based law firm Rickerbys LLP (Rickerbys) has announced the appointment of Darren Sherborne who joins the firm as Partner and Head of the Employment Department.

Difficulties faced by landlords when tenants cease trading - December 09
Recent difficulties encountered by Blacks Leisure have highlighted the difficulties landlords can face when tenants cease to trade and payment of rent is threatened. 

Rickerbys Achieve Outstanding Ranking in Chambers and Partners 2010 - 
November 09
Leading South West law firm Rickerbys LLP, has achieved outstanding rankings in this year’s Chambers and Partners – maintaining its position Gloucestershire’s preeminent law firm. Chambers and Partners is one of leading independent guides to the legal profession and this year Rickerbys has maintained its strong position across all practice areas.

Statutory maternity leave to be transferable to father - September 09
The Government have announced that they will shortly be consulting on their proposed changes to paternity leave. Currently, mothers are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave, of which up to 39 weeks are paid and fathers are entitled to up two weeks paid paternity leave.

Employment Update: Sick to fit – the optimistic angle to employee sickness - August 09
The practice of an employee providing their employer with a sick note has been in place since 1948.  The employer’s policy will usually explain to the employee when they can self certify their sickness and when a sick note from their GP is required. Most employers require a sick note when the employee has been absent from work for 7 or more days. 

Rickerbys shortlisted at the MPF European Practice Management Awards 2009 - August 09
Leading Gloucestershire based law firm Rickerbys LLP has been shortlisted for the ‘Innovation in Practice’ and ‘Best Business Development/ Marketing Campaign’ categories at the 2009 Managing Partners Forum (MPF) European Practice Management Awards.

IP Update: Copyright World: Copyright considerations when setting up an online presence - August 09
Having an online presence is now essential to most if not all business in the UK. The BBC reported that in the last quarter of 2007, online sales rose 50% from £9.61 billion to £15.2 from a year earlier  and the Office for National Statistics reported that Internet Retail Sales for the month of January 2009 rose by 17.1% compared to a year earlier . It is therefore clear that trade over the internet is and will continue to grow.

Colin Gibson Completes Mediator Training - August 09
Rickerbys LLP today announces that Partner, and Head of Commercial Litigation, Colin Gibson has qualified as a Mediator having successfully completed a course with the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Group.

Rickerbys handles £1.8 million Quedgeley deal - July 09
Rickerbys LLP advised Prima Dental Manufacturing on the purchase of the company's new head office at Waterwells, Quedgeley, Gloucester in a deal worth in excess of £1.8 million.

Family Update: 'Til divorce do us part: Radmacher v Granatino - July 09
While it may not be the most romantic way to start married life, some couples have turned to a pre-nuptial agreement (pre-nup) for assistance in trying to cater for the division of assets should the marriage break down writes Helen Cankett. However, many have questioned the benefit of such agreements, as they are not currently enforceable.

Rickerbys put the wheels in motion with latest deal - July 09
Rickerbys LLP has advised the Simon Smith Group on the business and property sale of Abbotswood petrol station in Cinderford, Gloucestershire.

Phillpa Bruce-Kerr of Rickerbys LLP appointed Gloucestershire regional co-ordinator of solicitors for the elderly - June 09
SFE is an association of lawyers who specialise in legal services for older people. Members of SFE have a wealth of experience within this key legal area and they are required to have spent a substantial amount of time working for elderly clients.

Employment Update: Workplace Law - Recovering from the recession: staff issues to consider - June 09
Although the dominant feature of the present downturn is economic uncertainty, we are seeing an increasing number of predictions that the worst of the recession will be over by the end of 2009.  Probably the best that one can hope is that this will be a self-fulfilling prophesy, as business confidence begins to re-emerge!  However there is also some scientific evidence that confidence is beginning to increase.

IP Update: L'Oreal v eBay: The English Instalment - May 09
The case of L’Oréal v eBay [2009] EWHC 1094 CH (‘Case’) has highlighted the difficulty in harmonising the European trade mark jurisprudence and the way the law adapts itself to new technologies. This article discusses the Case and considers its impact. 

Gloucestershire Law Firm Raises Money for Children’s Charity - May 09
Rickerbys LLP has raised nearly £6,000 for local charity, The Pied Piper Appeal, of which £3000 was given to the charity on Friday 22 May.

Employment Update: 48 Hour Opt-Out here to stay - May 09
The ability to opt out from the 48 hour maximum working week under the Working Time Directive has been the subject of furious debate across the European Union.

Corporate Update: Pre-Pack Administration Sales-Court Comment - May 09
1 January 2009 heralded Statement of Insolvency Practice 16 (SIP 16) which related to pre-pack admin sales, against the background of adverse press comment and Parliamentary scrutiny.

Education Update: Independent Schools Today - ‘Ask not what your school can do for you….’ - May 09
Every year, there are some independent schools which are faced with stark choices – to merge, seek a buyer, or to close.

Commercial Property Update: Property Investor News: Tenant insolvency - Implications for landlords - May 09
Figures recently issued by the Insolvency Service reveal that there has been a 50% rise in the number of company insolvencies compared with the figure for the same quarter last year.  These statistics will come as no surprise to many and will simply stir up painful memories for thousands of landlords and tenants.

Employment Update: It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times: Calculating Compensation in a Recession - April 09
The question of compensation is rarely straightforward in the best of times; in a recession, it is very difficult.  Knowledge and experience of the likely response of the Employment Tribunal is essential when advising in this area of employment law. 

Employment Update: The New Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures  - April 09
A welcome change to employment law comes into effect on 6 April 2009 with the repeal of the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures.  There is a new revised Acas Code which essentially reverts to the pre-2004 position with a few major changes. These changes are set out below and include the right to call relevant witnesses and the ability of the Tribunal to adjust an award of compensation by up to 25%.

Employment Update: Tier 4 Implemented - April 09
A reminder that as of 31 March 2009 any students from outside the EEA who wish to come to the UK to study will need to apply under the new Tier 4 system and have accrued the necessary points. 

IT Update: IT Law Today - Pirate Bay - Through an English lawyer's telescope - April 09
The recent Stockholm District Court decision of Pirate Bay  presents a stark reminder to service providers and users of p2p websites as to the consequences of illegal file sharing. This article briefly discusses the Pirate Bay case and explores the possible implications of the case under English copyright laws on users and service providers of p2p.

Legal Week: The value of an MBA - my path to management - March 09

Education Update: Facing up to the Recession - Observations on how schools may be affected - March 09
The last recession, in the early 1990s, lasted for about 4 years. Generally, schools began to notice a drop in numbers about 18 months after the onset. Statistics reveal that the number of pupils in independent schools tends to show the same trend-line as GDP, but with the time gap of 1.5-2 years. The good news is that the numbers of pupils did recover.

IP Update: SME Web: Patent laws: A guide through the jungle - February 09
In the highly profitable world of business class air travel, providing long haul passengers with a comfortable night’s sleep can give airlines a competitive advantage.  When Virgin introduced the Upper Class Suite (“UCS”) in November 2003 they saw their market share increase significantly by 12%. In an industry that is subject to the turbulences of increasing oil prices and economic downturn, airlines are likely to continue to invest heavily in R&D in an effort to improve their positioning tactics

Private Client Update: Professional Adviser: Intestacy Rules Change - Feburary 09
Intestacy is the term applied to a situtation where someone dies without leaving a valid Will, or their Will does not dispose of all that they own on death.  Before highlighting the changes, it is worthwhile remembering that the rules by which an intestate person's assets are distributed (the Intestacy Rules) first came into being in 1925 - over 85 years ago.

Corporate Update: Director of Finance: Bonuses - Feburary 09
Bonuses have hit the headlines recently but the sums being talked about in the context of City bankers will seem exorbitant to many outside of the finance sector.

Private Client Update: Money Market: Record Breakers - January 09
In 2005 Percy and Florence Arrowsmith entered the Guiness world records with an 80 year marriage and combined age of 205 years.  When they married in 1925, the Queen was yet to be born, Mein Kampf was published and the average male weekly wage was £5.  How times have changed!

Employment Update: Fresh Business Thinking: How to Manage Redundancy - January 09
In these challenging times many businesses are being forced to consider redundancy as a means of ensuring their viability in the marketplace. The repercussions of getting the redundancy procedure wrong can be wide reaching, including the spectre of unfair dismissal claims as well as damaging loss of morale within the remaining workforce.

Corporate Update: The Telegraph Business Club: Succession Planning - January 09
There are many important matters to consider when thinking about the future ownership of a family business. Whilst the main focus is likely to be the continued growth of the business, the retiring generation often has to deal with the  expectations of succession which the next generation may have.


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