To celebrate our 175th anniversary, we present 175 strange laws from the past and present. Some laws are funny. Some are surreal. Some make no sense no matter which way you look at them. But they all share one thing in common: they’re all real.

There are a number of tasks - whether regulatory compliance or best practice - which should be completed when running a small limited company. This step-by-step guide works through those tasks.

The advantages of mediation are excellent, especially when considered against the alternative which in most cases may be a tribunal claim and offers substantial benefits to a business.

Victoria Cetinkaya, a Senior Policy Officer from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) responsible for policy and engagement with the education sector and a number of local Independent Schools recently attended a roundtable discussion held at Wright Hassall offices in Leamington Spa.

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (“the MSA 2015”) was passed on 26 March 2015 for a number of reasons, the primary driving force being to consolidate, simplify and update the legal protections against human trafficking and slavery.

Gymshark took ex-influencer Nathanial Massiah to court for breaking a three-month non-compete clause by promoting rival brand YoungLA. The case, which settled before trial, sparked debate over fairness in influencer contracts and the risks brands face when enforcing restrictive covenants. It highlights the need for clear, balanced agreements and legal awareness in the influencer industry.

The new pre-pack regulations are designed to regulate connected person pre-pack sales with the aim of balancing the rights of creditors affected by business failure with the need to promote viable business rescue options to businesses, especially in the current economic climate.

The cost of intellectual property protection is notoriously high, particularly if you are seeking worldwide protection. It is a common misconception, however, that protection only arises when a registration of a particular intellectual property right is successfully achieved.

Human capital, intellectual property and a secure customer base often drive the value of an acquisition. To secure that value, the buyer of a business may want to retain key employees and prevent the seller from competing with the business for a specified period. The acquisition agreement therefore often includes certain restraints. Buyers and sellers may later disagree on the interpretation and enforceability of these terms. Various immediate dispute resolution steps must be taken to protect the value of the acquired business. Our commercial litigation team regularly acts for clients involved in this type of dispute.

Quite some time following the original enactment of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 (“the Act”), neonatal care leave and pay will, as confirmed by the government on 20 January 2025, come into force on 6 April 2025.