Wrigley Claydon Solicitors

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  • New Look to cut 60 stores and cut 1,000 jobs

    New Look will close 60 UK stores and cut 1,000 jobs after creditors approved a restructuring plan for the retailer.

    The stores will close within 12 months and some staff may be redeployed.

    The plan will cut the chain’s rents by between 15% to 55% across its remaining 393 stores. New Look says it was paying over the odds on many of its stores. But landlords may feel they’re the ones having to take a huge financial hit because of management failures.

    Landlords may now use the break clauses allowed as part of this CVA to bring in new tenants willing to pay more rent.

     

    If you are considering a company merger, acquisition, takeover or joint venture or are in the midst of a shareholder dispute or share capital transaction or need business advice please contact us.

     

    Call 0161 624 6811 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com

  • London loses out as Unilever moves it’s headquarters

    Consumer goods giant Unilever, maker of Marmite, Pot Noodle and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, has chosen Rotterdam over London for its headquarters.

    It would also be reorganising its business into three divisions: beauty and personal care, home care, and foods and refreshment.

    The first two divisions will have their headquarters in London, while the third will continue to be based in Rotterdam.

    The company employs 7,300 people in the UK and 3,100 in the Netherlands. No jobs will be lost by the move.

    Since 1930 Unilever has operated with two parent companies – a British PLC headquartered in London and a Dutch NV based in Rotterdam.

    Although run as one company, the distinct legal entities have different shareholders, separate stock listings and annual meetings and are subject to different laws and corporate governance requirements.

    If you are considering a company merger, acquisition, takeover or joint venture or are in the midst of a shareholder dispute or share capital transaction or need business advice please contact us.

    Call 0161 624 6811 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com

     

  • Chelsea Football Club’s new £1bn stadium dispute

    Chelsea Football Club can start work on a new £1bn stadium at Stamford Bridge after settling a dispute with a neighbour who objected to the construction.

    The Crosthwaite family took out an injunction in May 2017, saying the expansion to 60,000 seats would block light into their home.

    In January, Hammersmith and Fulham Council passed a motion to prevent the injunction blocking the plans.

    The club said on Wednesday they have reached an agreement with the family.
    Chelsea expect to be playing at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2019-20 season and will be forced to play at an alternative venue – likely to be Wembley Stadium – for up to four years during construction.

    Suffering a financial or contractual dispute can have serious implications on your business. Our business solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf.

    Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 624 6811 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

  • Ken Dodd has the last laugh

    Ken Dodd married his partner of 40 years Anne Jones on the 9th March 2018, two days before he passed away.

    As a result no Inheritance Tax would be payable on any of his estate left to Anne. His fortune is rumoured to be worth in the region of £7.2 million.

    This move came after in 1989 Ken Dodd was found not guilty of dodging a £1 million tax bill after it was discovered, amongst other things, that he had kept over £300,000 in cash hidden in suitcases under his bed!

    Inheritance Tax is paid on death at 40% on any estate over the individual’s Inheritance Tax allowance which currently stands at £325,000. This can be increased by £100,000 where the estate includes a house and certain conditions are met.

    There are however certain exemptions and allowances such as gifts to spouses. It is a good idea to seek professional advice and have a Will drawn up to make the most of these allowances and exemptions.

    If you do not make a will your spouse may not inherit the whole of your estate. Blood relations benefit to the exclusion of friends and inlaws, cohabites will be included.

    A will allows you to choose an executor to sort out your affairs when the time comes.

    A will can be used as a mean to protect some of your assets, including your home, from care home fees and to minimise your tax liability on death.

    For more information call Rachel Damianou on 0161 624 6811 or email rld@wrigleyclaydon.com

  • Dyson plans to offer a range of three electric cars

    Dyson is seeking an extra 300 engineers in a push to build its first electric car by 2020.

    Dyson already has a 400-strong team working on the project and has doubled the number of scientists working on its battery programmes over the past year.

    Dyson said the electric car team would shortly move to its new research and development base in Wiltshire. It is yet to decide where its electric cars will be manufactured.

    The UK is reported to be in contention for the work, along with Singapore, Malaysia and China.

    Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea had accounted for almost three quarters of 2017 sales.

    Billionaire founder James Dyson said people in Asia had “an extraordinary enthusiasm for technology that works”.

     

    If you are considering a company merger, acquisition, takeover or joint venture or are in the midst of a shareholder dispute or share capital transaction or need business advice please contact us. Call 0161 624 6811 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com

     

  • Rise of cryptocurrency has an effect on divorcing couples

    The rise of cryptocurrency, and in particular Bitcoin, means divorcing couples may use the currency to hide their wealth from one another.

    While couples have a duty to provide full and frank disclosure during a divorce, they said it is not unheard of for some parties to attempt to hide their assets from their respective spouses, and cryptocurrencies may make this process easier.

    The very nature of cryptocurrencies means it can be hard to trace.

    Digital forensic analysts can be used by a spouse to identify trace points and give weight to a claim.

    If a divorce case does end up in court, a judge, even without concrete evidence of cryptocurrency assets, could make inferences as to their existence and factor their potential value into their final judgement.

    Wrigley Claydon, we fight on your behalf to make this difficult time a little easier. We are experienced family lawyers and can assist you with the legal aspects of any family situation in which you may find yourself. We deal with our cases sensitively.

     

    If you are looking for family advice then please call 0161 624 6811 to speak to our Family Department.

  • Will Week at Mahdlo: March 5th – 9th

    Will Week at Mahdlo: March 5th – 9th

    During March, we are working with Mahdlo to provide members of the public with an opportunity to access their Will preparation services, whilst at the same time raising funds to support them.

    The scheme is running from the 5th to the 9th March inclusive. If you arrange an appointment with us during this period we will make no charge for the preparation of either a standard single Will or standard mirror Wills if a donation is made to Mahdlo.

    A minimum donation of £100.00 is suggested for a single Will and £150.00 for mirror Wills.

    If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity please contact Rachel Damianou on 0161 624 6811, quoting ‘Mahdlo Will Week’, to arrange a convenient appointment.

  • ‘You’re never too old to make a Will…’

    ‘You’re never too old to make a Will…’

    A will is not just a way to say who you want to leave your assets to. It is an opportunity to appoint guardians for young children, to decide who will sort your affairs out when the time comes and make provisions for partners, friends and charities who would not inherit if you die without a will.

    If you’d like to learn more and understand the main points about making a will, you can download our free information sheet, by filling in the form below.

    Making a Will: Information Sheet

  • Sir James Munby sets out his vision of the Financial Remedies Court

    In his 18th View from the President’s Chambers, Sir James Munby has set out his vision of what needs to be done in respect of the determination of financial remedies.

    He considers that procedural justice will be bettered by the appointment of specialist judges to the Financial Remedies Court (FRC) and by a process of early allocation of a case to the right judge at the right level at the right place.

    The basic concept of the FRC is as follows:

    • The FRC, which will be part of the Family Court, will deal with all types of financial remedy cases dealt with in the Family Court or Family Division: claims for ancillary and other relief under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973; claims under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989; claims under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984; and, in due course, claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and claims under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA).
    • There will be a number of regional hubs
    • There will be a lead judge for each hub area with real experience/expertise in financial remedy work.
    • There will be a national lead judge with a deputy. Mostyn J and, as his deputy, HHJ Hess have agreed to fill these important positions.
    • Hearings will be conducted (a) at the regional hub and also (b) at a number of Financial Remedies Hearing Centres (FRHCs) within the hub area.
    • The FRC will function separately from the Regional Divorce Centres. Applications for a financial remedy, including for ancillary relief, will be issued at the FRC hub, not at the Regional Divorce Centre.

    The FRC will be piloted in three areas, starting in February or March 2018: London, the West Midlands and South-East Wales. Further pilots will follow after Easter 2018.

    Wrigley Claydon, we fight on your behalf to make this difficult time a little easier. We are experienced family lawyers and can assist you with the legal aspects of any family situation in which you may find yourself. We deal with our cases sensitively.

    If you are looking for family advice then please call 0161 624 6811 to speak to Terri Pickup in our Family Department or email tp@wrigleyclaydon.com.

  • Noel Edmonds is suing Lloyds Banking Group for £73m

    TV presenter Noel Edmonds is suing the Lloyds Banking Group for £73m for what he claims was the destruction of his business empire together with public humiliation and damage to his reputation caused by the fraudulent activities of the bank’s HBOS Reading arm.

    He alleges that he “suffered immense economic loss as well as ‘distress and inconvenience’ at the hands of the bank as a direct result of the actions of the individuals involved in the fraud.

    Six people were jailed last year after a jury heard they spent the proceeds of their fraudulent activities on superyachts and sex parties, while destroying businesses they had lent money to. Among them was the former HBOS banker Mark Dobson, who was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

    Lloyds has set aside £100m to compensate 64 victims of the HBOS Reading fraud, although this sum may need to be increased if Edmonds is successful in his claim against the bank for fraudulent activities that took place between 2003 and 2007.

    The biggest part of the claim is £50m to cover the losses he incurred when his business, Unique Group, collapsed. Edmonds says the bankers’ actions destroyed the entertainment firm and robbed him of future growth.

    He is also claiming £12m for loss of speaking fees, £100,000 for “pain, suffering and damage” to his reputation and £750,000 in legal fees.

    Suffering a financial or contractual dispute can have serious implications on your business. Our business solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf. Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 624 6811 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.