Wrigley Claydon Solicitors

Category: News

  • Our reaction to the closure of the Oldham Chronicle

    Our reaction to the closure of the Oldham Chronicle

    We were sad to learn of the immediate closure of the Oldham Chronicle.

    The publication has been part of the town for more than a century and a half and was one of the North West’s oldest newspapers which had faithfully reported local news since it was established in 1854.

    The final edition was printed on 31st August when publisher Hirst, Kidd & Rennie Ltd fell into administration. The move prompted the Oldham Chronicle and the publisher’s other four monthly titles and three quarterly magazines to cease trading with immediate effect.

    The end of an era for Oldham is a harsh reminder of the changing landscape of how the public accesses its news. The title is the 18th UK local newspaper to close this summer.

    Administrators KPMG said the company was hit by the “changing nature of the local media landscape”.

    The internet and social media has changed the face of news and classified advertising, leaving little room for print editions. For some local publications, daily print-runs are down to as low as 7,000. With companies favouring the likes of Google and Facebook for cost effective, targeted and measurable advertising, local publications find it hard to compete. And with no advertising budgets coming in, publishers cannot pay journalist’s wages.

    Most of the 49 staff at the Oldham Chronicle have been made redundant.

    Other titles affected by the liquidation of publisher Hirst, Kidd & Rennie Ltd are monthlies Oldham Extra, Saddleworth Extra, Tameside Extra and the Dale Times, and quarterly magazines Oldham Business Edge, The Knowledge and Primary Knowledge.

    The company also operated Reader Holidays, which had a number of partners in the travel industry. Deposits for any holidays booked via Reader Holidays will be “refunded in due course”.

    What next for local Oldham news?

    As a fellow long-standing Oldham business with strong roots and a long heritage in the town, everyone at Wrigley Claydon is saddened to witness the demise of our local newspaper. The paper and its journalists have served the town and its people for 163 years and we hope its legacy will live on.

    If you have been affected by the closure of the Oldham Chronicle and need legal advice about your redundancy or pension, please contact the NUJ (National Union of Journalists) in the first instance. If you require independent legal assistance, our experienced and professional solicitors would be happy to discuss your situation with you.

    If you are a business owner and facing trading difficulties, our Commercial Solicitors can advise you on matters of administration, liquidation and the winding-up process to best protect directors, your employees and stakeholders.

    Please contact John Porter or Soibilate Iketubosin in our Company and Commercial team on 0161 624 6811.
  • Airbnb reveal plans to crack Asia market

    Airbnb reveal plans to crack Asia market

    Airbnb have revealed plans to crack the Asian market. Nathan Blecharczyk, a co-founder and the firm’s chief strategy officer, says it’s firmly focused on expanding in Asia-Pacific.

    The region has roughly 60% of the world’s millennials i.e. young adults between the ages of 19 and 35 who are the fastest growing generation of consumers. However, only about 15% of Airbnb’s four million global listings are based in Asia.

    Company merger advice Oldham

    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 785 3573 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com.
  • Neighbour boundary dispute leaves one with fractured nose and eye socket

    Neighbour boundary dispute leaves one with fractured nose and eye socket

    Peter Smythe, a 74 year old pensioner, appeared in court accused of leaving his neighbour Nigel Clark with a fractured nose and eye socket after hitting him with a leaf blower outside their homes during a dispute over a boundary ditch.

    Clark told the court he and his wife, Hervor, were hoping to buy Peter and Gillian Smythe’s house in about 2013/14 but the sale fell through. He then bought Linnel House next door, demolished it and built a new property.

    A landscape gardener had done work to the ditch a few weeks before the confrontation.

    Clark told the court he was unaware of any problem between them. He said that on 4th July he walked past Smythe and said ‘Hello’.

    He told the court, “He said the ditch is half his and I said, ‘It’s not’. I said it’s definitely mine. Very quickly he became quite heated so I said, ‘Calm down.’”

    The trial continues.

    Neighbour boundary dispute

    If you find yourself in a neighbour boundary dispute we can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

    Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 624 6811or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

    How important is it you to have good relations with your neighbours?

  • Company expansion for Amazon

    Company expansion for Amazon

    Online retail giant Amazon is to open a new warehouse near Bristol in 2018 which it says will create 1,000 jobs adding to its 13 sites in the UK.

    Other new warehouses are set to open in Doncaster, Warrington and Tilbury this autumn. The firm’s UK workforce will total 24,000 by the end of 2017.

    AHC, an agency employed by Amazon, was exposed in a BBC documentary for its treatment of its delivery drivers on long hours, low pay and conditions.

    Earlier this month Amazon was found to have paid 50% less UK corporation tax last year, despite a 54% jump in turnover.

    Accounts filed by Amazon UK Services show the company was billed £15.8 million in 2015 compared with £7.4 million in 2016.

    Company expansion solicitors

    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 our company expansion solicitors.

    Call 0161 785 3573 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com.
  • Co-op loses 25K current accounts despite rescue deal

    Co-op loses 25K current accounts despite rescue deal

    The Co-operative Bank has said it lost about 25,000 current accounts during the first 6 months of the year following the uncertainty over its future.

    Furthermore, £400m of instant access savings cash was withdrawn in a period that saw the bank being put up for sale before a rescue deal was agreed.

    In June 2017 the Co-operative Bank agreed a £700m rescue package to stop itself from being wound up.

    Company winding up solicitors

    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 our company winding up solicitors.

    Call 0161 785 3573 to speak to John Porter and Soibi Iketubosin in our Company/Commercial Department or email jap@wrigleyclaydon.com or si@wrigleyclaydon.com.

  • Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announce they are legally separating

    Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt and his wife, actress Anna Faris have announced that they are “legally separating” after eight years of marriage.

    The Hollywood stars met in 2007 on the set of Take Me Home Tonight and have one son, Jack 4, together.

    They’ve vowed to keep the divorce as amicable as possible, for the sake of their son. They are both committed to co-parenting and to providing Jack with a stable and happy home environment. He’s their number one priority and they want to do everything they can to make this transition as smooth as possible.

    Legally separating

    At Wrigley Claydon, we fight on your behalf to make the difficult time of legally separating 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.

  • Divorce no. three for Roman Abramovich

    Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch and owner of Chelsea FC, announced that he has separated from his third wife, Dasha Zhukova.

    The couple, who have two children, insisted the split was amicable but they could be embroiled in the world’s costliest divorce if forced to untangle the tycoon’s £7 billion fortune.

    Abramovich owns Chelsea football club, the second largest yacht in the world and several luxury properties, including a £60 million mansion in New York and a £50 million property in Kensington Palace Gardens.

    Abramovich ended his last marriage in 2008 with a reputed settlement of £150 million. However, Zhukova is the wealthy daughter of a Russian oil magnate and may not have any desire to pursue her husband for money.

    Divorce process

    At Wrigley Claydon, we fight on your behalf to make the difficult divorce process 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.
  • Mortgage possession proceedings on the rise

    Mortgage possession proceedings on the rise

    New figures released by the Ministry of Justice show that in April to June 2017 mortgage possession proceedings increased by 17% on the same period in 2016 to 5,186.

    This is still considerably short of the peak during the financial crisis from April to June 2009, when claims reached 26,419 over the three-month period.

    Since the pre-action protocol for possession claims based on mortgage arrears came into force, major lenders agreed with the Government not to start mortgage possession proceedings in relation to residential properties unless the borrower had accrued three months’ arrears.

    Mortgage possession proceedings

    Landlord and tenant disputes occur in both a commercial and residential context. We advise both landlords and tenants on a range of issues.

    We have experience and expertise in all aspects of property litigation. We can assist you with negotiation, arbitration or mediation but where court litigation is needed, we can advise you on procedure and tactics.

    Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.
  • Security measures stepped up at UK courts

    Security measures stepped up at UK courts

    From 7 August 2017 new court proceedings came into force meaning anyone entering court, including solicitors and barristers, are now being asked to sip the drinks they are carrying to prove they are not filled with harmful substances or alcohol.

    The rules will apply to all ‘customers’ who enter the building with an unsealed ‘drink can/carton/coffee cup/flask’.

    The rules, which if breached will result in refusal of entry to the court, will also sometimes apply to sealed bottles.

    Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunal Services said if they did not introduce this rule then the alternative would be to ban all liquids like at airports, to ensure security.

    Court proceedings

    If you need to issue court proceedings or defend court proceedings that have been served on you then our litigation solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

    Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.
  • Extended court opening times to be trialled this autumn

    Extended court opening times to be trialled this autumn

    The Government has confirmed details for a new pilot scheme to extend court opening times across England and Wales.

    Six courts have been selected for the trial, including Manchester, adding either an early or a late slot. The early session running from 8am to 10.45am and the later one from 4.30pm to 7pm. The trial will take place over six months from this autumn.

    Jurisdictions in the US, Australia and Singapore already have more flexible arrangements.

    It is thought that the £300m cost of running the court and tribunals could be reduced by ensuring existing court buildings are in use before 10am and after 4.30pm.

    Legal representation

    At Wrigley Claydon we represent clients in many aspects of the law; from litigation to personal injury, business to family law, wills and probate to conveyancing. Suffering any sort of dispute, injury, separation or bereavement can have financial, emotional or even physical affects on you and/or your business. Our solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf to resolve the matter.

    We advise clients on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur. We will represent you in court, where necessary, and fight on your behalf at achieve a satisfactory outcome.

    If you nee legal representation please call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.