Boris Johnson’s mini-Manhattan in Old Oak Common: Why we must speak up for local housing needs February 11, 2015 London’s population is at an all-time high. By 2020, we will have over 9m people living in our city; 10m by 2030. So it is essential that we plan for the growing needs of the capital. London needs a transport system fit for the 21st century. We need a thriving jobs market built on secure, [...]
McIlroy pays £15m to end legal dispute February 4, 2015 GOLF world No1 Rory McIlroy could end up paying out more than two thirds of his career prize money to date after agreeing a costly settlement with his former management company yesterday. No details of the deal were made public but it is believed McIlroy is to pay between £15m and £20m to Horizon Sports [...]
Rory McIlroy pays up to £20m in settlement with Horizon Sports Management February 4, 2015 Rory McIlroy has had to fork out between £15m and £20m to settle a dispute with former agent Conor Ridge of Horizon Sports Management. The world’s number one golfer had become engulfed in a legal dispute with Horizon over the cut the agency was taking from his earnings and his departure from the [...]
European Courts of Justice to reveal Woolworths and Ethel Austin redundancy decision tomorrow – but what does it mean for businesses? February 4, 2015 Note: This story was written before the opinion was published. Go here to find out what the advocate general said. Tomorrow could bring about the reversal of a ruling over redundancy consultation and compensation that costs companies millions of pounds. It's a huge deal and could have major implications for businesses throughout the EU. But [...]
McIlroy ready for second round of £13m legal row February 3, 2015 GOLF world No1 Rory McIlroy’s legal dispute with his former management company is set to resume today in Dublin’s High Court after both parties reported making progress yesterday. McIlroy is suing Horizon Sports Management over what he argues were excessive fees during a period in which he signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike said [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct faces million-pound claim over bonus scheme which excluded zero-hour contracted staff February 3, 2015 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct faces legal claims over its bonus scheme from hundreds of staff working at its stores which could run into millions of pounds. Nearly 300 workers on zero-hours contracts were excluded from a bonus scheme which gave around 2,000 staff who were permanently employed a windfall share of £160m worth of shares [...]
Forex fraudster Alex Hope gets seven year sentence January 30, 2015 The Forex fraudster Alex Hope has been handed a seven year sentence for cheating investors out of more than £5m. Hope, who became famous for his extravagant lifestyle and celebrity acquaintances – was sentenced today at Southwark Crown Court, where the judge highlighted the sophistication of the measures he used to convince more than [...]
How Companies House destroyed a family business with a single typo January 28, 2015 If you're having a bad morning, spare a thought for the owners of Taylor and Sons, a 124 year-old Cardiff-based military equipment supplier which was pushed into administration – after a typo made by Companies House. A High Court judge has ruled that the government body must pay out £8.8m to the owners of the [...]
The populist crusade against tax avoidance has turned into an assault on justice January 26, 2015 If “tax avoidance” is the answer, what is the question? For many years it might have been: “what subject excites only a small number of tax lawyers and HMRC officials?” But in the age of attempted deficit reduction, “tax avoidance” – or rather “clamping down on tax avoidance” – is the answer you hear every [...]
Taxpayers could lose £2bn as small businesses take government to court over interest swap investigation January 25, 2015 Small business in the UK are taking the government to court over their exclusion from a compensation scheme set up following the mis-selling of interest rate swaps. The swaps were complex products sold to a large number of business by UK banks. They were designed to provide protection against interest rate changes. But when [...]