Why the Libor scandal is just the latest chapter in Britain’s obsession with punishment January 22, 2015 Britain’s enduring obsession with punishment has resurfaced in its response to the Libor scandal. The number of UK traders charged for Libor-related offences by the Serious Fraud Office has reached 13, placing Britain far ahead of other European countries in its tally of prosecutions for benchmark manipulation. Investigations continue and the UK authorities have indicated [...]
Rihanna 1, Topshop 0: Singer wins t-shirt image legal battle against Arcadia January 22, 2015 The pop singer Rihanna has won a legal battle against high-street fashion favourite Topshop over a t-shirt. The Court of Appeal in London has upheld a previous ruling that the Arcadia retailer used an image of the singer on a top without her permission. While a celebrity's image can’t be trademarked, judges ruled that some people [...]
Kitchen Nightmare: Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay loses High Court battle over father-in-law forgery claims January 20, 2015 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has lost a High Court battle with his father-in-law, over the rent of a £640,000-a-year London pub. Ramsay had claimed that Christopher Hutcheson had used a “ghost-writing” machine to forge his signature on a property deal for the York & Albany Pub near Regent's Park without his authorisation. The [...]
Mad Dog lies in wait for Murray after Briton’s Bhambri cakewalk January 19, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray is no stranger to hot-headed outbursts on the tennis court but looks positively Zen compared to his next opponent at the Australian Open, Marinko Matosevic. Bosnia-born Australian national Matosevic is nicknamed Mad Dog for a lively temper that last year saw him fined for spitting, kicking out at a camera and verbally [...]
Spurs dispute set for court January 15, 2015 PROPRIETORS of the solitary business blocking Tottenham’s £400m plans for a new stadium have launched a High Court battle to remain in their current premises. The owners of Archway Sheet Metal Works are challenging a compulsory purchase order that could force them to make way for Tottenham’s new 56,000-capacity stadium complex. The case will be [...]
The City is not safe in the EU – and the situation is only set to get worse January 14, 2015 Self-delusion seems to be spreading. First the CityUK’s Chris Cummings, in an article in last Tuesday’s City A.M., appeals for the City of London to lead EU reform. Next, Labour’s Douglas Alexander takes up the call in Monday’s Evening Standard. “It has”, he informs us, “been Britain’s stated policy objective for the past 30 years [...]
ECJ deals bitter blow to Addison Lee as black cabs retain exclusive right to bus lanes January 14, 2015 London's black cabs have retained the exclusive right to share the capital's bus lanes as a result of a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Eventech, the owner of a minicab fleet used by Addison Lee, brought the case to the ECJ after losing at the High Court. The company decided to fight [...]
Tullett Prebon share price jumps as UK broker settles $100m poaching case with US rival BGC Partners January 13, 2015 One of business’s longest running disputes over staff poaching finally ended yesterday after British inter-dealer broker Tullett Prebon came out on top in its bitter five-year legal battle with US rival BGC Partners. Shares in the UK broker jumped eight per cent following news that the New York-based broker will pay Tullett $100m (£66m) to [...]
Mike Ashley’s USC goes into administration with hundreds of jobs at risk January 8, 2015 Hundreds of jobs could be lost at Mike Ashley's fashion chain USC after filing a notice of the intention to appoint receivers at the High Court yesterday. A third of USC's 90 stores, which are believed to employ 1,000 staff are set to close. On Wednesday morning, dozens of staff at the USC warehouse in [...]
Charter Court Financial Services launches new challenger savings bank – high interest and online-only January 7, 2015 Britain is set to get another savings bank as the wave of new firms receiving licences from the regulator continues to grow. Charter Court Financial Services yesterday said it had gained approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority to launch Charter Savings Bank. It will be an online-only savings bank, and its establishment opens up a new channel [...]