2020 vision – the benefits of foresight when putting contracts together
Jan 2020
This recent case is a salutary lesson on the importance of thinking ahead and getting the right bases covered in your commercial agreements. The case relates to an agency/introduction agreement, but the same advice applies to all sorts of agreements.
What’s in a guarantee?
1 October 2012
This recent case is a reminder that if you are asked to give what you think is a guarantee you need to be careful what it actually says.
Economic duress and good faith (or, it’s ok to be nasty so long as you think it’s ok)
Tn this recent case the Court of Appeal had a few things to say on what circumstances might amount to economic duress. The case confirms the high threshold for proving economic duress. This will give comfort to parties to various types of long-term contracts, particularly those such as franchisors.
Restrictive covenants and blue pencils
27 August 2019
Supreme Court sets law on when you can sever wording from restrictive covenants to turn them from unenforceable into enforceable (the 'blue pencil' rule)
Agents and secret commissions
Is an agent allowed to earn commission from someone in return for introducing his principal if he hasn't told his principal about it?
Verbal contracts, carts, horses, chickens and eggs
Here is a case which looks at how on earth a court decides whether a contract was created and what its terms might have been when all the discussions were oral only, and nothing was put in writing.
What’s the point of a side letter?
Do you know what you're trying to achieve with a side letter to a contract?
Got a contract or not? Know your limits!
When does a contract come into existence and how do you know what it says?
Russians use English courts for pre-emptive attacks
A sizzling tale involving a menage a trois of Russian oligarchs. Or - what does English law have to say about rights of first refusal on share transfers?
Backstops, best endeavours, good faith and Attorney Generals
15/1/19 Is the Attorney General’s legal advice on the legal effect of the Protocol to the Withdrawal Agreement on Ireland and Northern Ireland (the “Protocol”) correct?