A new company Genesis Restaurants, advised by Addleshaws Sons & Latham, has been launched to open a franchise chain of 25 Burger King restaurants in the midlands and north-west. Burger King was advised by its in-house legal department. u3.5m of equity funding came from Murray Johnstone Private Equity, advised by Halliwell Landau; a term loan […]
Select Appointments (Holdings) was advised by Charles Russell in a u44m placing and open offer on the Unlisted Securities market
Andover-based Hostmead Developments, advised by DJ Freeman, has concluded a pre-let agreement for a new distribution warehouse facility with Londis (Holdings), advised by Beveridge Ross & Prevezer. The investment, with a u7.5m value on completion, has been forward sold to Barclays Bank Staff Pension Fund, advised by Lovell White Durrant.
Roger Pearson looks ahead Judgment is imminent in one of the most curious planning battles ever to reach the High Court. Deputy Judge Sir Haydn Tudor Evans is being asked to rule on the planning situation over proposals to site a floating heliport on the Thames. A decision is sought on whether, if such a […]
THE managing partner of Bournemouth firm Lester Aldridge has resigned after being charged with offences relating to child pornography. Robert Lowe appeared at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court last week charged with possessing indecent photographs of children and importing obscene and indecent material. The importation offence was allegedly committed at Heathrow and other ports and airports over […]
Jonathan Seres examines the legal recourse for losers in the pensions debacle The lay person’s guide to the great pensions scam is simple. If the punter chose a personal scheme and ignored an employer’s scheme or transferred from it while still in their employment, they probably received bad advice. As every good litigator knows, the […]
LEWISHAM Borough Council has appointed former Kirklees solicitor Judith Barnes as head of legal services. Barnes has been brought to London from her position as assistant head to fill the post which was empty for more than two years. Hired to lead the Direct Service Organisation (DSO) in future bidding against the private sector, Barnes […]
TWO lawyers have been jailed for running a sophisticated passport racket giving Hong Kong Chinese a new life in the West. Barrister Paul Samrai and solicitor James Walker charged u40,000 a time for forging documents that “proved” their customers were entitled to British citizenship. At Southwark Crown Court, Judge Gerald Butler QC jailed each of […]
LEADING criminal silk Geo-ffrey Robertson has called for a new law to clear up confusion on whether undercover police operations are acceptable to the courts. Robertson says that a statutory defence along Australian lines would be far preferable to the present “piece-meal” approach where evidence is accepted or rejected according to developing case-law. But without […]
LEADING North East planning lawyer Paul Taylor has left Newcastle practice Eversheds Ingledew Wright to sign as an equity partner with rival firm Dickinson Dees. Taylor, recognised as one of the region’s top planning lawyers, worked with Eversheds for 12 years before joining Dickinsons this month. Taylor is working with former competitor Paul Finch to […]
NATIONAL firm Eversheds has lost five of its senior marketing people in the past 18 months amid claims that some partners have vetoed promotional plans and presented marketing ideas as their own. But the firm’s national managing partner, Peter Cole, denies the allegations, saying changes in the marketing department have come as a result of […]
TOP Canadian telecommunications lawyer Michael Ryan has joined the London office of international law firm Coudert Brothers. Ryan, who worked as vice-president of law and general counsel at Toronto’s Unitel Communications, started work in the firm’s global telecommunications practice last month. He will specialise in advising on telecommunications regulation, competition, privatisation and liberalisation issues, and […]