Free case law is old hat now. The House of Lords posted its first judgment on the web in 1996 and BAILII “freed the law” in 2000. But how far have we come since then? This article sums up the current position.

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Free case law – an overview

Author: Guy Thomas   Everyone knows that Julius Caesar “came a cropper” on the “Ides of March” (15th March). Well, supporters of Pompey’s CVA may yet come to dread the week containing the Ides of July (15th July 2010). Predictions and augers can (as Caesar found out) be tricky, with that in mind, Thursday, 15th July looks likely to be last day when Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can issue a challenge against Portsmouth City Football Club’s Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). Following the last meeting of Pompey’s creditors on 17th June 2010 , there was a lot of positive publicity for the Joint Administrators of Portsmouth City Football Club.  The Chairman of that meeting (at which the CVA was approved) was Mr Andrew Andronikou (one of the joint Administrators of Pompey). HMRC challenge? If HMRC do decide to “have a go” then they are likely to chuck the kitchen sink at it in the hope that one of the other issues raised might be sufficient to force a reconsideration of the CVA approval. Likely grounds for the application include: 1. The reduction of HMRC’s “creditors” vote from £37,768,387.13 to £23,895,044.67? i.e. taking away their ability to veto the CVA. 2. The inclusion of the “Football Creditors” in the vote of “unsecured creditors” when they should have been treated as “secured borrowers”?  3. The inclusion of supposedly secured creditors like Portpin (Mr. Chanirai) and Ocadia (Mr Gaydamak) in the vote of “unsecured creditors”. If these or any challenges like them succeed then a 75% majority cannot be achieved. No 75%, no CVA. No CVA? Well let’s just say the Championship will be a harsher place with a further point deduction for Pompey. Et tu Pompey? To read the full article, click here .

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Pompey: Beware the Ides of July!

Author: Victoria Wells   The sudden death last month of former “Diff’rent Strokes” star Gary Coleman has highlighted the importance of having a valid Will, and keeping it up to date. Despite his showbiz background, Gary’s personal circumstances were in some ways not that different to many of us, with both an ex-wife and a former girlfriend on the scene, and the lack of clarity around his wishes has led - perhaps inevitably - to dispute between the two. There is also uncertainty about what to do with his ashes, surely a situation which none of us would want our loved ones to be left in. In his 1999 Will, Gary gave instructions about his funeral, that he wanted it conducted by people who had no financial ties to him and who “can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman”. He also in the Will appointed a close friend as his executor. In 2005 it appears that Gary made a new Will, in favour of his then girlfriend, Anna Gray. The Will specified that he did not want any sort of funeral service. Following his marriage to Shannon Price in 2007, he made a “homemade” Will, in which he named his wife as his sole beneficiary. Apparently this was signed, but not witnessed, so lacks full testamentary validity. They divorced in 2008. Perhaps inevitably, Ms Price and Ms Gray are now in dispute about who should administer Gary’s estate, and who is entitled to that estate. Ms Gray argues that they were together for eight years, and that the 2005 Will is the valid “last Will and Testament”. Ms Gray contends that, as they were still living together at Gary’s death, despite their divorce, she is entitled to be treated as his “wife”. A lawyer has now been appointed by the courts to sort out the mess, and in the meantime both Gary’s ashes and his estate remain in limbo. The heartache and expense of all of this could all have been avoided if Gary, following each major change of circumstance in his life, had taken professional advice to ensure that his latest Will matched his current situation and that his belongings and his funeral would be dealt with as he wished, by the people he wanted.

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TV Star’s Death Highlights Importance of Wills

Author: Nathanael Young   Attack and Counterattack Recent news stories have highlighted the lengths FIFA are prepared to go to in protecting its brand. Last Monday’s Holland v Denmark game saw 36 female supports wearing orange mini dresses participated in an ambush marketing stunt for the Dutch beer brand Bavaria. Ambush marketing, the practice of finding a way to promote a brand at a high profile event with out paying a sponsorship, has long been a marketing strategy of Bavaria. At the 2006 world cup in Germany, 1000 fans wearing branded underwear were denied entry to a Holland game, and more recently it has been targeting the Dutch national team matches. FIFA has promised to come down hard on any brand trying to highjack the tournament and this was the case last Monday. The group of women were ejected from the stadium and two of the 36 were later arrested. In addition to this, the ITV pundit Robbie Earl has been sacked by ITV as it has emerged that some of the tickets used by Bavaria were from the ex-Jamaica and Wimbledon midfielder’s  allocation;  which he was  prohibited from redistributing to third parties. Logo or No Logo With the world cup now in full swing, businesses around the country have included references to the event in their advertising and promotional activity in a bid to cash in on its popularity. Some of those are official sponsors, who have paid millions to be able to do so; however, a considerably large number of businesses haven’t paid for the privilege. They simply seek to associate their business  with the  pride and passion that the tournament evokes, with the ultimate aim of increasing sales. However it does come with some risks attached. Many business may not be aware of the extent to which FIFA have rights over and above ordinary trademark or copyright protection in South Africa.  FIFA has every motivation to stamp out such practices, which threaten the sponsorship revenues from their official partners. It already has trademark protection over a number of words, like ‘2010 FIFA World Cup’ and images, such as its official emblem for the tournament. The host country has gone so far to keep FIFA and its sponsors happy, it has created a new list of prohibited marks under special legislation, even including the use of ‘2010’ on its own, which is not a trademark.  For businesses operating in the UK, the situation is rather less draconian.  However,  there are reports that FIFA has obtained a ruling against a sports bar near the Loftus stadium using phrases such as ‘World Cup 2010’. Things to Remember…  The most important guidance is to always avoid the using of any FIFA artwork or branding – such as its logo or the ‘man kicking ball’ official 2010 world cup emblem. For more information and guidance about when you can cannot use World Cup related terms, FIFA has provided a Public Information Sheet which states what is acceptable and the terms of use. Use of the term ‘World Cup’ or similar phrases is less likely to be an issue, although each situation is different, so it is important to take legal advice in order to avoid prosecution.

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We Was Robbed – FIFA clash with the Ambush Marketers

Author: Julie Gingell Could you dedicate just one office tea break to fundraising for a great charity? As close friends of the Willow Foundation , SA Law is helping to promote their latest national fundraising initiative. And the concept couldn’t be easier! Simply schedule an office tea break to raise money. Staff could be asked to make a small donation to attend; cakes and biscuits could be sold; or you could simply hold a raffle. You could even charge a fee for each tea   bag - the more exotic the tea bag the higher the donation!

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Turn Tea Bags into Tenners!

Author: Guy Thomas   In the run up to today’s creditor’s meeting at Pompey’s Fratton Park, Guy Thomas has been commenting in www.sportingintelligence.com on the background to today’s meeting and the options available to the creditors of Portsmouth City Football Club (In Administration) when they vote. Click here to read more.

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Portsmouth: Why Thursday’s creditors meeting means so much to so many (not least the helpless fans)

Authors: Steve Kenneford & Caroline Beale There still appears to be confusion over the obligation to provide Home Information Packs since the announcement to suspend the same on the 21st May 2010. The situation is as follows:- Any/all properties marketed prior to the 21st May 2010 will require a fully compliant HIP.   Any properties marketed after the 21st May 2010 will no longer require a HIP but will require an Energy Performance Certificate to be provided at the cost of the seller.   The cost of the local authority and drainage searches will once again fall upon the Purchaser.  So, effectively, with the exception of the EPC which is being retained, the last 4 years and probably the 3 before that (whilst we were all preparing ourselves for the new HIPS revolution) were a complete waste of time, effort, money and a further erosion of our already depleted rainforests in terms of the monumental waste of paper involved. Thanks for everything Yvette (Cooper)! It remains to be seen whether any further changes will be made and we will keep you advised.

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Life Without HIPS

Author: Guy Thomas   An interesting piece from Business Advisory and Insolvency specialists BDO that reminds directors of football clubs that as the fans enjoy the thrill of the competition in South Africa, it shouldn’t distract them from their own issues closer to home. www.bdoadvisorybites.co.uk/index.php?id=298&uid=6270

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Enjoy the Game…

Author: Guy Thomas A businesses relationship with its lender will always go through changes, particularly when the environment in which the business operates changes. Whilst we may wish it otherwise when borrowing, most lenders are very conservative organisations. As such they are more likely than not to react in specific and predictable ways to different stimuli. Put another way, whilst it pays to try and understand how your businesses lender operates, some things are always going to get a reaction and that reaction may be harsher then you anticipated or planned for. One such example is when businesses spring “surprises” on their lender. One almost universally accepted way to “fall out” with a lender is to surprise them with a major event without given them forewarning or without seeking their comments/approval. A bank recently stepped in before the owners of a company could sell their business (a wholesale bakery business) after they found out the shareholders of the company had tried to buy the company themselves for a significantly reduced price. The Sunfresh Baker which produces over 40million muffins for supermarkets and small shops each year, is a family owned business. It’s  Directors Mark and Stephen Taylor, who are also brothers, tried to buy their £9m turnover bakery for a mere £50,000 after struggling to pay creditors. However the abortive sale was halted when Israeli-based Bank Leumi discovered the chain of events and urgently placed the company into administration appointing an Administrator of their choice. It is believed that the directors, had not informed the bank’s UK asset finance arm about the transaction in advance, despite the bank owning a floating charge over the bakery’s assets.  In a bid to safeguard the position of creditors, Leumi appointed MCR as administrators. Following a second valuation by MCR on an “in-situ basis,” the Taylor’s were asked to pay another £70,000 for the business. The Taylors eventually bought the company for £120,000.  According to MCR documents, the brothers paid £35,000 as initial consideration and are due to pay monthly instalments of £5,000 until October to make up the full amount. A total of 167 creditors were owed £3.4m but it is not clear how much each will receive. Leumi, owed £1m for invoice finance, is expected to get its money when debts are collected. However Barclays, which extended £132,000 overdraft facilities; is less certain to see a return. A full report of the administration and conduct of directors is expected to be submitted to the Insolvency Service within six months. Prior to the insolvency the company last filed accounts for the year to the end of October 2008. These showed a pre-tax loss of £365,337 and it had net liabilities of more than £200,000. According to draft accounts, it made a profit of £1.1m on sales of £9.4m in the year to October 1, 2009. The sale of the business has saved 140 jobs at the company, which will now trade as Taylors the Bakers. Helpful hints for company directors and owners facing insolvency: Consult an insolvency specialist. Insolvency is a complex area with many pratfalls for the unwary. Taking advice at an early stage can help avoid the easy mistakes and help you plan the way ahead for yourself and the business Keep your creditors informed. If you don’t keep them informed then they will assume the worst and act accordingly, wouldn’t you? Review the circumstances regularly. Looking at it once and assessing the situation is not enough; having taken advice, mark out a plan, review the plan and ensure roles and responsibilities have been clearly set out within the management and encourage open discussion about how it is being implemented Keep a record for yourself. Sadly, although we hope for the best you must plan for the worst. Things can and do go wrong. If they do and your decisions are reviewed it will often be done several months hence and with hindsight. Keep a written record of your key decisions and the evidence you had to hand when they were made. Do not assume that record will be available to you in several months time Try to treat creditors equally. A common difficulty for directors in these circumstances is the pressure to treat some creditors better than others.  Although the pressures to do so will be great, you must always take advice before agreeing to this. It is a very common criticism for directors of insolvent companies and can even lead to personal liability No surprises…. As above, banks really, really hate surprises an act accordingly when they find out.

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Directors half-baked attempt at selling their business to themselves at a slice of the price

Author Chris Cook When I think of the world cup I think of 3 things: Gazza’s tears, penalty shoot out disappointments and…unexplained work place absence! There is simply no getting away from the fact that some fans are so passionate about the team they support that they might be tempted to ‘pull a sickie’ to watch critical matches. Here are my tip tips for managing “World Cup Fever” Flexible hours   - allow employees to take the time off to watch the games provided that they make up the hours at a different time Shift swaps - allow employees to swap shifts in order for them to be able to watch the games as long as an appropriate level of cover is organised Unpaid leave - allow employees to take unpaid leave provided that this does not interfere with business operations Annual leave - remind employees that they will need to book annual leave in advance if they wish to watch the games, with approval of such request based on maintaining adequate staffing levels. TV/radio in the background - allow employees to have the TV or radio on in the background so that they can keep track of the games as they work or having special screenings of the games on the premises.  Remember if you are planning to show the matches at work make sure you have a TV licence and you have paid your PRS licence Not everyone is a football fan - employees should be treated fairly and equally at all times. You could therefore consider offering an incentive to anyone who agrees to work through the matches when they are being screened in the office In summary when managing your employees’ during the world cup …….. “You’ve got to hold and give , But do it at the right time , You can be slow or fast , But you must get to the line , They’ll always hit you and hurt you , Defend and attack , There’s only one way to beat them Get round the back”   New order  “World in Motion”  1990 Come on England!!!!

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Be on the ball: How to successfully manage World Cup “Fever”