September 11, 2020
Levi Solicitors Sponsors The Square Ball Podcast for 2020/21
We are delighted to confirm that Levi Solicitors LLP will sponsor The Square Ball podcasts for the 2020/21 Premier League season. The Square Ball started as a Leeds United fanzine some 30 years ago. However, it has in more recent years evolved and expanded to also include various podcasts and merchandise. Levi Solicitors have supported The Square…
September 4, 2020
Congratulations to our newest Partner, Ed Smith
We are delighted to announce the promotion of litigation solicitor, Ed Smith, to Partner. Ed joined Levi Solicitors as a trainee solicitor in 2014 and qualified into the Dispute Resolution team in 2015. He is based in the firm’s Leeds office and specialises in licensing work, property disputes and professional negligence claims. Clients have…
September 4, 2020Blog Postscommercial dispute resolution,commercial property disputes,licensing,professional negligence,residential property disputes
July 9, 2020
Stamp Duty Holiday Update
9 July 2020 – Stamp duty tax update The Chancellor has announced a stamp duty holiday for property purchases up to £500,000 Below is a link to the Government’s guidance notes https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-temporary-reduced-rates Reduced rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) will apply for residential properties with a completion…
June 11, 2020
Adapting Your Licensed Business During The COVID- 19 Crisis
Adapting your licensed business during COVID- 19 Many businesses are seeking to adapt their practices in order to maximise sales and profitability during an unquestionably difficult period. Leeds City Council’s Entertainment Licensing Department has helpfully produced a guidance document for premises in Leeds that sell food or alcohol for take…
June 1, 2020
Business Interruption Insurance: Do I Have a Claim?
The Covid-19 Pandemic has had a devastating impact on the economy. Businesses are closed, staff are on Furlough leave and for many businesses turnover is significantly reduced. Understandably, businesses are turning to their insurance policies for financial assistance. Business Interruption Insurance – Can I Make a Claim? Business Interruption…
April 8, 2020
Executing a will while social distancing
People often ask me whether they need a solicitor to make a will. While you can certainly make a will without a solicitor, the risks are high. A solicitor will make sure that all bases are covered: that your estate is protected as well as possible from avoidable Inheritance Tax; that your assets go to the right people; and that any charities you…
April 6, 2020
Directors’ duties: a case update
A recent case concerning the Stobart Group concerning a dissenting company director. We consider the decision and the lessons that can be learned by other company directors in relation to their duties. Stobart v Tinkler – background Mr Tinkler was the former CEO of Stobart. Then, following a decision to step down, he became an executive…
April 1, 2020
Coronavirus Act 2020: Protections for commercial tenants
The Coronavirus pandemic is causing untold difficulties for businesses of all types. In order to attempt to help those businesses and the individuals who work for them, the Government has introduced various temporary measures. These include the ability for businesses to furlough employees while the Government pays them 80% of their wage; a ban on…
April 1, 2020Blog Postscommercial property,commercial property disputes
March 30, 2020
Emergency Coronavirus measures for landlords and tenants
9th June 2020: We write with a further update to the situation concerning housing cases and the ongoing COVID19 pandemic The government has now extended its ban on evictions for residential tenants for a further two months, which takes the ban into late August 2020. If you require advice on dealing with tenants during the ongoing pandemic, you can…
March 24, 2020
Are your rental properties fit for human habitation?
In 2019, the Homes (Fitness For Human Habitation) Act 2018 (“the Act”) introduced new obligations on residential landlords in relation to the condition of their rental properties. This only applied to new tenancies created after 20 March 2019. However, as of 20 March 2020, this now extends to all residential tenancies. The Act means that landlords…
March 23, 2020
Adapting your business in the face of Covid-19
With the Government asking pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes to close last Friday, owners of bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs are looking at other ways to keep cashflow moving. A number of routinely on-sales premises are moving to offering off-sales and delivery of food. We are seeing various operators considering whether they are able,…
March 20, 2020
Government announces temporary ban on evictions
The current Coronavirus pandemic is having wide-reaching effects on our day to day lives. With many businesses making redundancies or closing down (permanently or temporarily), people are understandably concerned about how they will make their rent payments. Yesterday (18 March 2020), the Government announced emergency measures to protect…
March 17, 2020
Protecting premises licences in uncertain times
We have seen Covid 19 thrusting uncertainty onto businesses in recent weeks. While this unsettled period is hopefully short-lived, it has made it clear that owners of licensed premises must be aware of and prepared to deal with new and unexpected challenges. We are sometimes instructed by clients who operate (or who deal with others who operate)…
March 17, 2020Blog Postscommercial property,commercial property disputes,licensing
March 13, 2020
Private nuisance and overlooking neighbours
You may have read recently about the owners of apartments overlooking the Tate Modern bringing a claim against the gallery. The flat owners argued that the gallery’s viewing platform breached their rights to privacy, and also constituted a nuisance. The Court of Appeal has published its decision and we take a look at what happened. Do neighbours…
March 11, 2020
Covert recordings in the workplace
Employees covertly recording on a smartphone is becoming an increasingly common feature in cases which deal with workplace issues that make their way to the Employment Tribunals. It has long been clear that the act of an employee covertly recording a meeting at work may amount to misconduct (depending on the circumstances). However, the recording…
March 6, 2020
Gender equality in the workplace
This week, in support of the upcoming International Women’s Day, we joined the Law Society’s Solicitor Chat on Twitter about gender equality in the workplace. If you didn’t follow the chat, here’s a summary of our answers to the questions. 1. What is the Equality Act 2010, and how does it impact the workplace? The Equality…