News

Delay in Construction Contracts

Devonshires acted for Muir Group Housing Association in connection with its acquisition of O.P. Building Maintenance Services Ltd, a repairs and maintenance company that has worked with Muir for several years.

Devonshires are welcoming Insolvency Partner Jim Varley, one of the founding partners from Locke Lord to their growing insolvency and debt recovery practice.

According to reports there are now over two million people in the UK who use e cigarettes. So should employers expressly include the use of e-cigarettes, or “vaping”, in their no smoking policies?

“Disposing of Land” is a guidance document issued by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to help Private Registered Provider’s understand the HCA’s approach to their decision making in respect of disposals of social housing dwellings and other land under the general consent or specific consent regimes.

The Government has announced that the new Procurement Regulations will come into force in the UK on 26 February. The new Regulations will make some important to changes to public procurement in the UK. It will be important for all of our contracting authority clients (which include Registered Providers and Local Authorities) to understand how the current regime will change, and what these changes will mean for them in practice.

Devonshires are pleased to welcome Matthew Webb, Brian Hearne and Krissun Soodin to the Real Estate & Projects team.

In December 2013 Acas consulted on changes to its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures (the Code) to reflect the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT)’s ruling in Toal v GB Oils.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has now confirmed that there is no general principle of EU law which prohibits discrimination on grounds of obesity. Therefore obesity can be considered a disability under EU law in the case of Kaltoft v Municipality of Bilund. For our analysis of the Advocate General’s opinion click here.