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Welcome to the March edition of our commercial law newsletter, keeping you up to date with all the latest legal news affecting your business. | UK Economy Suffers from December Snow
Rather than continuing to grow, the shock news from the Office of National Statistics is that there was a 0.5% reduction in the UK economy in the last quarter of 2010. The dip is being blamed on the weather disruption that affected the whole country at the back end of last year. You can protect your business by putting initiatives in place to reduce the impact that unexpected events could have on your business. Talk to us for guidance on putting a plan together.
Are IP System Improvements on the Cards?
Intellectual Property law is an area which many feel needs some clarity, which is why an independent review of the whole IP system is currently underway. Businesses have until 1st March 2011 to contribute to a review of evidence being gathered by Professor Ian Hargreaves, who is leading the Independent Review of IP and Growth. The findings of the review will be published in April and we will of course bring them to you once released.
Work Experience Scheme Launched
If you are in need of extra staff, it may be worth looking into a new work experience matching scheme. The scheme will match your needs with unemployed 18-21 year olds who are in search of work experience. This could be a win-win situation for both employers and young people, but remember that this scheme of course comes with many employment law stipulations so make sure you speak to us to understand your obligations as an employer.
A number of interesting snippets of news are below as usual, all of which plus much more can be read in full on our website. Have a great month! Regards,
Jonathan Foy
Partner
Business Services Team | 
As part of the coalition government’s cost cutting programme, the competition function of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission are set to merge and form a brand new Competition and Market Authority. This streamlining move is aiming to reduce the number of very similar bodies that perform almost identical roles. This marks a big change in competition law. Make sure you are fully up to speed on this change - which will be put forward for consultation soon - by reading the story in full on our website. For contract law advice always consult our expertise.
