Jonathan Rathbone

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 – what do these changes mean for your Company?

Considering a Vendor Funded Management Buyout? Jonathan Rathbone, Corporate and Commercial Director at Hughes Paddison, explains the pros and cons to this useful business exit strategy.

In our experience, a dispute between shareholders is far more difficult to manage if the shareholders' agreement does not properly deal with what happens when a business partner's employment terminates or changes.

A family investment company (FIC) is simply a term for a corporate vehicle which holds investment assets for the benefit of its shareholders who are normally members of the same family. There is no special status or registration required with Companies...

Competition is a good thing as a it helps drive innovation and keep prices down for the consumer. However, a manufacturer will often want to put in place restrictions on their distributors to give each distributor a reasonable opportunity to promote and sell their products without facing competition from each other and their customers. It is also in the manufacturer’s interests that a distributor can make enough margin from selling their products so that they want to invest in promoting and growing sales.

The rules relating to what restrictions would be permitted changed on 1 June 2022.

Directors of companies in England and Wales owe a number of duties to their company under the Companies Act 2006, such as to promote the success of the company, to act within their powers and to avoid conflicts of interest.

The extent of each party’s liability is a key part of a commercial contract and is likely to be subject to extensive negotiation. An indemnity is a promise usually made in a contract to pay money out on the occurrence of a specified event. It aims to...

The Government has offered unprecedented levels of financial support to businesses and individuals. Where that comes in the form of grants such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, business rate holidays and the Small Business Grants Scheme, businesses...

In recent news which should be welcomed by directors of businesses who are grappling with the impact of COVID-19, it was announced that there would be changes to the insolvency regime. This includes a temporary suspension of wrongful trading provisions for...

Advisers and certain other entities are now required to report to Companies House if they think that you have not filed the correct details of the persons of significant control (“PSC”) in respect of your company. So now is the time to make sure...

As time marches on, relationships evolve often reflecting outside influences that affect those associations. Business relationships, in particular, often change direction to suit fluctuating markets, new competitors and ever diversifying customer bases. To...

When parties to a transaction involving the sale and purchase of a business agree the main terms on which they are going to contract, the next step is for the buyer to investigate a little further and carry out a due diligence exercise. During this exercise...

Passing off: Confusion or Deception A recent case (Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd v Sandoz Ltd [2019] EWHC 2545 (Ch) (04 October 2019)) has highlighted that protecting your intellectual property at the outset should be a high priority. The Glaxo case...

We explore the use of Incoterms® in the delivery of goods in commercial contracts. Incoterms® are rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce and can be used to define the responsibilities of both seller and buyer in importing...

It is always favourable to leave a job on good terms. It is a small world after all. But what does it mean to be a “bad leaver”? In corporate agreements, bad leaver clauses can be used, for example, when defining how an employee who is also a...

The Corporate and Commercial Team at Hughes Paddison is celebrating its second birthday this month. In the first two years, the team has worked on around 50 transactions with a total deal value of around £50 million ranging from a £9...

We use the expression deposit in a number of different ways. You can put down a damage deposit when renting a car or accommodation or you might pay a deposit when buying a car, a house or paying for a holiday. If you are paying a damage deposit, then the...

Budget changes to Entrepreneurs’ Relief highlight benefits of EMI share options In the Autumn budget 2018, changes to entrepreneurs’ relief were announced which make it harder for companies to give share incentives to employees which benefit...

Family businesses are a popular choice for those with the confidence and conviction to forge a career either by starting out with parents and siblings or, more typically, children joining the family business ultimately with a view to taking over when their...

Terms and conditions (“ T&Cs ”) are the bedrock of any commercial agreement. Whilst parties to commercial agreements are looking to establish and cultivate productive and profitable relationships, they are also concerned with limiting their...

“Not another article on GDPR!” I hear you cry. Businesses are increasingly aware that they need to be GDPR compliant by 25 May 2018 and are trying to work out what that means for them. There is plenty of information out there, but it is...

Crowdfunding is the buzz word when it comes to raising funds – whether that be for an exciting new product, a kidney transplant or a new film. So, is this something we should all be getting involved in? Historically, financing a new enterprise meant...

Data Protection law is relevant to every business. It should not be ignored under the current rules, but under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which come into force in May next year, businesses will be required to take another look at what...

If you are sending marketing e-mails to your customers and contacts, then you need their consent under the current rules, but many businesses will have sought that consent through pre-ticked boxes or as part of their terms and conditions – in other...