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What are alphabet shares and what is their purpose? Alphabet shares are a common feature of UK company structures, particularly in owner-managed businesses, family companies and companies where flexibility around dividends or control is important. They are often...
You have probably seen the recent BBC story headlined I am caught in a trade mark row with Cambridge University it is terrifying. That headline captured attention because it frames a standard trademark opposition as David against Goliath. A small business owner versus...
When business owners talk about giving their husband or wife shares, what they usually mean is not about control or voting rights. Don't tell HMRC, but it is usually about income. They want to be able to pay dividends to their spouse in a tax efficient way, without...
Dryrobe v D-Robe – when your brand risks becoming the product This case is a textbook example of a problem many successful businesses secretly envy and quietly fear at the same time. When your brand becomes so well known that people start using it as the name for the...
Toilets in the workplace – the legal issues Few workplace issues generate as much heat, confusion and anxiety as toilets. What was once a purely practical facilities question has become legally complex, politically charged and emotionally sensitive. Employers are...
If you are a shareholder looking to exit a business, one of the most common questions is whether the company itself can buy back your shares. The short answer is yes, it can. The longer answer is that share buybacks are tightly regulated, the paperwork matters, and...
Side letters are one of those quiet little tools that commercial lawyers use all the time, yet most business owners never come across until there is a practical problem to solve. They sit alongside the main contract and make targeted changes without reopening the...
Budget 2025 - why this feels like one of the worst Budgets for business owners and higher earners Headline changes business owners should care about Dividend tax goes up by 2% from April 2026, making it more expensive to take money out of your company as dividends. ...
In Thom Browne Inc and another v adidas International Marketing BV and others [2024] EWHC 2990 (Ch), the High Court found that certain figurative marks comprising three stripes applied to various items of clothing and a bag, and registered for those goods, were...
![Was a 12-month non-compete enforceable? Tom James UK Ltd v Potter [2025]](https://www.stevenmather.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/12-month-non-compete-tom-james-v-potter-2025--1080x675.webp)
When an employee leaves and goes to a competitor, emotions often run high. Employers want to protect their client base and confidential information. Employees want to move on and use their skills. The question is: where’s the line? The recent case of Tom James UK Ltd...
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