Grow your business
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...
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...
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...
![When is default interest too much in a loan agreement? – Houssein v London Credit Ltd [2025]](https://www.stevenmather.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/default-interest-hussain-v-london-credit-1080x675.webp)
The High Court has ruled in Houssein v London Credit Ltd [2025] EWHC 2749 (Ch) that a 4% monthly default interest rate on a property loan was enforceable and not a penalty. The case is a key win for private and non-bank lenders, confirming that strong default clauses can stand if they reflect genuine commercial risk. If you lend secured funds for property deals, make sure your facility or loan agreements are properly drafted and commercially justified. Steven Mather Solicitor advises on facility agreements, loan agreements and secured lending documentation.
What is Good Faith in contracts? The Court of Appeal’s decision in Saxon Woods Investments Ltd v Costa shows how seriously courts take good faith obligations in shareholders’ agreements. The case involved an unfair prejudice petition where a director delayed a promised company sale, breaching both the agreement and his duties to minority shareholders.
![When helping a friend turns into breaching a non-compete – Spill Bidco Ltd v Wishart [2025]](https://www.stevenmather.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/spill-bidco-v-wishart-2025-1080x675.webp)
When you sell your business, your non-compete clause might stop you doing more than you think. In Spill Bidco Ltd v Wishart, a seller who funded and advised friends’ new ventures was found to have been concerned in competing businesses – breaching a standard non-compete clause. The case shows that even lending money or helping out informally after a sale can cross the line.
Introduction It is every employer’s nightmare scenario: you discover that one of your employees has been arrested or charged with a criminal offence. Sometimes the allegation has nothing to do with their work, but at other times it is directly relevant. Either way,...
Business Consultant