Insights: May 2017

“Electricity” – a song written by Elton John and Lee Hall for Billy Elliot – reveals young Billy feeling “electricity, electricity, sparks inside of me, and I’m free, I’m free”. Some tenants of multi-let buildings may also feel as free as Billy, knowing they may be free to choose their own energy supplier. In 2008, […]

Fladgate advised Grand Fortune High Grade Limited on a placing to raise £4.3m, the admission of the Company’s ordinary share capital to the Standard listing segment of the Official List and the admission of such share capital to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market. The Company was formed for the purpose of raising capital […]

The ruling in Marex Financials provides a new useful tool against third parties dissipating a judgment debtor’s assets, says Leigh Callaway In a judgment that will be of interest to judgment creditors and debtors alike, in Marex Financial Ltd v Sevilleja Garcia [2017] EWHC 918 (Comm), Mr Justice Knowles considered whether a shadow director who […]

Fladgate’s luxury law team, sponsors of the Sustainability Award at the Luxury Law Awards 2017, congratulates Kering on winning the award.  The Luxury Law Awards are designed to recognise the skills that it takes to guide a luxury business or brand to profitable success and the legal teams who stand behind the best luxury business […]

New legislation introduced to extend digital connectivity, regulate direct marketing and protect consumers from unexpected phone bills and ticket bots. The Digital Economy Act 2017 (Act) has officially made its way into UK law.  The Act addresses some of the many issues arising in conjunction with the surge in use of technology, digital media and […]

Fladgate advised Opera Investments plc (now renamed Katoro Gold plc) on the acquisition of Kibo Gold Limited from AIM listed Kibo Mining plc for a total consideration of £3.66m, and the admission of the enlarged group to AIM.  The acquisition constituted a reverse takeover for Opera and provides Opera with ownership of the Imweru and Lubando gold […]

Many occupiers pay their rent to offshore landlords. For decades it has made good tax planning sense for landlords – and other owners of UK real estate – to be based offshore. Holding a land interest from outside the UK has historically allowed appreciation in the value of property to escape UK tax. And whilst […]

We are all used to problems cropping up during the course of a property deal, so the ability to mitigate these as much as possible in advance can be crucial. An increasingly regular issue seems to be that of insurance broker letters. Engaging a broker at the earliest opportunity in a deal is key. We […]

Landowners whose property is subject to rights of way, either for the benefit of owners of adjoining land or for their own occupational tenants, will often want to manage the land over which the rights are exercised.  In particular, there may be good reasons to install security measures, such as gates or bollards, to ensure […]

How should a personal representative (PR) deal with a request from a beneficiary for an interim distribution before the estate is finalised?  Estates can take many months to conclude but a beneficiary may be in need of some of their inheritance sooner.  Can an executor help out without putting him or herself on the line? […]

A recent case demonstrates the importance of having a written agreement in place, no matter how tempting it may be to solely rely on oral terms. Graham Leslie v Farrar Construction Ltd is a Court of Appeal decision regarding the recovery of overpayments made to a contractor. Mr Leslie and the contractor, Farrar Construction, entered […]

Fladgate has acted for AIM listed recruiter Hydrogen Group PLC on its acquisition of the Argyll Scott Group for £3.3m in Hydrogen shares, representing 27.4% of the enlarged share capital. The objective of the acquisition is to create a multi-brand recruitment group, able to deliver a service across multiple functions, industries and countries. The acquisition […]