A pilot scheme encouraging mediation as a less costly way of resolving civil disputes will launch in Manchester on 1 September. Mediation sessions will be held at Manchester Civil Justice Centre and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. It will be available to parties involved in disputes where the value of a claim is more…
New Balance has won a record payout in a Chinese trademark case after three local shoemakers were found to have infringed the brand’s “N” logo. A Chinese court awarded the US sportswear firm more than 10 million yuan (£1.2m). It is believed to be the highest award to a foreign company in a trademark dispute…
Airbnb have revealed plans to crack the Asian market. Nathan Blecharczyk, a co-founder and the firm’s chief strategy officer, says it’s firmly focused on expanding in Asia-Pacific. The region has roughly 60% of the world’s millennials i.e. young adults between the ages of 19 and 35 who are the fastest growing generation of consumers. However,…
Peter Smythe, a 74 year old pensioner, appeared in court accused of leaving his neighbour Nigel Clark with a fractured nose and eye socket after hitting him with a leaf blower outside their homes during a dispute over a boundary ditch. Clark told the court he and his wife, Hervor, were hoping to buy Peter…
New figures released by the Ministry of Justice show that in April to June 2017 mortgage possession proceedings increased by 17% on the same period in 2016 to 5,186. This is still considerably short of the peak during the financial crisis from April to June 2009, when claims reached 26,419 over the three-month period. Since the…
From 7 August 2017 new court proceedings came into force meaning anyone entering court, including solicitors and barristers, are now being asked to sip the drinks they are carrying to prove they are not filled with harmful substances or alcohol. The rules will apply to all ‘customers’ who enter the building with an unsealed ‘drink…
The Government has confirmed details for a new pilot scheme to extend court opening times across England and Wales. Six courts have been selected for the trial, including Manchester, adding either an early or a late slot. The early session running from 8am to 10.45am and the later one from 4.30pm to 7pm. The trial…
A couple locked in a bitter dispute with their neighbours over a small wall came home to find a huge green lorry trailer parked right outside their home. Sophia and Gwyn Hughes said the huge container blocks out sunlight and obscures the view when they look out of their window. The trailer was positioned at…
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled that Michael Jackson’s estate owes producer Quincy Jones $9.4 million in royalties and production fees from Billie Jean, Thriller and more of the star’s biggest hits. The award was short of the $30 million the producer sought in the lawsuit filed nearly four years ago, but well above the approximately…
Lego have threatened to sue a removals firm over the figures painted on the side of their vans. It claims Kwik Stix are infringing their copyright with the design and have ordered it to be removed within 28 days. Lego is demanding Kwik Stix removes anything on the internet that displays the logo, and which…