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Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP

TOWER BUSINESS CENTRE, PORTLAND TOWER, PORTLAND STREET, MANCHESTER, M1 3LF, ENGLAND

Tel:: Work 0161 238 4900
Fax:: Fax 0161 237 5357

Web:: www.ffw.com
Email:

Paris, Munchen, Manchester, London, Hamburg, Brussels

Field Fisher Waterhouse is a European law firm providing commercial solutions across a range of industry sectors. It has a particular focus on companies that are highly regulated and those with intellectual property and technology-driven business models.

The firm: Field Fisher Waterhouse has over 140 partners, 240 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff across offices in Brussels, Munich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Paris, London, Manchester . The firm also has an exclusive relationship with Italian firm La Scala.

International clients choose to work with the firm because it provides exceptional lawyers with industry expertise and strong commercial knowledge of clients’ businesses, enabling the firm to work with them to maximise their market opportunities. Field Fisher Waterhouse is acknowledged as a leading expert in sectors such as technology and communications, hotels and leisure, and media, as well as for public sector work.

Clients include listed and unlisted companies, multinationals, financial institutions, professional partnerships, trade associations and government departments. They value the firm’s flexible approach to teamwork and the fact that it shapes its structures and way of working to meet their specific needs.

Recruitment: Field Fisher Waterhouse seeks to recruit high-calibre individuals to support its continuing growth. The firm’s retention rates are excellent and many of the partners trained with the firm.

All current vacancies are listed on Field Fisher Waterhouse’s website and online applications are welcomed.

Further information about the firm is available from the firm’s website at www.ffw.com.

Types of work undertaken: The firm’s main areas of practice are corporate, IP, technology and regulatory law. The firm also has leading expertise in areas such as banking and finance, financial services, real estate, dispute resolution, personal injury and medical negligence.

Other offices: Brussels, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Manchester, Munich, Paris.

Number of UK partners 115
Number of other UK fee-earners 222

Above material supplied by Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP.

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Legal Developments by:
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP

Is comparative advertising unfair?

THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE (ECJ) IS IN THE midst of considering questions referred to it by the UK courts in three separate cases that should clarify the law regarding comparative advertising. This type of advertising, particularly when it identifies a competitor or a competitor’s goods or services by referring to a registered trade mark, is of particular concern to trade mark owners as their competitors normally seek to make unfavourable comparisons with their own goods or services, or to take advantage of being associated with the market leader’s brand.

- Field Fisher Waterhouse

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

COUNCIL TAX

In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.

- 11KBW
QUEEN’S SPEECH

Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.

- 11KBW
Standards

In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.

- 11KBW
A justified retrospective

Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation

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Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:

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Public Sector Equality Duty

Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.

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Judicial Review

The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.

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The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.

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Immigration update May 2012

In this issue:

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP
Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP