News & Insights - Boodle Hatfield

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News & Insights

Our team of experts shine a spotlight on new legal developments, share their views on the impact of current affairs, and offer insights on issues that could impact you and your business.

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14 Oct 2020 Drive Thrus: The key to driving up occupancy rates on retail parks?

Whilst the majority of the hospitality sector has suffered under stringent Covid restrictions, one aspect of the hospitality sector has thrived: the drive-thru. Canadian restaurant brand Tim Hortons has this week

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13 Oct 2020 The times they are a-changing – Institute of Art and Law delivers first online course

We are all learning to adapt and cope with new technologies and challenges. It was great to present on issues relevant to collectors and museums with my colleague Becky Shaw. We covered the topics of insurance and

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13 Oct 2020 The race is on to find a new retail leasing model

Retail agents teamed with data consultancies are racing to come up with new and innovative leasing models that would see rents linked to footfall and would include online sales. 

Long leases with

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12 Oct 2020 Remote witnessing Wills – the stepping stone to reform or the backdrop for further disputes

Legislation has recently been introduced to allow Wills to be validly witnessed by video link rather than in person.  A testator still needs to sign a Will in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the

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07 Oct 2020 Urban farming – an alternative use for commercial space?

An entrepreneurial business plan and a fascinating use of commercial space in central London. Entocycle, which currently operates from railway arches at London Bridge, "feeds local food waste – typically surplus

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06 Oct 2020 Green shoots for Senior Living?

At the end of 2019, the Senior Living sector was following hot on the heels of the BTR and Student Accommodation sectors. At the opposite end of the age spectrum, by targeting the elderly, investors were looking to

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02 Oct 2020 New beneficial ownership register for BVI companies – a victory for transparency or a dangerous precedent?

The decision by the BVI government to create a publicly accessible register of company ownership predictably has been broadly welcomed. Like many offshore jurisdictions, the world's go-to destination for holding

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02 Oct 2020 Reports of the death of the office have been greatly exaggerated

So much has been written about how the pandemic is going to see the death of the office.  Office space is, after all, one of the biggest expenses of any business. Surely, the move to mass home working means that

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02 Oct 2020 Drones for virtual viewings of commercial properties?

Amazon has unveiled an indoor drone which is capable of surveilling homes. How long will it be until the same technology is adopted for virtual viewings of commercial properties? Not long, one would have thought,

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29 Sep 2020 Are we also likely to see COVID rent suspension clauses in leases going forward?

Could landlords go further to support restaurant / pub / nightclub tenants? Some tenants might suggest that landlords agree (either on a lease renewal or in a deed of variation to a current lease) that rent will be

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28 Sep 2020 Cutting out the middle man

An increasing number of family offices are looking at direct investment. The attraction of lower fees coupled with the ability to have greater influence over investments is attractive.

Historically private

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28 Sep 2020 Cryptoasset Allocation Increasing

With investors looking to increase their asset allocation to crypto assets, the ability of regulators to keep up with minimising risk for participants is becoming increasingly important.

There is also a lack of

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28 Sep 2020 Family Offices investing in UK Real Estate

Family offices and HNWs don't have the same constraints as institutional investors; for one they can afford to take a very long term view.

Pre-Covid the competitiveness of capital was high and many HNWs and

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24 Sep 2020 Refurbishment Projects & the Party Wall Procedure – Protect Yourself

Although neighbours cannot generally stop a property owner from carrying out works, their interests can be protected in a number of ways through the party wall procedure. If you are intending to carry out works which

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24 Sep 2020 Flexible working: is the 10 year office lease dead?

Will we ever see office occupiers sign up to a 10+ year city centre lease again? 

Many may not and the demand for more flexible space looks set to increase. Indeed, some existing serviced office providers

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24 Sep 2020 New Planning Use Class E: But, what of the existing permitted development rights?

On 1 September 2020, new planning use class E came into force. Use class E groups together shops, restaurants, offices, gyms, GP's and nurseries into one planning use class. As such, it is now possible to switch

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24 Sep 2020 Budget delay – a chance to get the tax landscape right?

The postponement of the Budget is yet another peculiarity of 2020 fostered by Covid 19. Not a few people had forecast that the long heralded removal of certain tax reliefs would finally come to pass this autumn as a

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22 Sep 2020 Strong Foundations

The Jersey Royal Court held recently that it had no power to set aside the establishment of a Jersey Foundation on the grounds of mistake. 

The regime governing Jersey Foundations is contained in the

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21 Sep 2020 Brexit considerations

The International Trade Secretary recently established 11 trade advisory groups (TAGs) to help advise on Brexit trade negotiations. The construction sector was not one of them, which is surprising given the Prime

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18 Sep 2020 Do family businesses have more in common than they think?

Rupert Merson (adjunct professor at London Business School) has written an interesting piece on how family businesses have more in common than they realise.

In particular he discusses the interesting phenomenon