Archive for June 2021

Spanish Will or an English Will?

Do you own property in Spain? If you do, it is always convenient to have a Will in place to ensure that the property goes to the relatives or persons you would like them to inherit it. As you will see in this article, there are several options which include granting a Will in your […]

Renting Out Your Home on AirBnB Without Legal Advice is a Grave Mistake

Many tenants who forego legal advice before subletting their homes to tourists and other short-term visitors do so in blissful ignorance that they may well be breaching the terms of their leases. That was certainly so in the case of a flat dweller whose use of AirBnB placed the roof over his head in jeopardy. […]

Traydstream raises $8m in investment deal led by gunnercooke

London based Fintech Traydstream Limited has raised US $8m as part of a Series A funding round from institutional and private investors. gunnercooke Corporate Partner Kyri Papantoniou led the legal side of the investment process, which began in summer last year. Traydstream is a global provider of an AI powered platform to digitalise and automate […]

When work and personal relationships collide…

It is a fact of life that many people meet their future life partners at or through work. But in the wake of the revelations about Matt Hancock’s relationship with a work colleague, how far can (and should) businesses go in setting rules relating to personal relationships at work?  Much of the time, these relationships […]

Incapacity to inherit- what does it mean in a Spanish Will?

If you own property in Spain or have inherited property in Spain then you may have seen how a Spanish Will looks like. It is very different from a UK will and it uses terminology that would be rarely seen in a UK testament. For instance, it is quite normal to appoint one or more […]

Landlords – Are You Complying with the Letter of Your Tenants’ Rights?

Service charges are by far the most common source of disputes between residential tenants and their landlords. As an Upper Tribunal (UT) ruling showed, landlords who fail precisely to abide by the letter of leases when collecting them place themselves in financial jeopardy. A landlord’s managing agent served a demand on a residential tenant requiring […]

gunnercooke wins Large Firm of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards

gunnercooke is delighted to be celebrating a win at this year’s Manchester Legal Awards, picking up Large Firm of the Year. The judges called gunnercooke “a trailblazing firm that was perfectly set up to deal with the challenges of 2020 and emerged from it a bigger and better business”, commending the firm for its “impressive […]

Landlord of Unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation Receives £45,000 Bill

Property investors frequently delegate day-to-day managerial duties in respect of their portfolios to others. However, as a guideline case concerning an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO) showed, such arrangements are unlikely to absolve them from legal responsibility. The case concerned a house that had been used as an HMO in that it had been […]

Concerned About Adverse Possession – Use It or Lose It

The law relating to squatters’ rights is not straightforward and concerned landowners should always seek legal advice. As an Upper Tribunal (UT) ruling showed, however, they can give themselves at least some protection by following a simple rule: use it or lose it. The case concerned a narrow strip of land that once formed part […]

Can Trusts inherit property in Spain?

One of the most difficult cases that we have faced when dealing with the administration of a Spanish estate was the estate of an English man who died with no Spanish Will and with a UK Will where he left all his assets to a discretionary Trust. This is to Spanish estates what the mullet was to […]

Spanish Bank Accounts- Why are they so difficult to open?

As a Spanish & English solicitor specialised in property transactions in Spain, one of the most common questions that I get from a new client who is in the process of buying a property in Spain is the following: “what should I do while I am in Spain searching for a property to buy?”. My […]

How to deliver excellent service to clients from different backgrounds

​We’re working in an increasingly global world as technology enables us to deliver our services from any place at any time; something which has been accelerated by the pandemic. Lockdown has forced people to consider their home office set up and learn to use virtual meeting and collaboration tools effectively. It’s never been easier to collaborate […]

Don’t Waive Your Right to a Fair Hearing – HMO Convictions

Health and safety and licensing rules that apply to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are strict and landlords who fail to abide by them can expect stiff financial penalties. However, in an important decision, the Upper Tribunal (UT) found that the landlords of three HMOs were effectively criminalised without a fair hearing. The First-tier Tribunal […]

The podcast that reveals the secrets to inspiring leadership

Business leaders Sir John Timpson, Hassan Damluji and Sir Peter Fahy among guests of The Inspiring Leadership Podcast A new business podcast launched by gunnercooke has welcomed guests including the Deputy Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Chairman and Owner of Timpson, founder of DLA, and the former Chief Constable of Greater […]

gunnercooke expands pensions team with 7 lawyers, 30 client wins and 2 award nominations

gunnercooke has grown its pensions lawyers to seven, winning 30 new clients and growing revenue by 20% in the past year. The UK Pensions Awards 2021 have also nominated the firm in the Pensions Lawyers of the Year and Independent Trustee of the Year categories. Partners Helen Miles and Parminder Latimer joined gunnercooke in 2020, […]

‘Simple’ Clause in Commercial Property Lease Triggers High Court Dispute

Commercial property leases can be long and complex documents, but it is often their most apparently simple clauses that give rise to dispute. That was certainly so in a High Court case concerning an airport hotel owner who was required to pay for its gas and electricity supplies ‘at no more than the prevailing commercial […]

Why are so many turning their back on a traditional career path?

I am often asked the reason for the success of the revenue share model. Simply put, it’s down to the demand. Attitudes have changed and people want more in their career path, that is why these models are seeing so much growth. Since we started our fee share law firm 11 years ago, the demand […]

MDL Technologies sold to APC with gunnercooke advising

MDL Technologies Limited has been sold to APC Technology Group. Negotiations commenced in March and the sale closed on 30 April 2021 for an undisclosed sum. gunnercooke Corporate Partner Kyri Papantoniou advised the sellers, with Brachers acting for the buyer. Hertfordshire-based MDL Technologies is the UK’s renowned electronic testing company, providing test solutions in a […]

Neighbours Planning a Garden Development? You Are Not Powerless!

Domestic gardens, which many people view as the glory of British suburbia, present a tempting prospect to builders amidst burgeoning housing demand. As one case showed, however, objectors to such developments are by no means powerless. The owners of a semi-detached house obtained planning permission to build a new four-bedroom home in its garden. That, […]

Residential Tenancies: Where are we now?

Notices, Evictions, Rent Arrears and Restrictions with Residential Tenancies Landlords of residential properties may be forgiven for being fairly confused by this point as to what notice they need to give to tenants and whether they can or cannot recover their property. This brief guide to residential tenancies seeks to simplify the current position in […]

gunnercooke hires 11 new partners over the spring as it continues expansion

Challenger law firm gunnercooke, has recruited 11 new partners as it ramps up its expansion and recruitment. The new joiners include Russell Dellar, a Real Estate Finance lawyer who joins from Bird & Bird, and Tim Scorer, an Aviation specialist who has moved from Kennedys Law. Also bolstering the Real Estate team in London are […]