Pre-sale due diligence helps business owners identify and resolve issues before selling, ensuring a smoother transaction and boosting buyer confidence. Key areas include legal, financial, and operational risks, making the business more attractive and sale-ready.

Adverse possession allows an individual to gain legal ownership of a property by occupying it, without the original owner’s permission, for an extended period. The Land Registration Act 2002 gave landowners a little more control over their properties than they had previously but, as adverse possession is a complex area of property law, advice should be sought from a lawyer with appropriate experience.

On 1 January 2025, digital platforms such as eBay became required by law to report to HMRC any sellers who had made more than a few sales. The measure is intended to ensure that sellers pay tax on their sales.

As at the end of February 2025, internet sales comprised 26% of all retail sales in the UK. As the online market grows, businesses are tempted by what they see as the reduced cost of selling online. It is true that having to bind yourself to a lease and other set up costs and being tied into operating hours can be expensive and painful, but business is business, and organisations remain obligated to comply with a variety of laws.

Arvin Bhamra, Senior Associate provides examples of additional practical considerations we recommend for secured lending when making a loan secured against property.

The UK's digital marketing landscape is undergoing significant changes in 2025, with new legislation impacting how businesses collect, process, and use personal data. Key developments include the introduction of the Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA Bill) and amendments to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). These changes aim to balance innovation with privacy, but they also introduce new compliance requirements for online businesses.

Lease extensions are becoming more and more common nowadays as the unexpired term of leases granted in the 1980s and 1990s is often falling below 80 years.

Amid growing concerns that seasonal workers are facing increasing levels of abuse, farmers and growers find themselves at the sharp end of increasing enforcement powers as exploitative practices come to light.

Despite the obvious anxiety caused by the removal of APR from farming assets over £1 million, announced in the Autumn budget, it is more likely than not that most affected farms and estates will be able to mitigate some, if not all, their IHT liability.

A government consultation issued in February 2025 sought views on the proposed changes to the energy efficiency regulations (MEES) as they affect private rented property. The government is proposing to strengthen these regulations further by introducing new metrics against which to judge a building’s energy efficiency.