Murrell Associates

19/03/2024

Employer Q&A: The four-day week

The pros and cons of a four-day working week are a hot topic. Proponents shout that it raises productivity (by increasing focus and more efficient workload management) and improves work-life balance (higher job satisfaction and less stress, sickness etc). Naysayers point to struggles to maintain customer service, meet deadlines and an increase in recruitment and staffing costs (think increased hourly rates and the need for more staff to cover “off” days).

It is an attractive recruitment proposition in the modern labour market. Is it here to stay? It looks likely in industries where the workforce can be structured to ensure that its needs are met, without leading staff to encounter four “extreme” days as opposed to five manageable ones. There are certainly many examples out there of businesses who have found trials to be a great success, but there are also some on the other side of the fence. What are the legal considerations? Read more below..

The pros and cons of a four-day working week are a hot topic. Proponents shout that it raises productivity (by increasing focus and more efficient workload management) and improves work-life balance (higher job satisfaction and less stress, sickness etc). Naysayers point to struggles to maintain cus...

18/03/2024

Murrell Associates LLP were pleased to advise Amutri on the investment.

A Cornish tech start-up has secured equity investment from GameTech Ventures and the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), managed by The FSE Group.

Founded in 2021 as part of the Falmouth Launchpad entrepreneur accelerator programme, Amutri has developed a technology that enables stakeholders of architectural and engineering projects to create and share 3D content.

The £500k funding will promote the growth of the business, supporting further product development, marketing, and sales.

Amutri founder, Michael Calver, said: “As a young and ambitious company, we recognise the importance of support in realising our goals. This investment will propel us forward in further developing our innovative products to lower the entry point to 3D Visualisation technology for many industries.

“We value GameTech Ventures’ and The FSE Group’s confidence in our vision and are thankful for their support at this early stage. We look forward to continued collaboration as we work towards achieving our growth plans.”

The 3D Visualisation industry is said to be worth around $23 billion and is expected to grow due to technological advancements and increasing demand across various industries. Real-time 3D visualisation is becoming more popular and could lead to greater adoption of the technology. Amutri’s solution removes time constraints and expands accessibility, ultimately increasing the addressable market.

Meg Salt, investment manager at The FSE Group, added: “Amutri is an exciting disruptor in 3D Visualisation. Their technology has garnered positive feedback from end users and has a large addressable market. The experienced team has already established a strong pipeline of international clients for whom Amutri is removing barriers to producing 3D experiences.

“The company is poised for rapid commercialisation and further functionality in 2024 and we are delighted to be working with them as they continue to grow.”

A Cornish tech start-up has secured equity investment from GameTech Ventures and the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), managed by The FSE Group. Founded in 2021 as part of the Falmouth Launchpad entrepreneur accelerator programme, Amutri has developed a technology that enables sta...

12/03/2024

Employer Guides: April employment law changes in a nutshell

After a few years where there has not been much to report on the employment front, April 2024 marks the start of some activity which employers should be aware of. We have picked out the key points below.

Changes at a glance:
From 1 April…

- The national minimum wage (NMW) – The NMW is increasing. See here for details of the rates.

- Holiday pay – For leave years commencing after 1 April, the ability to utilise rolled up holiday pay is back for part-year and irregular hours workers. Rolled-up holiday pay is the practice of making a payment to an employee or worker in respect of their accrued holiday on top of their normal rate of pay (effectively an enhanced hourly rate) as an alternative to paid holiday leave. Holiday can be calculated in hours and will accrue at the rate of 12.07% of the hours worked in the pay period.

From 6 April…

- Flexible working – The right to request flexible working will apply from day 1 of employment and the employee will no longer have to explain the potential effect of their application and how this could be dealt with. Up to two applications may be made within 12 months and employers should deliver their response within two months (unless an extension is agreed).

Acas has a new draft code of practice on this here:

- Carer’s leave – Employees who need to arrange or provide care for a dependent with a long-term care need will be entitled to take unpaid carers leave. Leave can be taken in half or full day increments up to a maximum of one week in a 12-month period.

- Paternity leave – For employees, whose partner whose expected week of childbirth is after 6 April, paternity leave will no longer have to be taken in two consecutive weeks and may instead be taken in two separate one-week chunks at any time in the 52 weeks following childbirth.

- Redundancy pay – The cap on a week’s pay will increase to £700.

- Redundancy during pregnancy – The existing right for women on maternity leave to have a preferential right to be offered a suitable alternative vacancy in a redundancy situation is being extended. The right will now apply to pregnant women and for 18 months following the date of birth of the child. Therefore, new parents who have recently returned from maternity, adoption leave, or shared parental leave (lasting six or more weeks) will also enjoy the protection.

Get in touch
If you are an employer and would like to discuss any of the content of this article further, or have any employment queries generally, Melanie Rowe (Legal Director), would be delighted to hear from you. You can reach Melanie on 07854 029922 or you can email her [email protected].

After a few years where there has not been much to report on the employment front, April 2024 marks the start of some activity which employers should be aware of. We have picked out the key points below. Changes at a glance: From 1 April… From 6 April… Acas has a new draft code of […]

28/02/2024

In recent years we have seen the rise in cut price supermarkets and affordable retailers. Whilst many of these supermarkets fail to offer our favourite brands, it appears that they offer similar products with almost identical labelling. So how are they getting away with it?

Thatchers Cider Company Limited recently issued proceedings against Aldi Stores Limited in respect of Aldi’s sale of its “Ta**us cloudy cider”. Thatchers relied on its registered trade mark “Thatchers Cloudy Lemon (and Device)” and alleged trade mark infringement and passing off.

Aldi accepted that it used Thatchers’ product as a “benchmark” but denied any act of trade mark infringement.

In the circumstances, the judge held that Aldi had not infringed Thatchers’ trade mark as there was no “likelihood of confusion”. The judge ruled that whilst Aldi’s use of the mark caused a link in the mind of the average consumer, it did not take unfair advantage of the mark. The judge also found that Aldi was not liable in passing off as there was no misrepresentation that Aldi was connected to Thatchers.

The judge was also invited to conduct a blind taste test. Whilst the judge acknowledged that the taste of the two products were similar, she accepted that they were different.

So, the question remains, would you be confused by a cut price version of your favourite brand in a discount supermarket? And if you were an owner of a valuable high-quality brand in which you had invested significant development and marketing costs, would you be willing to allow this act to continue? Maybe extending the scope of your trade mark portfolio, obtaining design right protection for your bottle shape or label could be an additional preventative step to deter infringers. Thoughts on a postcard…

To view the full judgement, please follow the link below.

Get in touch

If you are a brand owner and would like to discuss protecting or enforcing your intellectual property rights further, Rebecca Anforth (Legal Director), would be delighted to hear from you. You can reach Rebecca on 07984 692100 or you can email her [email protected].

https://murrellassociates.co.uk/same-same-but-different/

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In recent years we have seen the rise in cut price supermarkets and affordable retailers.  Whilst many of these supermarkets fail to offer our favourite brands, it appears that they offer similar products with almost identical labelling.  So how are they getting away with it?  Thatchers Cider Com...

15/01/2024

Henry Maples together with Rebecca Anforth, Eve Wright, Luke Smith, Melanie Rowe and Jonathan Chaplin provided legal advice to the shareholders of Cedar Bay on the transaction.

Roger Teagle, CEO and Founder of Cedar Bay commented that “Murrell Associates LLP provided us with excellent support throughout the transaction. They were able to provide their legal advice in the context of the commercial transaction and deliver on the wide range of legal aspects of the project in the tight timescales we had. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for business focused lawyers.”

January 2024 Arcwide, the joint venture of BearingPoint and IFS dedicated to the deployment of IFS Cloud services, announces its official acquisition of Cedar Bay’s IFS business.  As the first IFS Platinum Channel Partner in the U.K. and with almost two decades of experience implementing large-s...

19/12/2023

A look back at the last eventful decade working with our renewable energy clients, a trip down memory lane for some readers!

https://murrellassociates.co.uk/riding-the-renewables-rollercoaster-a-retrospective/

If renewable energy had a “coalface” (dare we use the term) then that’s where you’d find Murrell Associates. From the pioneering “gold rush” days, to when the industry took a good kicking from government policy and nearly disappeared, to the latest renewables resurgence, we’ve been rig...

12/12/2023

Murrell Associates raise money for their chosen charity, St Petrocs with a Christmas Jumper Day and a 'Great Murrell Christmas Bake Off', judged by Rebecca Anforth & Luke Smith.

08/09/2023

Who let the lawyers out? Team having some fun in the sun today at the all in aid of a good cause BF Adventure

05/09/2023

David Williams and Anna Bevan from Murrell Associates LLP hospitality team advise Paul & Ylenia Haase the owners of The Old Lifeboat House, on a new lease to Onzo Limited, a new venture between established local operators, St Ives Restaurants and Symons Retail.

The historic premises, located on Wharf Road with stunning views over St Ives’ harbour was a popular waterfront restaurant and operated by the now defunct AJ (Plymouth) Limited before it was destroyed by a fire in December 2020.

Following the fire our Paul and Ylenia Haase have undertaken a restoration and renovation programme ready for Onzo to take a 12-year commitment for their new Italian centred offering.

On the support from Murrell Associates, Paul and Ylenia Haase commented:
“We are extremely pleased that the Old Lifeboat House will be given a new opportunity and we could not have done it without David and Anna’s support and advice. We can’t overstate the benefit having lawyers who shared our vision and supported us through the obstacles that came our way in getting the building back to its former glory.”

Anna Bevan said of the transaction:
“I am extremely happy that we have been able to support Paul and Ylenia in getting the lease over the finish line. The restaurant is in St Ives’ prime location with breathtaking views over the harbour. It has been a pleasure working with Paul and Ylenia and I hope the restaurant is a success for all parties.”

Murrell Associates LLP is a law firm delivering advisory and transactional support to corporates, investors and organisations. For more information on our service lines and sector specialisms please visit https://lnkd.in/eCJzVDG2.

https://murrellassociates.co.uk/murrell-associates-supports-the-regeneration-of-st-ives-old-lifeboat-house/

David Williams and Anna Bevan from Murrell Associates’ hospitality team advise Paul & Ylenia Haase the owners of The Old Lifeboat House, on a new lease to Onzo Limited, a new venture between established local operators, St Ives Restaurants and Symons Retail.

10/08/2023

Murrell Associates advises on the acquisition of Gylly Beach Café

Joe Healey, Managing Director of Cyderhouse Co Ltd went on to say: David and the team were awesome.

https://murrellassociates.co.uk/murrell-associates-advises-on-the-acquisition-of-gylly-beach-cafe/

Murrell Associates acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Gylly Beach Limited, the sellers’ freehold of Gylly Beach Café and the sellers’ lease of the adjoining bakery and exclusive trading rights on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth. The transaction progressed from … Continue reading .....

03/05/2023

Murrell Associates have expanded their Legal 500 ranked commercial property team, welcoming Helen Sennett as a new associate.

https://lnkd.in/dmMT_Ckr

Murrell Associates have expanded their Legal 500 ranked commercial property team, welcoming Helen Sennett as a new associate. Helen brings her experience of working with landowners, developers, funders, investors and occupiers to the team who are praised in the Legal … Continue reading →

23/03/2023

How marine innovation company Tugdock secured investment to prepare for a global opportunity..

https://murrellassociates.co.uk/news/how-marine-innovation-company-tugdock-secured-investment-to-prepare-for-a-global-opportunity/

Client: Tugdock Limited How we helped: Investment and commercial services arrangements The team: Henry Maples, Rebecca Anforth and Megan Bingley The background Floating offshore wind turbines are located in areas where there is deeper water and higher winds than fixed … Continue reading →