This episode, featuring Suzanne Gill and Ben Dunbar, examines two significant service charge cases that clarify what it means for a landlord to act “reasonably” when determining a tenant’s service charge proportion.
More about Real estate podcast: service charge apportionments – making the rational choiceQ. Why might a party want to change a child’s surname? In the context of separation/divorce, it is sometimes motivated by a party wanting to ensure their surname, for example a wife if she intends to revert to her maiden
More about What’s in a name? The practical and legal implications of changing a child’s surnameWhy philanthropy matters to the UK’s cultural sector Sir Tristram Hunt has raised concerns that recent reforms to the UK’s non‑dom tax regime are making it noticeably harder for arts institutions to secure major gifts. Unlike countries where culture is
More about Are non-dom tax reforms inhibiting philanthropy?How PISCES works PISCES is a new UK trading mechanism designed to allow private companies to hold regulated, time‑limited windows in which their shareholders can sell existing shares to eligible investors. Who operates PISCES? PISCES is a regulatory regime under
More about PISCES: preparing private companies for intermittent share tradingWhat is Cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrency is a digital asset recorded on decentralised networks built on blockchain technology. It enables users to send and receive funds directly without relying on a bank or traditional financial intermediary. Examples include Bitcoin and Ethereum, as
More about Crypto fraud factsheetLike a Spring garden, pension developments are growing apace: the Pension Schemes Bill is moving rapidly through Parliament and Royal Assent may be in March /April. Many of the provisions (but not all, see our Virgin Media article below) will
More about Pensions Compass – February 2026Key Points The Pension Schemes Bill (2025) is the legislative vehicle for the Virgin Media remediation provisions, which will take effect immediately on Royal Assent. The Bill introduces a statutory process enabling trustees to retrospectively validate historic amendments that may
More about Part 1 – Virgin Media: an updateAs employment practices evolve, landed estates may benefit from reconsidering their approach to funding retirement accommodation, and instead pay enhanced contributions into their employees’ pension schemes. This alternative may offer the opportunity for superior investment returns and tax efficiencies compared
More about Part 2 – Should landed estates opt for enhanced employer contributions?Background The Scheme’s liabilities were secured by way of a buy-in policy. The policy was then reinsured back‑to‑back with a captive reinsurer within the employer group under the ‘PenCap II’ structure, with a fronting insurer interposed between the trustee and
More about Part 3 – Buy ins, buy outs and surplus – lessons from Coca ColaKey Points The final guidance deadlines for pensions dashboards are fast approaching, with all UK occupational and personal pension schemes of 100+ relevant members required to connect by 31 October 2026. Failure to connect can result in significant regulatory fines.
More about Part 4 – Pensions Dashboards: a dash to the finishing line?