tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79213595762860812742009-02-21T14:38:19.098ZSlee Blackwell Solicitors BlogSlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-91872138469177252482008-06-02T09:55:00.000Z2008-06-02T09:59:00.833ZChairman for North Devon+David Whiteley, a Consultant with Slee Blackwell has recently been appointed Chairman of the newly formed North Devon +.North Devon + is a Not for Profit company formed by the amalgamation of the North Devon Enterprise Agency, the North Devon Marketing Bureau and the North Devon and Exmoor Regeneration Company.The formation of North Devon + heralds a new approach to Economic Development and Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-40896161230427432752008-05-20T08:28:00.010Z2008-05-21T08:54:39.323ZDEVON COUNTY SHOW – COMPETITION RESULTSThank you to all of those who visited our stand at the Devon County Show. It was wonderful to meet so many of our clients - past, present and hopefully future.For those of you who weren’t able to come along you missed the opportunity of a free wine tasting, after which those taking part were asked to try and identify the genuine Champagne from the sparkling wines.43% of those who entered Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-74662462884937493722008-05-12T09:00:00.001Z2008-12-11T19:33:02.577ZBouncy Castle Judgment Causes Parents to RethinkMany parents will be left wondering whether they should hire a bouncy castle for their children following a recent ruling in a case involving a young boy who suffered brain injury at a friends party. The injury was caused when the child suffered a kick to the head whilst playing on a bouncy castle. The Court ruled that the parents who hired the inflatable were responsible for his injuries as Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-59571265087578908742008-04-14T14:01:00.001Z2008-12-11T20:32:15.088ZCompany Law UpdateFrom 6 April 2008 private companies will no longer be required to have a company secretary. Many companies are expected to take advantage of this relaxation in the law and pass these duties on to a director.However the administrative, stamping and filing duties currently undertaken by company secretaries will still need to be completed correctly. Failure to do so can result in costly delays and, Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-82933508078581700782008-03-19T09:26:00.002Z2008-12-11T20:36:00.844ZEnergy Performance Certificates: An inconvenient truth?Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were the driving force behind the Government’s decision to introduce Home Information Packs and soon commercial properties will need them too.Buildings account for an estimated 40% of UK Carbon emission so EPCs are seen as vital to reducing the country’s carbon footprint. The Government hopes they will encourage landlords and developers to improve the energySlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-38570614436167717292008-02-12T09:21:00.001Z2008-12-11T20:39:12.496ZENTERPRISE INN REPOSSESSION CLAIM SUCESSFULLY DEFEATEDSlee Blackwell’s successful defence of repossession proceedings brought by Enterprise Inn Plc against Craig and Inez Ward of Mavericks in Newquay has been widely reported in the national press. Articles featured in the major trade publications as well as the national press. Both The Publican (5 February 2008) and the Morning Advertiser (7 February 2008) http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/ ran Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-73817208711127167182007-11-09T14:23:00.000Z2007-11-09T14:25:08.997ZOn yer bike!Everywhere you look you can’t help but notice the latest push for everyone to consider the environment and their own carbon-footprint. Environmentalists throughout the world are telling us that unless we take action now to save our planet there won’t be a planet left for our children. The drivers amongst us are all too aware that a litre of petrol has now passed the one pound mark and you wouldSlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-71603220311463935502007-10-26T13:06:00.000Z2007-10-26T13:08:17.518ZALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…Is there a better time to be a parent than at Christmas?The answer to that question may depend upon your view of Christmas in the modern world; many people are understandably dismayed by the commercial product-fest that seems to arrive a little earlier each year.For some, Christmas may provide an opportunity to reflect upon how a child has developed over the course of a year. Growth and maturitySlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-76562705665590935052007-10-16T11:58:00.000Z2007-10-16T12:00:38.575ZLegal 500 recognises SamanthaThe latest edition of the prestigious Legal 500 has listed Slee Blackwell personal injury solicitor Samantha Robson as a specialist in women’s issues. The 2008 directory refers to Sam’s niche practice “advising on claims related to cosmetic surgery, institutional sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault and date rape”. Say’s Sam:“I am delighted to be recognised for my work in this field. Women Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-25665227134723510832007-10-08T08:31:00.000Z2007-10-08T08:39:03.915ZPurchase of Moorfield HouseCare Concern (Leeds) Limited has made an asset purchase of Moorfield House nursing home for a total of £4.4m. Care Concern (Leeds) Limited bought the assets of Moorfield House on the 17th of July 2007. Moorfield House is a residential care home on Fieldhouse walk, Leeds, with a long-standing contract with Leeds City Council to provide care and respite beds to the elderly and infirm. The Business Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-72977577730102943602007-10-08T08:27:00.000Z2007-10-08T08:31:38.279ZJJS acquires Ashley ManorJJS Care Limited has acquired shares in ACG Management Limited, the company that runs Ashley Manor care home in Waterloo, Liverpool. The shares were bought for a total sum of £4.4m in June of 2007. Ashley Manor is a family run business, owned by Mrs Joyce and her three daughters, and is being sold due to a retirement decision. Currently, Ashley Manor has 75 residents housed in 61 single rooms andSlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-55216886464844332782007-10-05T14:56:00.000Z2007-12-07T09:06:37.439ZSlee Blackwell V's North Devon Estate AgentsThe Cricket Pavilion at Instow has stood since the late 1700’s but never in it’s 300 year history has it witnessed a battle like that fought by the gallant players of Slee Blackwell versus the North Devon Estate Agents & Surveyors XI. For while the collapse of the England squad may have caused despair for the cricket fan had they cast their eyes towards the estuary of the Taw and Torridge rivers Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-16386586095619048922007-07-24T09:03:00.001Z2007-07-24T09:04:34.326ZCRIMINAL FOOLISHNESS? On 24th April this year, a Mr Anthony Young from Gloucester made a small piece of legal history. He was awarded compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for injuries he had suffered a year earlier when his motorcycle had collided with a 12 year old boy, Robert Davis, who was playing "chicken" across the A4174 near Bristol.Mr Young was completely innocent. He was ridingSlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-54329555455470001982007-07-24T09:02:00.001Z2007-07-24T09:02:58.470ZFatal RTAA fatal traffic accident on the southbound M5 in Gloucestershire in April 2005 led to the death of 2 drivers and a particularly tricky claim for the family and other dependents of one of them. For reasons which will remain a mystery, both cars were travelling at speeds well in excess of 100mph, with only feet between them. They came into contact, both went out of control and left the hard Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-16443019351915716692007-07-24T09:01:00.000Z2007-07-24T09:02:07.693ZExciting times in PI today......Trussing chickens with elastic string is not "manual handling"- says the court of Session in Edinburgh. Joking apart, the 1992 Regs refer to "transporting or supporting a load" and the court felt that picking up a dead chicken for a moment to truss it did not fall within that definition.This could have interesting implications for man hand injuries from small, occasional or modest moving of Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-12565330011224217592007-07-24T08:58:00.001Z2007-07-24T09:04:50.730ZBANK TELLER INJURED IN FREAK ACCIDENTA counter clerk at a North Devon NatWest bank miraculously escaped being blinded when a security device exploded in her face while she was serving a customer in July last year.Her till contained a "raid bundle" of banknotes, concealing an explosive device and a special dye. Such bundles are designed to be handed to a robber in the event of a raid on the bank; when they are taken past the bank Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-85742000008949921372007-07-02T11:18:00.000Z2007-07-05T11:25:27.564ZSlee Blackwell fundraisers perform feats of heroism (or at least one does)Erin Clarke, conveyancing assistant in our Bideford office, has just raised over £500 for Breast Cancer Care and tackled her fear of heights by jumping from a light aircraft at 10,000 feet with only a pocket handkerchief sized parachute for company. We salute her.Somewhat less heroically Andrew Burke of the Barnstaple Property team raised an undisclosed sum for the Matt Hampson Trust by failing Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-51347654923594637722007-06-30T11:17:00.000Z2007-07-05T11:18:02.718ZHome Information Pack latest.Property lawyers, estate agents, pundits and the public remain bemused by the farcical saga that is the governments Home Information Pack (HIP) legislation. Having geared up for a blanket introduction on 1 June, the property industry now gears down for the limited introduction on 1 August, and Estate agents brace themselves for a flood of instructions to sell 3 bed houses with studies/box rooms/Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-48907478551545424002007-06-29T11:23:00.000Z2007-07-05T11:24:34.563ZProperty team welcome Samantha and CarolineSamantha Millington has joined our Property team in Barnstaple. After a successful career as conveyancer in the Home Counties, Samantha is now enjoying the delights of North Devon. Based in Northam and working in Barnstaple, Samantha is already working successfully for many clients on their sales and purchases.In September Legal Executive Caroline Chandler joins us from premier Salisbury firm Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-26289764901850589372007-06-29T11:13:00.000Z2007-07-05T11:16:19.388ZFirm consulted on introduction of Speedy Summary JusticeChris Jones, managing partner of Slee Blackwell's criminal department, is representing Defence Solicitors in high level discussions concerning the introduction of the Government's new initiative 'Speedy Summary Justice' in Devon and Cornwall. The scheme, which is aimed at dramatically reducing the number of Magistrates Court hearings, is scheduled to be introduced in North Devon in early July. Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-6697496150052990682007-03-13T15:43:00.000Z2007-03-13T17:04:32.561ZChris Jones Appointed Solicitor-Advocate The February meeting of the body responsible for regulating solicitors decided that Chris Jones, a partner with lawyers Slee Blackwell specialising in Criminal Law, should be approved as a Solicitor-Advocate.After over 20 years representing clients in the Magistrates Court, this qualification now allows Chris to appear and represent clients in the Crown Court.The appointment comes in recognitionSlee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-68593120371188654152007-03-01T22:17:00.000Z2007-03-07T11:50:35.823ZThe End of Innocence?In the 2002 Spielberg movie Minority Report our hero (played by Tom Cruise) is in charge of a 'pre-crime' unit which catches and incarcerates (without trial) would be killers before they commit their crime, on the basis of psychic evidence. Readers who have not seen the film should look away now, because I have to tell you that the ending is not a happy one for those who find this vision of Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-57677632866014551112007-01-22T15:45:00.000Z2007-03-08T09:09:05.409ZPI Dept.'s Legal 500 EntryFrom The North Devon JournalPersonal Injury Department Gains Entry to The Prestigious Legal 500The highly prestigious law directory, The Legal 500, has singled out the Exeter and Bideford offices of Slee Blackwell as one of a handful of firms excelling in personal injury law.Says partner Lee Dawkins,“We are delighted that the firm has been recognised by an influential and independent publication Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-7355192424631817062007-01-22T15:31:00.000Z2007-03-07T16:48:15.732ZMike Clarke Half Million Compensation Claim NDJFrom The North Devon JournalBideford solicitors recover £1/2m compensation for local man Slee Blackwell’s Bideford office has secured compensation of almost half a million pounds for a former engineer with T J Brent who suffered devastating head injuries in an industrial accident.Adrian Pile, a former Army electronics specialist from Torrington, who now lives in Bideford, was aged 25 when his Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921359576286081274.post-36882043368281644982007-01-19T11:53:00.000Z2007-03-07T12:08:46.863ZLicencing act 2003 - One Year On It has been almost a year since the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 since then the Courts have been kept busy clarifying how the Act should be interpreted in terms of the way Licensed Premises are run.One thing is clear, people are not afraid to contest the decisions made by the Licensing Authorities. Challenges can be brought by Judicial Review or by an appeal. Appeals can be costly Slee Blackwell Solicitorsnoreply@blogger.com0