| Welcome to the January edition of our commercial law newsletter, keeping you up to date with all the latest legal news affecting your business.
Mergers to Increase in 2011?
If your business is thinking of restructuring in the coming year, you are not alone. According to UBS, one in six firms across the whole of Europe will be looking to make acquisitions or merge during 2011 following a lull of activity in the past year. It is even suggested that the amount of business acquisitions could reach the highs of 2004. Mergers and business acquisitions call for specialist legal advice, so if you are considering this route, contact us for guidance and advice in this area so that your business is protected.
Are your Terms and Conditions Up to Date?
Many businesses still have not reviewed their standard terms and conditions following the introduction of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Contracts that were drawn up a few years ago may be considered unfair today, which could leave you open to prosecution. Ask for our expert legal help if you fear your terms and conditions may be out of date; we will ensure all your contracts and documents comply with the latest guidelines and laws.
Finally, we hope you had a good Christmas and New Year’s break and we would like to wish you a prosperous 2011. To ensure the year goes without a legal hitch, always remember we’re on hand to deliver the advice and guidance you need to keep things running smoothly. | 
Licensees should be aware that it is now compulsory to ensure that there is an age verification policy in place for anyone who appears to be under the age of 18. In some cases, anyone who looks under 21 years of age could also be checked. One council has also started checking that licensees are making smaller measures such as half a pint of beer or 35ml of spirits available for purchase. Read more on this on our website and contact us for further licensee advice.
The Information Commissioner has hit Hertfordshire County Council with a £100,000 penalty for allowing serious and highly confidential data to be faxed to the wrong recipients. In another case, a £60,000 penalty was levied against an employment services agency which was judged to not have taken reasonable steps to prevent the theft of a laptop which contained sensitive information on 24,000 people in Leicester and Hull. These penalties should send a warning to you if your business handles personal information. The story is detailed on our website and remember to contact us for advice should you have any queries relating to data protection.
HMRC have just released three new ‘toolkit’ guides providing an insight into directors’ loan accounts, property rental and capital and revenue expenditure issues. More information can be found on our website, including a link to the guides.
According to a recent economic report from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 56% of micro-businesses said they did not expect to see an increase in turnover in the next two years. This gloomy outlook could mean many businesses will instead look to cut down on costs, resulting in suppliers having to adjust prices downwards to survive. Further findings can be read on our website. For advice on all areas of business law, contact us today.
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This would have been perfect for our December newsletter, but I only came across it after we had sent it out, so, if you ever wondered what the 
