Protecting Your Business – Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Corporate and Commercial Law
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is of great concern to many businesses as they balance putting contingency plans in place to protect their staff’s wellbeing and also continue to provide their products and services to clients.
Thursfields Solicitors is open for business as usual and has the resources and legal expertise to guide you.
All of our services remain available and we have taken measures to ensure we can manage your legal requirements effectively, although it may be by digital means and not physically meeting you.
Some of the key areas to consider at this time are;
Employment and HR Law
Covid-19 has had an undeniable impact on employers across all sectors. To minimise the impact on your business our employment team can advise you on some of the options available to you to include:
- Flexible working arrangements (remote working, flexible arrangements).
- Sick pay arrangements.
- Staff communications
- Short- time working or lay off.
- Mandatory holiday periods.
There are strict procedures to follow in respect of these options, call our employment department for an explanation on how best to approach each process.
Coronavirus HR Guide – How to approach an unexpected downturn in work
Contact Jade Linton on 0121 796 4024 or email jlinton@thursfields.co.uk
Concerns of litigation and insolvency
We can provide professional advice to guide companies and individuals through these uncertain times. Working with you we can find solutions to a number of issues during this crisis including disruption to supply chains and performance of existing obligations in key contracts. Engagement with counterparties will be key with litigation being a matter for last resort although we can advise on defences to claims following termination and assess whether claims should be pursued.
A knock-on effect of the issues businesses are likely to face is that there will be a reduction in corporate activity as companies pause on acquisitions and the availability of refinance. Directors should remain mindful of their fiduciary duties including those to creditors if the company is suffering from cash flow problems and consideration should be given as to whether informal or formal arrangements can be agreed with creditors until normal service resumes.
Please contact Stephen Rome should you require further assistance on 0121 726 8782 or srome@thursfields.co.uk
Commercial contracts
What happens to the parties to a contract if circumstances change in a way that affects one party’s performance of the contract? Can the affected party avoid its contractual obligations?
Make sure you read your supplier and customer terms and conditions. Force Majeure – often know as an act of god – actually means the happening of events outside the control of the parties and in a well drafted contract there will be a clause or definition stating exactly what sort of things this could be including pandemics.
If you don’t understand your contracts or have questions regarding, we will review them and guide you on your options.
For advice please contact Stuart Price on 0121 227 3867 or sprice@thursfields.co.uk
Business premises
If you have any concerns with entering or ending a commercial lease please contact Tony Gibb for advice on 01905 677042 or tgibb@thursfields.co.uk
Corporate Law
If you have any further concerns or challenges with your business please contact Gareth Burge on 01905 677043 or gburge@thursfields.co.uk
