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14 March 2014 / Andrew Francis , Suzanne Rab
Issue: 7598 / Categories: Features , Property
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Neighbourhood watch

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 Are property sales and letting agents under scrutiny? Suzanne Rab & Andrew Francis say you can put your house on it

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating a potential infringement under the Competition Act 1998, Ch I which is the UK domestic legislation applying to restrictive agreements, including cartels. Chapter I mirrors the EU competition law prohibition on restrictive agreements contained in Art 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Chapter I prohibits agreements, decisions and concerted practices between or among undertakings or associations of undertakings (including trade associations) which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the UK and which affect trade in the UK. The OFT may impose penalties of up to 10% of turnover on a company or association that is found to have violated a provision of UK or EU competition law, including Ch I. Individual directors may face disqualification from acting as a company director for up to 15 years.

The provision of property sales and letting

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thackray Williams—Lucy Zhu

Thackray Williams—Lucy Zhu

Dual-qualified partner joins as head of commercial property department

Morgan Lewis—David A. McManus

Morgan Lewis—David A. McManus

Firm announces appointment of next chair

Burges Salmon—Rebecca Wilsker

Burges Salmon—Rebecca Wilsker

Director joins corporate team from the US

NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection? 
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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