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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

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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