Protect your brand on the move with new 'app' The London law firm, Silverman Sherliker LLP, has just launched Namesearch TM Legal, an interactive application for iPhone and Blackberry smart-phones that helps you protect your trade marks, business names, logos and brands without being tied to your desk.

Do new medical notes ‘fit’ the bill for SMEs? Is your company ready for ‘fit notes’? If you’re unsure, then you are not alone. A new survey shows that a third of employers are unaware of the system replacing the 62-year old sick note, and a further 64% haven’t received any guidance on how to manage the new notes.

Businesses could lodge VAT claims for using Parcelforce Tens of thousands of businesses could benefit from a loophole and receive VAT payback following the introduction of VAT on some Royal Mail services such as Parcelforce.

Is your business ready for the World Cup? With the England squad finally announced yesterday and manager Fabio Capello now putting the finishing touches to his game plan, UK businesses are being advised to make sure they too have their World Cup strategies in place in time for kick off on 11 June.

Panic up-staffing The phrase "all hands to the pump' has been well used over the past week with staff who work in travel related roles, but can travel businesses suddenly ask their staff to work around the clock to cope with the huge upsurge in business? Victoria Russell, an employment law solicitor looks at the legal implications

Explained: Shareholder Agreements A shareholders agreement is an agreement among the holders of shares in the start-up corporation. In general, such agreements address the following matters:

Explained: Angel term sheets If you are a start-up in need of funds, you are likely keen to bring interested angel investors on board. But before you sign an early-stage, seed or angel term sheet, make sure that you understand, from a legal perspective, the basics of dissecting the key provisions.

Is your business open to fraud? The National Fraud Authority has announced that fraud costs the UK economy £30bn each year. Of this, identity fraud is responsible for an estimated £1.2 billion per year. It is also one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK and a threat to all businesses.

Banker's fate in question after TV catches him looking at e-mailed photos An Australian banker caught on live TV showing a high interest rate in nearly-naked photos of supermodel Miranda Kerr has launched a viral video that has already drawn hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube – and fresh debate about employer Internet policies.

Winter chaos versus employment law Heavy snowfall has disrupted commuters, shut schools and caused traffic chaos in many parts of the UK. So what are your rights if you couldn't get into work or if you are an employer and your staff couldn't make it in? We have asked Richard Nicolle, partner in Denton Wilde Sapte's employment practice looks at some of the issues.

Is your company data really safe? Survey findings highlight companies may be at risk of data theft despite 46 per cent of employees admitting they worry about information getting into the wrong hands

Business at risk of equal pay claims, warns top employment lawyer A leading law firm is urging the UK’s 4m small business owners to ensure their salary systems are fair following of a glut of equal pay claims in the public sector.

Businesses can benefit from online document portal Businesses can benefit from being able to search for low cost online legal documents from a range of providers with the launch of APOD - The Association of Publishers of Online Legal Documents.

Joint Ventures - What are the best options? Businesses across all industries often look to collaborate with others for mutual advantage. It could be the pooling of resources for R&D; an investment agreement in which one party contributes cash while the other provides technical expertise; or a more complex arrangement involving a separate company with its own funding, management and staff.

Joop! loses its bid to trademark an Exclamation mark The exclamation mark in JOOP! GmbH may be catchy and gimmicky, but it is not a trademark, the EU high court ruled Wednesday.

Is Oasis bust up a cautionary tale for family firms? The spectacular split of rock band Oasis is a cautionary tale in how businesses, even successful ones, operating as a partnership can break up leaving once close working relationships in tatters a leading North West law firm said today.

Top 10 tips about Intellectual Property (IP) All businesses have some form of IP, regardless of their field of activity, even if only in their name (trade mark) or their company literature (copyright) and with so much weight being placed on these things by investors If the core revenue of a business results from some form of technology and/or product design, you should take steps to ensure that you protect.

Can they really do that? Solicitor Chris Sherliker looks at the interesting case that Sainsbury’s has in the past week decided to take on major supplier Diageo with what might be considered to be a knock-off copy of its iconic Pimms’ brand and at the height of the thirsty Britsh summer.

Debt recovery at the click of a mouse This month sees the launch of a new and cost-effective way of recovering money owed. As consumers and businesses can sue for money owing at the click of a mouse, and without worrying about how to fill-in and word their own letters and court forms.

Cowardly Brits are a bunch of email flirters and deserters A staggering 26 per cent of Brits have used email to dump a lover from the relative safety of their office desks. While 32 per cent have used email to send a saucy message to a lover during work hours, suggesting email is just as important for flirting as it is for deserting!