News & Publications - Publications

7 things every woman should know about the law

Phillippa Dolan, the head of our family department, has written an article in the October 2011 issue of Prima.

Please click the link below to view the article.

7 things every woman should know about the law.pdf

Court of Appeal Endorses Mediation (Again)

In February 2011 the Court of Appeal gave Judgment in a case called Rolf –v- De Guerin on the subject of costs. The facts were that this was a dispute between a builder and client about the construction of a garage and loft at the customer’s home. The total contract price was about £52,000 but the Claimant had made claims between £44,000 and £90,000 and at the time of the trial was claiming £70,000. The Claimant had also offered to settle on a Part 36 initially at £14,000 and sub... read more

Legal 500

Rochman Landau has been mentioned in the most recent edition of the Legal 500. Our matrimonial team receives a mention because "Philippa Dolan and Teresa Cullen are recommended by clients."

Once again, the success of the Property Litigation team has been recognised, with the entry reading "Rochman Landau provides a very professional, yet personal, level of service. Paul Dunbar who handled a rent review for a Japanese corporation, and Alan Langleben (who 'maintains a cool head in ... read more

The Lawyer reports on RL again

The firm featured in The Lawyer again this week, though in a more light-hearted tone as one column noted that the publication was recently treated to "..the inside track on how the mind of a politician works. Well, at least one of the newest politician's on the block, former Rochman Landau employment lawyer turned Labour party Member of Parliament for Streatham, Chuka Umunna.

Umunna's former managing partner Teresa Cullen revealed that the lawyer was so superstitious in the run-u... read more

The Lawyer pays a call to RL

Rochman Landau LLP is the featured firm in The Lawyer's Firm Profile column this week.  Matt Byrne of The Lawyer writes Rochman Landau, which was established more than 30 years ago, has always been known for its property core. But the London-based firm has also worked hard at building up additional areas in recent years, a strategic decision that has been particularly important during the downturn.

Litigation now generates approximately the same level of revenue as property - ab... read more

Rochman Landau LLP at BAFTA with Andrew Sparrow (and other Avatars) ...

Boilers and Bingo

Indian Direct Taxes Code 2009

Myerson v Myerson [2009] EWCA Civ 282 — Varying the Maintenance You Pay - The Dangers of Speculation

The importance of seeking legal advice before attempting to vary your maintenance agreement or Order (see article posted 17 March 2009) has been well highlighted by the recent Court of Appeal decision in Myerson v Myerson. The husband in the case wished to vary the lump sum payment he had agreed to pay his wife on the basis that the economic downturn had severely reduced the value of the shares he had retained as part of the divorce settlement.

Mr. Myerson originally agreed to han... read more

Purchasing at Auction Sales

At the end of February, the Council of Mortgage Lenders reported that the number of repossessions already seen in England in 2009 would be almost double the total for the whole of 2008.

Auction sales are often viewed as a good way of purchasing a property cheaply, and as reported in The Times on 20 March, 2009 guide prices are presently 20-30% below estate agents’ prices.

Nevertheless, there are some pitfalls and we set out basic points for those considering auction purchases.

W... read more

Seven reasons not to Mediate by Alan Langleben

Despite strong words from Judges at all levels in the English judicial system, and despite the recorded success rate of mediations remaining steady between 70% and 80%, the number of mediations taking place (excluding pro bono and small claims matters) has remained remarkably constant over the last several years.

Here are some of the reasons put forward by clients for resisting the suggestion of mediation that I have experienced over the years and my attempts to respond.

1. If th... read more

Property Litigation Bulletin

If you are the landlord and your tenant, being a company, is put into liquidation or, being an individual, becomes bankrupt, there is a power in the Liquidator or Trustee in Bankruptcy to disclaim the Lease. That will bring the Lease to an end.

Note that this power is only available to Trustees in Bankruptcy and Liquidators, not, for example, to Administrators or Law of Property Act Receivers.

The principle behind it is that a Liquidator or Trustee in Bankruptcy should be able o... read more

Contracting Out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 A Word of Caution

It has for a long time been possible to contract out of the security for tenure provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. This means when entering into a business lease the parties can agree that the Act will not apply. Therefore at the end of the contractual term the tenant will not have the right to obtain a new lease, or compensation if the landlord objects on the grounds of wishing to use the premises for his own business or wishing to carry out substantial works of rec... read more