Business

All businesses in the UK are legally required to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes a duty to control workplace stress: if an employee develops a stress-related illness as a result of a 'reasonably foreseeable incident', the employer may be held liable. ‘Foreseeability’ depends on what the employer knows (or reasonably ought to know) about the member of staff. While the onus is on the employee to bring matters to the employer's attention, employers themselves will be in breach of duty if they have failed to take the steps which are considered reasonable...

Stephens Scown LLP has announced five senior promotions of solicitors to Associate status.

The Dispute Resolution team benefits from the promotion of Catherine Brealey and Michael Davies. Catherine qualified as a solicitor in 2008 after training with Stephens Scown. She has a particular interest in property related disputes. Catherine grew up in Cornwall and gained a degree in Law from Exeter University. Exeter based Michael joined Stephens Scown in 2011 having worked for leading commercial firms in Manchester and Cardiff. He advises a broad range of clients - including a...

Intellectual Property specialists at leading South West law firm, Stephens Scown LLP, have highlighted a growing number of South West businesses are turning to trade mark registration in order to protect their brands.

Research has shown that of the 25,000 UK trade marks registered in 2011, 2,047 were in the South West, an increase of 6% on the previous year, with the number of filings also increasing by 14%

Firms with trade marks are 21% more productive, and those who regularly trade mark have 20% larger workforces. Figures also highlight the importance of small and medium...

The champagne corks were popping for Optix Solutions, one of the South West’s leading web design and online marketing agencies, at the Express and Echo 2013 Business Awards this year.

Not only was Optix Solutions’ Director Alastair Banks winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year, Alastair and Co-Director James Dawkins picked up the award for Employer of the Year.

"It was an amazing night" said Alastair, "we are having such a great year and feel honoured to have been recognised in our local community. Optix has gone from strength to strength and we couldn’t have done this...