A recent Court of Appeal decision illustrates the dangers for businesses of relying on conversations and unsigned draft agreements.

The case underlines the importance of ensuring that key contractual provisions are always documented, especially those as fundamental as a termination right.

You should always take legal advice if you are negotiating a large or unusual contract, but this checklist highlights the key issues to consider when negotiating contracts on behalf of your business.

Often, the most effective way of realising value from the assets of a company in administration is to sell its business as a going concern. The High Court has recently held that a clause in a sale contract that provided for any liabilities of the seller or the administrator to rank as an unsecured claim against the seller (rather than, for example, as an expense of the administration) was valid and effective. It is the first time that the court has considered the effectiveness of such a clause (which is a common feature of administration sale contracts). The effectiveness of the clause means that a buyer will typically have limited recourse should the administrator or seller breach their obligations under a sale contract. This underlines the need for thorough due diligence and for the buyer to take responsibility for as much of the process of perfecting the sale as possible.

This checklist sets out the key employment issues a buyer should consider before buying a business that is in administration.

The London 2012 Olympic Games will be held between 27 July and 12 August 2012.

This checklist highlights some of the issues businesses may need to consider before the Olympics start.

It is not uncommon for a business to sponsor students to advance their training, particularly where there is an expectation (or commitment) that the student will work for the company at the end of the course. An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision has confirmed that these type of arrangements are unlikely to be considered to be contracts of employment if the primary purpose of the arrangement is training and education.

In this case, the EAT had to consider whether a contract to sponsor a former apprentice during a university degree was a contract of employment entitling him to claim unfair dismissal, or a contract which would not give him statutory employment rights. The EAT held that there was no dismissal when the sponsor refused him full-time employment following his withdrawal from the degree.

This checklist explains the significance of the distinction between an employee, a worker and a self-employed contractor. It also sets out the factors that will be considered by an employment tribunal when deciding whether an individual is an employee or self-employed.

An NHS Trust and three senior employees have been ordered to pay £4.5 million in compensation to a female obstetrician.

The obstetrician was subjected to harassment, criticism, false allegations and “a lengthy and wholly unauthorised period of suspension” before disciplinary proceedings began, culminating in her dismissal.

The award was made up of £1.1 million for loss of past and future earnings, £600,000 for loss of pension, damages for injury to feelings and exemplary damages against the Trust. It is thought to be the largest award in a UK discrimination case.

This checklist sets out the different types of discrimination that can occur within the workplace and highlights practical steps businesses can take to help avoid breaching discrimination and harassment law.