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Bermans accelerates growth with new Head of Commercial and Litigation Partner
Bermans has appointed a new head of its commercial team and a litigation partner as it continues to strengthen its ranks with key strategic hires.
Richard Riley
Partner & Head of Commercial
Richard Riley joined Bermans in March 2025 and is a Partner and Head of Commercial.
Richard works with SME’s and business owners, family managed companies, life sciences, scientific sectors advises on all areas of Commercial Law, including:
- Data Protection (including advising on compliance/breaches and documentation)
- Business Law (including business to business and business to consumer contracts)
- Intellectual Property Law (including IP assignments and IP licensing)
- IT Law (including drafting SaaS Agreements, Support and Maintenance contracts, and development agreements)
- Consumer Law
- Franchise Law
Richard studied Biology at the University of Edinburgh and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University, before qualifying as a Solicitor in 2009.
He is currently recognised in the Legal 500 for his work on commercial matters.
Outside of work, Richard is currently marathon running, and also enjoys spending his time Crossfit/Hyrox training, as well as going to theatre, gigs, stand up and movies.
E:richard.riley@bermans.co.uk
T: 0161 827 4612
Understanding Commercial Terms and Conditions
All businesses should have robust terms and conditions in place which set out the legal framework for the relationship between the business and its customers. This will help to ensure clarity and protection for both parties involved in commercial transactions.
Continue ReadingIncorporating environmental protection into commercial contracts
Rob Eakins
Concern for the environment is at an all-time high. There is greater awareness, both on an individual and corporate level, of the impact of our daily activities and choices on the environment. ‘Sustainability’, ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘environmental impact’ are topics that now regularly appear on company websites and on their meeting agendas.
Continue ReadingProtection of Intellectual Property (IP)
Intellectual property (IP) covers ‘creations of the mind’ which can include inventions, designs, symbols and names and logos used in business. It is protected by law (copyright, trademarks, and various other forms), allowing people to earn recognition and/or money from what they create. Like other property, IP can be bought, sold, or licensed. There are different types of intellectual property rights including:
Continue ReadingSanctions update: UK bans services exports to Russia, cutting Russia off from UK services
Last week, the UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, announced a ban on certain professional and PR services exports from the UK to Russia. The banned services include management consulting, public relations and accounting. The Foreign Secretary commented that the ban will help to ensure that Putin fails in Ukraine, by cutting off service exports that are fundamental to the Russian economy.
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Nathan Hughes
Solicitor
Nathan Hughes joined Bermans in February 2022 and is Solicitor in our Corporate team based in Manchester.
He works with SME’s and owner managed businesses and is experienced in corporate law, merges and acquisitions, corporate finance and investments, company law and business advice.
Nathan studied Law with Philosophy at The University of Liverpool and qualified as a solicitor in 2021.
Outside of work, he has an interest in castles and has visited many in Wales and England, with his personal recommendation being Harlech Castle in North Wales. He also enjoys playing guitar and science fiction.
E: nathan.hughes@bermans.co.uk
T: 0161 393 7124
Get your ecommerce business ready for online sales
Ecommerce has seen remarkable growth over recent years, especially during lockdown, and is changing the landscape of how people buy and sell goods and services. The growth in ecommerce is shifting activity away from the high street to digital means, which in turn is changing the way businesses operate. In addition, the popularity of marketplace platforms, such as Amazon and Facebook, has made this growth even more noticeable.
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Madeleine Byron
Solicitor
Madeleine joined Bermans in October 2021 and is a solicitor in the Commercial department.
Before joining Bermans, Madeleine graduated from the University of Liverpool with a first class Law degree and then completed the LPC MSc at the University of Law in Chester. She completed her training contract at an international law firm.
Madeleine can assist with reviewing and drafting commercial contracts, agreements and policies.
Outside of work, Madeleine enjoys travelling and worked in-house as a legal intern in Singapore during a university summer break. She also enjoys running and has recently started photography as a new hobby.
E: madeleine.byron@bermans.co.uk
T: 0161 393 7128
Continue ReadingEU GDPR – will this affect your business?
Remember the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that overhauled data protection rules a couple of years ago and required lots of changes to how individuals’ data was stored and processed?
Since the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, UK businesses now have two versions of the GDPR to take into account – the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR.
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