The Awards, intended to raise the profile of dining venues in the county, boost local food and drink producers and help establish Kent as a leading destination for gourmet travellers, were presented to the delighted winners at the Ashford International Hotel in January.

More than 6,500 members of the public nominated and voted for more than 300 establishments across the county. A panel of expert judges visited a shortlist of more than 70 venues, assessing the quality of the cooking, service and ambience, awarding additional marks for the use of local produce of sound provenance using sustainable farming practices.

“As leaders in the food and drink sector within our own industry, we were delighted to be overall sponsor of the Kent Restaurant Awards in its first year,” said Sarah Whibley, who heads up the food and drink sector team at the Kings Hill-based firm.

“Kent is blessed with a huge variety of first class food and drink businesses and it is hugely important, particularly in these times, to support and celebrate those businesses. There is fantastic quality and service to be had by sourcing locally, which we know is important to all finalists, but also to us, as a local business ourselves”.

Vertex Law, which specialises in providing proactive corporate and commercial legal services, advises many diverse enterprises within the food and drink sector in Kent

“Our congratulations to all the finalists and winners, in particular to Thackerays, who won the category sponsored by Vertex, the Gourmet Restaurant of the Year!”

To find out more contact Sarah at sarah.whibley@vertexlaw.co.uk or call 01732  224058.

Rebecca Tinham, Head of Dispute Resolution at Vertex says

“To date, demand for our dispute resolution services has not been adversely affected by the troubled financial climate. It is difficult to assess whether or not it has actually contributed to our growth but we are certainly very busy at the moment.

We pride ourselves on direct communication, speed of response, accessibility and our strength of analysis.  In implementing these essential service qualities we aim to deliver cost effective results.

We met a large number of candidates before appointing Stuart, we wanted to ensure that the role was filled by someone who would share our passion and commitment to what we do. Stuart fits the bill perfectly.”

Stuart, who has relocated from Birmingham for the role is keen to hit the ground running,

“When I met Rebecca it was clear to me that we had very similar ideas about how dispute resolution services could and should be provided to commercial clients.  The opportunity to join such an energetic forward thinking firm was too good to miss and I am looking forward to getting started with Vertex!”

That was the message at Navigating the Downturn, a seminar jointly hosted by Kings Hill-based Vertex Law and accountants BDO Stoy Hayward and attended by an invited audience of business owners, directors and representatives of the banking industry on June 25.

Speaking at the event, Stephen Cooney, Director, Operational Performance Improvement at BDO, who specialises in advising corporations on operational restructuring, warned against adopting a “slash and burn” approach in hard times.

“All cost cutting has to have science behind it,” he said. “If your three-year business plan is reliant on efficiency improvements and cost reduction then they have to be achievable targets – if not, the company will fall over.”

He warned this was especially important when reducing headcount, which shouldn’t be carried out across the board until productivity improvements were in place to enable work to be delivered by fewer people.

Rupert Merson, Advisory Services Partner at BDO, warned: “There are lean times ahead for quite a while yet. You have to be aware of the opportunities out there.

“The last six recessions have shown us that customers don’t just spend less when times are bad, they spend differently.  Look for recession-proof customers and sectors and remember that you are most likely to succeed where you know the business best.”

Jo Gilbey, a Partner in BDO specialising in Business Taxation, warned of the Draconian penalties facing directors and companies if accounts are filed late or contain errors.

But she added that HMRC could help free up cash through a tax deferral. “Some £2.4bn in tax has been deferred ¬¬– that’s companies effectively using HMRC as a banker rather than going to the banks themselves. If you are cashflow restrained you really should be thinking about talking about a deferral.

“If you are not in a position to make a payment, begin dialogue with HMRC early. They are being very generous at the moment and doing what they can to help.”

The seminar wrapped up with a detailed look at the legal responsibilities of directors, particularly in relation to companies facing financial distress and at the technicalities of buying a business from an Insolvency Practitioner.

Matthew Tait, BDO Business Restructuring Partner noted that: “Where going concern issues are faced, a balance has to be reached between maximising the outcome, managing risk and adhering to your directors’ duties. It’s not easy, but it can be done.”

Speaking after the event, James Beatton, a Partner in Vertex Law, said: “We are delighted to have hosted what was an extremely successful seminar.

“In times as difficult as they are now it’s always useful for business owners and directors to be briefed on the latest regulations and pick up some tips from professionals on how to make the system work in their favour.

“The feedback from those who attended has been very good and we hope everyone went away having picked up some new information and ideas to help them through the downturn.”

The University has struck a deal with the Foundation to allow it to use the venue for music, dance and theatrical works. Quarterhouse, designed by Alison Brooks Architects, co-winners of the 2008 RIBA Stirling Prize, forms part of the emerging creative hub in Folkestone which is being developed by the Creative Foundation.

The construction of Quarterhouse has been funded by KCC, SEEDA, Arts Council England and Shepway District Council.

Vertex Law acted for the University in preparing the agreement. University solicitor Paul Bogle said: “This is a significant investment for the University and the arrangement will enhance the University’s presence at its Folkestone Campus.

“The process of reaching agreement with the Foundation was not adversarial. We did not want the legal framework to prejudice the collaborative goodwill between the University and the Foundation.

“Vertex Law were supportive of this approach and helped us achieve a practical agreement which was acceptable to both parties.”

Jeremy Licence of Kings Hill-based Vertex Law said: “Lawyers are sometimes blamed for getting in the way of deals by over-complicating the paperwork.

“This was a classic example of where we needed to protect our client’s position while at the same time making sure the parties can continue to work together in future.”

Charitable organisation the Creative Foundation is driving the arts-led regeneration of Folkestone’s Old Town, now known as the Creative Quarter.

Quarterhouse is a flagship building within the Creative Quarter project.

The warning comes from Kings Hill-based Vertex Law after Companies House increased fines for late filing earlier this year.

“The penalties were introduced in 1992 to encourage directors of limited companies to file their accounts on time because they are a matter of public record,” said Sarah Whibley, commercial solicitor at Vertex Law.  “But the penalties had not been increased since and were not seen as being big enough to encourage compliance.”

In February this year the rules were updated with penalties being increased to take into account inflation between 1992 and 2007, a faster rate of increase in fines for companies who file more than one month late and the doubling of penalties for any company who files late having also filed late in the previous year.

For private limited companies the penalty for filing up to one month late is now £150, between one and three months is £375, between three and six months is £750 and filing more than six months late will incur a penalty of £1,500.

For PLCs, the stakes are even higher, with penalties being £750 for filing up to one month late, £1,500 for one to three months, £3,000 for three to six months and £7,500 for those filing accounts more than six months late.

“The new penalties apply regardless of when your accounts became overdue,” warned Sarah. “So if they were already overdue on 1 February 2009, ensure they are filed as a matter of urgency, to minimise the penalty payable.

“Companies should take the opportunity to look at other housekeeping matters,” she added. “Penalty notices are sent to a company’s registered office address so if your business has moved and you have not notified Companies House correctly, you will not even receive the penalty notices and will be unaware of the penalty increasing as time goes on.

“Do not assume that someone else is dealing with this for you. Be aware of your accounting reference date, act on the reminders and ensure that your accounts reach Companies House in good time to avoid unnecessary costs.”

That was one of the key messages to emerge from Kent’s leading property businesses at a forum focusing on what can be done to bring down the cost of development and keep the housebuilding sector moving in the current economic climate.

Richard Blackman, Chief Executive of Vertex Law, which hosted the event, said: “Many of the larger development schemes that were planned before the recession hit are no longer affordable and have been mothballed.

“Among the factors making them uneconomic are the Section 106 agreements that were agreed with local councils detailing the contributions that developers have to make to local infrastructure once their projects get underway.

“In the current changed circumstances, it is important for local authorities and developers to recognise that they need to work together to help stimulate development and make sure that much needed housing and infrastructure projects get built. Renegotiating Section 106 agreements will help achieve this.

“This is not a case of writing off the obligations on developers. Rather, it is a pragmatic solution to help get the house building sector moving again and should include regular re-appraisals of a scheme's value, so that as the economy improves, developers contribute more.”

Other issues under discussion included the renegotiation of contracts for the acquisition of land.

“The consensus was that all those involved in the industry would need to take a share of the pain. Landowners and developers could not expect the same returns as those enjoyed in the boom times and local authorities would need to revise their expectations of what the sector can afford to pay by way of planning gain.”

The event was held to celebrate the launch of Chapel Place Limited, a new land and property consultancy based in Tunbridge Wells.

Commenting on the launch of a new business in difficult times, Mr Blackman added: "Businesses like ours are highly responsive to changing market conditions. This flexibility ensures that we are able to take those opportunities which do exist even in an economic downturn. We see the launch of Chapel Place as a sign that the property market is still a good place to do business."

Chapel Place Director Steve Donnelly said: "We are grateful to Vertex Law for their continued support, and from the feedback received we know the attendees found the workshop of extreme interest. Chapel Place Limited offers a personal yet professional service on all aspects relating to land and property and in the current market this will be invaluable to developers and the public alike."