Matthew Fretten

We are pleased to announce that we have joined forces with specialist employment law firm Kemps Solicitors. Michelle Kemp and Kate Fretten have therefore joined Frettens as Head of Employment and Consultant respectively.

Frettens have now surpassed 1,000 Reviews on ReviewSolicitors, after joining the platform less than two years ago.

Frettens were proud sponsors of MYTIME Young Carers’ Anniversary Ball at the Hilton in November, which saw nearly £20,000 raised for the charity.

Best Companies have now released their latest league tables for 2023 and Frettens have been recognised for the seventh year running.

The group base their ‘best companies to work for’ rankings on an anonymous employee engagement survey, completed by all of our team. Here’s how we fared this year…

The next cohort of trainees have joined Frettens, as the firm’s training contract programme continues to be a big hit. In this article, we hear from those new trainees and Matthew Fretten.

We are delighted to announce that Katelyn Webster, James Privett, Zoe Burcombe and Harvey Paveley have all moved onto the second year of our Graduate Scheme!

In this article, we summarise and reflect on a host of new starters that have joined the firm in July and August. Matthew Frettens and Lewis Barr comment on the implications for the firms future.

To kick off this financial year, on 1st July, Frettens announced eight staff promotions many of which within the busy property department. Here, Matthew Frettens speaks about these promotions and we here from some of those promoted.

In this article, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions around the SQE and outline how it all works.

Best Companies, the organisation behind the Sunday Times Awards, have recognised Frettens in their latest league tables for Q1 of 2023.

The group base their rankings on an anonymous employee engagement survey, completed by our team.

Frettens have been recognised as Outstanding place to work. Results come from an anonymous employee engagement survey ran by Best Companies.

Frettens’ specialist Leasehold Property Team has grown further with the addition of another experienced expert.

We are delighted to welcome experienced Chartered Legal Executive Sarah Lightfoot-Webber into our growing Family Team.

August saw the arrival of three more Bournemouth University students or graduates at Frettens, adding to the recent influx of legal talent from BU.

Frettens are proud to announce the addition of six new staff members into the team.

In this article, we cover our big promotion news. Niki Adkins, Head of Frettens’ specialist Residential Leasehold Property Team, has been promoted to Partner.

Frettens' thriving property department continues to grow with the announcement of some new arrivals and a host of promotions for key people.

Head of the Corporate and Commercial Team Karen Edwards has been promoted to partner at Frettens!

Experienced Commercial Property Solicitor Richard Ramshaw has joined our Team in Ringwood.

It has been a busy few weeks at Frettens, with seven bright new faces arriving at the firm.

Frettens are thrilled to welcome Trainee Solicitor Tara Jones to the firm.

We asked our team what they liked about working at Frettens. Is it the flexible working? The great benefits package? Being trusted and not micro-managed? The teamwork? The wonderful marketing team? They said all of those things, but every single one...

In this video, a collection of Our Team tell us what it's like to work at Frettens.

Frettens have announced their biggest series of promotions in the firm’s 43-year history.

Ten of the team have been promoted to new positions, including five new partners, as the firm continues to build on their recent success.

Frettens welcome our first trainee solicitor of 2021, Olivia Parkinson has joined the Corporate & Commercial Team for her first training seat at the firm.

It had been almost universally anticipated that Rishi Sunak was going to announce a change to Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) in his latest budget. However, a freeze in capital gains tax was announced amongst a host of measures.

Matt Fretten, head of Frettens' corporate & commercial team, answers the most frequently asked questions about personal guarantees. What is a personal guarantee? Do you need legal advice for a PG? What are the risks involved?

Christchurch Town Council is developing a new neighbourhood plan, a process that Frettens are delighted to be involved in.

A Shareholders’ Agreement is a written document between two or more shareholders in a private limited company.

It records the terms and conditions on which that company shall carry out business, and how the shareholders shall exercise their rights in relation to the company.

Matthew Fretten provides an overview of force majeure clauses in business contracts and touches on the legal definition of force majeureIs coronavirus a force majeure event? What is a force majeure clause? What if there is no force majeure clause? Practical advice for businesses dealing with coronavirus

Malcolm Niekirk will set up the new insolvency and restructuring team

Frettens are delighted to announce that Malcolm Niekirk has joined the firm as a partner. He will set up a new Insolvency and Restructuring team to work closely with the well-established commercial teams.

Malcolm has some three decades of experience in insolvency and is regarded as one of the leading practitioners on the south coast.

Specialist insolvency solicitors

Frettens are now one of only a handful of firms on the South coast who have a specialist insolvency team.

Frettens' Corporate & Commercial Team recently advised a long-standing client on a management buyout in which the current owners and founders sold the business to their sons.

Electronic Technicians Ltd (ETL) was founded 35 years ago by Ken Crook and Pip Arnold and employs over 50 staff at its large, modern facility on Ferndown Industrial estate.

Frettens has yet again been recognised as one of the leading law firms in the South West in the prestigious Legal 500 rankings.

Matthew Fretten explains the importance of having a properly drafted partnership agreement , as well as what it should include. What is a partnership agreement? Partnerships are a set of personal and commercial...

What is the Management Buyout process and how does it work? Matthew Fretten, Managing Partner and Corporate Solicitor in our Christchurch Office provides an overview of MBOs.

Frettens Solicitors have been awarded ‘outstanding employer’ status in an annual independent survey into employee engagement.

The survey was conducted by Best Companies, the research company behind the prestigious Sunday Times Awards.

Frettens Solicitors have offices in both Christchurch and Ringwood.

Launched in February, the Frettens Client Portal has already received praise from a number of clients, who particularly like the user-friendly interface, as well as the security and simplicity of the software.

It is with great pleasure that we can announce our charity of the year for 2019. Everyone in Frettens has had the opportunity to propose a charity for the shortlist, which the whole firm then voted on. The charity we have chosen this year is ...

Paul Burton , the Head of our Employment Team has been shortlisted for ‘Lawyer of the Year’ at the prestigious Dorset Legal Awards , Sponsored by QuoStar . Paul was actually nominated for the award by two of his clients without his knowledge....

Frettens are proud tohave been shortlisted for the 'Firm of the Year' award at hte annual Dorset Legal Awards.

Frettens Solicitors have announced dramatic growth in 2018 and have further plans to expand, despite the uncertainty surrounding the impact of current Brexit negotiations. Having opened a brand new office in the heart of Ringwood on 2nd July 2018, the firm...

Frettens Solicitors have announced dramatic growth in 2018 and further plans to expand. Having opened a brand new office in the heart of Ringwood in July 2018, the firm has recently employed a further 12 members of staff, showing that the business has no...

The Partners of Frettens Solicitors are excited to announce that they are celebrating their 40th year in business with a no holds barred 1978-inspired disco! 1978 inspired disco Taking place on Friday 5th October at...

The Partners of Frettens Solicitors are excited to announce that they will be opening a brand new office in the heart of Ringwood in July 2018, making Ringwood a second home for the ever-growing Frettens family. A full service law firm for...

Frettens are delighted to share their new corporate video. The film focusses on our firm's people-first approach and how we have harnessed this to drive success. The film has been created in conjunction with Dorset Business , the Dorset Chamber of...

Although being self-employed or operating as a sole trader is the most popular way of running a business in the UK, there could be significant advantages to operating as a limited company instead. Setting yourself up as a sole trader is the simplest way to ...

Frettens Solicitors is delighted to report that it has been recognised in specialist areas of 'The Legal 500' again for 2017-18. This marks the eighth year in a row that the firm has been recognised by the independently researched guide to law firms...

Frettens Solicitors is delighted to welcome three new members of staff to their Property, Wills & Tax and Commercial Teams. Kym Brooks joins the Conveyancing Team . Kym is a dual qualified solicitor, having qualified in South Africa as an...

A trademark battle between Kylie Minogue and Kylie Jenner has been raging for the last year. Kylie Jenner shot to fame in the US reality TV show ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. She has been trying to trademark the name Kylie and register the...

As from the end of June this year, companies and LLP’s should be aware of changes to the filing regime at Companies House. The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 came into force on June 30th. From this date companies and LLP’s in...

Bosses are finding it hard to let go of their business. A third of bosses of small businesses are aged over 60 and should start planning their exit strategy well ahead of retirement. Research by an accountancy firm has shown that business owners...

On Friday 29th July, Frettens hosted an Olympic themed quiz night at Chapel Gate in aid of Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. Teams from local businesses including Frettens represented different Olympic sports. All the teams...

Frettens Solicitors are pleased to announce that two of our Trainee Solicitors, Safeena Holiday and Amy Leung, have now successfully completed their training contracts. Safeena qualifies as a Solicitor into the Commercial Property Team. She deals with...

Countries all over the world are bringing in legislation to make bribery a criminal offence. The Bribery Act 2010 replaced laws that date from 1889 to 1916 making it the first new anti-bribery law in the UK in a hundred years. Possibly the best known case is...

A recent case in tried in the Technology and Construction Court has highlighted why it is important that professionals draw a firm distinction between offering brief ad hoc advice to friends in a social manner and the more detailed informal opinion and...

The first step if you’re considering starting up or running a small business is to write a business plan. This is not such a daunting prospect as you may think, help is available. An attractive and well thought out business plan is a crucial tool,...

Mark Zuckerberg made headlines this weekend when he announced that he would be giving 99% of his shares in Facebook to charity over a number of years in the hope of making the world a better place for his newborn daughter. Reports suggest that the...

How do you keep your customers coming back again and again? Look after them well. Customers are the foundation of your business. Give them great service and they will stay loyal. Members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) say that they have...

On Friday 16th October, Frettens hosted a rugby themed quiz night at Chapel Gate in aid of Macmillan Caring Locally. Teams from many local businesses including Frettens represented the nations through to the finals in the...

The country’s worst bosses are to be found in the recruitment industry according to a recent survey by Approved Index. 4 in 10 people say they feel overworked by their boss, and the recruitment sector is the profession where people are most likely...

A new bold identity has been revealed for our firm, Frettens Solicitors. We have waved a fond farewell to our distinctive navy fountain pen in favour of a modern, dynamic and bright new brand. Matthew Fretten , the firm's Managing Partner,...

In the July 2015 budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced changes to the Sunday trading laws in England and Wales. Under current rules large shops are restricted to trading for no longer than six hours. A large shop is defined by one with relevant floor...

It doesn’t matter if you have been running a business for years or are about to start one – it is essential to get some legal protection for it. A non-disclosure agreement will protect your ideas, financial information, copyrights, patents and...

In January this year the Government announced that they intend to increase the minimum sum due for for creditor bankruptcy petitions from £750 to £5,000. The changes will take place in October of this year. The maximum level of debt for which a...

Frettens are delighted to have joined the Family Business United network. The organisation’s aim is to champion the family business sector, recognise the contribution they make to the global economy and to provide a forum that brings the family...

A simple spelling error by Companies House led to the collapse of a 124 year old family business the High Court has ruled. A single letter ‘s’ was mistakenly left out of an official document. Taylor and Sons Ltd, a five generation family...

Two brothers aged 10 and 8 wrote a song about Peppa Pig and how they had fallen out of love with the cartoon character. The boys recorded the track with their rock band Magicians Nephew. The song was titled Peppa Pig and used an image of Peppa to advertise...

After the shocking scenes of people fighting in the aisles to grab a bargain on Black Friday it’s no surprise that many prefer to sit at home and surf the internet on Cyber Monday. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and...

What are the advantages? Although being self employed or operating as a sole trader is the most popular way of running a business in the UK there could be significant advantages to operating as a limited company instead. Setting yourself up as a sole trader...

The recent spate of storms that have devastated parts of England have caused many problems for businesses. Through no fault of your own maybe your customers have been let down or suppliers have let you down. What are your obligations? The answer lies in your...

The Partners at Frettens Solicitors are delighted to announce their recommendations in this year’s Legal 500 Directory. Matthew Fretten , Managing Partner and Head of the Commercial Team was noted for having a “ very responsive team...

Valuing a potential business is probably the most important thing to get right – unfortunately, it’s also one of the most difficult things to do. The best way of finding out if you’re going to be paying the right price is to carry out some...

In May this year HMRC launched a consultation paper on two aspects of LLP and partnership structures in an attempt to counter perceived abuse of these structures for tax avoidance purposes. The paper sets out HMRC’s proposals to change the tax...

Employment Solicitor Paul Burton and Commercial Property Solicitor Kerry Houston-Kypta have both been promoted to Associate status at Frettens Solicitors. Paul joined Frettens in 2009 and specialises in both contentious and...

Here’s the latest on what the team at Frettens have been getting up to at lunchtime… We have started our own choir, the “Frettens Chorale”. We thought it would be a fun way to do something together as a social and...

The Government’s new annual tax on residential properties valued at more than £2 million that are held by companies or ‘non-natural persons’ came into force on 1st April. From April 6th whether or not an individual is resident in...

You may be asked at some time to provide a condition, warranty or indemnity on behalf of your company. What’s the difference between them and what are the implications for the directors personally when they are given? A condition, just like a...

Any creative work recognised as being an asset or physical property is referred to as Intellectual Property (IP), and this covers four main areas – copyright, trademarks, design rights and patents. Matthew Fretten , Commerical Partner, says...

First and foremost an offshore company is a flexible business instrument that can be integrated into a wide variety of tax planning and asset protection arrangements. Reduced or deferred tax liability and increased confidentiality are just two of the...

Planning who will succeed you in your family business is a tough challenge if you want your business to thrive and grow in the future. It is also a great opportunity to maximise individual talents and create a multi-generational business. Succession...

Frettens Commercial Team recently acted on behalf of AFC Bournemouth Limited in relation to the recent investment in the club by Russian businessman Maxim Demin, who became co-owner of the football club with the current Chairman, Eddie Mitchell. The...

Under Company Law, directors are subject to certain duties contained in sections 172-177 of the Companies Act 2006 and in times of financial crisis these should be strictly adhered to. Commercial Partner, Matthew Fretten , says “Where a company is...

There are many issues facing any SME business and your aim should be to avoid disputes and legal wranglings by identifying some common risks. Any enterprise involves a certain amount of risk taking, but by adopting a balanced approach and trying to identify...

A sorry fact of the downturn in the economy is the fact that many previously thriving companies have been forced into insolvency. Although this is distressing for the company and all associated with it, it means there are some shrewd purchases to be made....

One of the main themes of the recent Budget was to support businesses, thereby providing jobs and growth for the economy. The Chancellor said he wanted to make the UK ‘the best place to start, finance and grow a business’. The Government are set...

When starting a new business there are several organisational structures available. Each structure has particular advantages that will suit a particular business, and forming your company with the wrong structure may put your business at a disadvantage. ...

If you are planning to sell your business you will need to present it in the best possible light. To obtain the most favourable outcome you need to consider several key areas: Planning the sale Finding a buyer...

There are many advantages to franchising your business, one of the greatest being that it is possible to achieve a fast growth of your business without making a large capital investment. Franchisees invest their own money and will be keen to keep costs low...

The Care Quality Commission is now the independent regulator of health and adult social care for England. It replaces the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Mental Health Commission, which...

Contracts and agreements are a crucial part of any business and as such need to be created by an experienced commercial lawyer. A business contract is a legally binding written agreement between two or more parties and gives each party the opportunity to:...

Whilst there is no legal requirement to have a shareholders agreement, it is a good idea to have one in place. A shareholders agreement is a contract made between the shareholders of the company to govern their relationship going forward. It does not have to...

There are several methods in which to value a business, but like anything a business is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. A seller will, of course, always try to suggest that a business is worth the highest possible price whereas the buyer will be...

The sale of a business which is already trading will normally be treated for VAT purposes as a ‘transfer as a going concern’ (TAGC). TAGC is an important concept for VAT purposes, because such a transfer is not a taxable supply – no VAT is...

The decision to sell your business should not, of course, be taken lightly. Your business may be the result of years of hard work and selling it can be an emotional and time consuming task. You will want to ensure that the sale process goes as smoothly as...