![David Lester (senior partner at Blythe Liggins), Darryl Barnes, Jagdeep Sandher (head of dispute resolution at Blythe Liggins)[4]](https://d1d8vslyhr7rdg.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/4/2/8/116428_davidlesterseniorpartneratblytheligginsdarrylbarnesjagdeepsandherheadofdisputeresolutionatblytheliggins4_981603_crop.jpg)
J Howard Shelley
- Opinion
Barrier grief
‘Wild West Law’ seems like a good name for a thrusting firm of media lawyers (‘Chancery Lane slams “Wild West” regulation’, 2 October)
- Opinion
Justice is not a feminist issue
Prison does not work for anyone, woman or man. The criminal justice system needs to be rethought for everyone
OpinionPI: putting a premium on ethics
Insurance companies need to tackle fraudulent claims more robustly and handle reasonable claims in person with more sensitivity.
- Opinion
A matter of public interest
The AG is a lawyer and therefore independent, in theory, but he is also a member of Cabinet and open to accusations of ostensible bias.
- Opinion
Squeezing out claims
Access to justice is becoming a qualified right which is obliged to be set against the contents of the public purse.
- Opinion
Salford civil centre: playing it safe
Until Salford claims centre can be trusted with electronic money transfers, I’ll stick to cheques – at least they can be stopped.
- Opinion
No head for management
Effective management requires a very wide focus and arguably therefore the best lawyers are likely to be the worst managers.
- Opinion
Aggression will trump co-operation
In case management the pendulum has swung too far the other way – parties will deliberately make the opponent’s life difficult.
- News
Poor argument
I can see the argument that trainee minimum salaries amount to an anti-competitive measure. If the SRA had justified its decision to abolish the minimum on those grounds I might not have been driven to comment, but the suggestion by the regulator that this measure will result in greater diversity ...
- News
Passing the buck
I was consulted by a client who had become completely lost in the claims management process, and even now I am unsure that I have managed to untangle the complex relationships between the various corporate bodies involved.
- News
Pots and kettles
I read Guy Platt-Higgins' comments about referral fees with interest (see [2011] Gazette, 22 September, 13). I should set out my stall. I am absolutely opposed to referral fees as I consider them incompatible with a profession that holds itself out as adhering to the highest ethical standards.
- News
Misinformed view that legal aid is too easily available
I write in response to Mr Comport’s letter. I do not think he is ‘reactionary’ in respect of legal aid – he voices the legitimately held view of many people in the UK. I do however think he is misinformed.
- News
Insurer confusion
The tedious discussions regarding whether referral fees are right in principle or unacceptably distort the market will undoubtedly continue ad nauseam.
- News
Respect atheism
I am an atheist who is married to a Christian and who is the father of another Christian.
- News
Don't worry about swear fees
I cannot agree with R M Napier . The reality is that swearing documents is now an anachronistic process that should be consigned to the dustbin of legal history. Few documents now need to be sworn and, where they do, it serves little purpose and is very inconvenient for ...
- News
Unbalancing the scales of justice
I admit to a certain amount of grim amusement at the howls of protest from the profession at the proposals in respect of legal aid and conditional free agreements (I have clients who fund their cases under both regimes).
- News
Audit training
A law degree (or CPD) plus Legal Practice Course is insufficient preparation for practice, and so there has to be an element of practical training. At the moment there is little quality control of training contracts; if you can last the two years, then you are in.