Headlines – Page 1127
-
News
Executors of Bernard Matthews v Matthews
As paragraph 2 of the judgment (September 5 2012, see link to the law report below) says: ‘Mr Matthews was the founder of a very successful turkey farming and food production business which grew into a household name. His memorable advertisements of its products can still be seen on YouTube.’
-
News
Costs belong to the client
Fact or fiction? Solicitors are retained by a client. They issue and prosecute a judicial review of the decision of the secretary of state for the home department (SSHD). They settle the action on terms that include payment of their reasonable costs. Within six months, their client has diverted the ...
-
News
Family lawyers face turbulent year ahead
Family law’s commercial and legal landscape is changing dramatically with the legal aid reforms, the continuing impact of the recession, competition from ABSs and potential legislative changes affecting everyone from the richest to the poorest. ‘I hate the phrase,’ says Andrew Newbury, head of Pannone’s family ...
-
News
What's the point of a degree?
I am amazed that there has been so little written on the de facto requirement for a solicitor to have a university degree. Not that I have anything against a degree or a university education – it should be encouraged. The problem now is that studying for a degree is ...
-
News
LSC: payment delays a thing of the past
I was surprised and disappointed to see the Gazette give so much credence to Gareth Roberts’ completely unsubstantiated claims about late payment of bills by the Legal Services Commission. As our press office made clear before the article was published, payment delays are a thing of the past. ...
-
News
Crisis talks
Lawyers are the trickiest clients that reputation management specialists have. Used to advising others, trained to be disputatious and challenging, and invariably the possessors of secure egos, they are often the least receptive to wise counsel. Admitting fault or even acknowledging distress caused by inadequate service ...
-
News
Intolerant attitudes
The view expressed by Simon Williams in his letter has worrying consequences. He effectively said that Lillian Ladele should have lost her job. Does he want a civil service in which no one is allowed to have any religious convictions? Because such a situation is not far off. What kind ...
-
News
Intolerant attitudes
The view expressed by Simon Williams in his letter has worrying consequences. He effectively said that Lillian Ladele should have lost her job. Does he want a civil service in which no one is allowed to have any religious convictions? Because such a situation is not far off. What kind ...
-
News
Uncompromising truth
The entire content of Nicholas Lakeland’s article rang true for me as an employment solicitor who advises on up to 8-10 compromise agreements a week. They are increasingly common and I repeatedly find myself having to explain to clients that I have a duty to ...
-
News
Hillsborough highlights need to make inquiries more effective
by Dr Karl Mackie, chief executive/mediator at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, London The shocking revelations of how the investigations were conducted into the Hillsborough disaster – and the delay of 23 years in uncovering the real issues – will only shake an increasingly disturbed ...
-
News
Negative feedback over decision to publish complaints data
The credibility of the Legal Ombudsman’s contention that the publication of complaints data is not about ‘naming and shaming’ was demolished within hours.
-
News
Analysis of budgets can be useful in implementation of rights
Work in a charity like Justice can get a trifle unremitting. But, just often enough to keep your spirits up, an invitation arrives out of the blue to something that looks worthwhile, or is at least set in an irresistible location (the combination of both is particularly cheering). Would I, ...
-
News
Mortgage fraud solicitor jailed
A former criminal defence solicitor has been jailed for two years for her part in a £1.3m mortgage fraud in east London. Elena Quinlivan (pictured), 35, planned to build a rented property empire, using forged identity documents, bank statements and payslips, Southwark Crown Court heard. ...
-
News
Don't get mad, get advice
Provocative posters are being deployed by the Law Society in an advertising campaign urging people to ‘Ask A Solicitor’ when dealing with a crisis. Examples of such incidents include: relationship breakdown (illustrated with a car vandalised by a disgruntled partner); disputed inheritance (an antique sideboard ...
-
News
LegalZoom in QualitySolicitors tie-up
US online legal services shop LegalZoom is to come to Britain later this year in partnership with UK network QualitySolicitors, the Gazette has learned. LegalZoom claims to be the most recognised legal brand in the US and the leading provider of online legal documentation services ...
-
News
SRA courts troubled firms
Law firms facing financial problems have been urged to contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority for support and advice. SRA supervisors are already getting in touch with practices that may need help, as part of the regulator’s new approach under outcomes-focused regulation. ...
-
News
Surge in mis-selling claims
Small businesses are rushing to file mis-selling claims against their banks before April, when the Jackson reforms make conditional fee agreements a less viable option. Campaigning organisation Bully Banks, which has been co-ordinating information and campaigns on allegedly mis-sold interest rate hedging products, has urged ...
-
News
SRA planning surprise diversity swoops
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to make unannounced visits to 100 ‘randomly selected’ law firms to assess their compliance with mandatory diversity reporting requirements. The plan, announced at a Law Society Firms Diversity Forum meeting in Manchester last week, ‘went down like a lead balloon’, according ...
-
News
Chancery Lane hits out at ‘potentially misleading’ complaints statistics
The Law Society has described as ‘partial and potentially misleading’ new data on complaints against named law firms published by the Legal Ombudsman this week. A table shows the collated names of 770 lawyers or law firms involved in complaints leading to a formal ...