Headlines – Page 1131
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ABSs era producing innovative legal services
ABS licensing has gathered pace over the summer with August seeing a surge of licensing approvals. So far 28 licences have been granted with more in the final stages of the application process. It was always going to be difficult to predict the level of interest and type of structures ...
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Magnates for law: oligarchs in London
Readers will be familiar with the phenomenon of the Commercial Court sitting in London (a specialist division of the Queen’s Bench Division) and playing host to a good deal of litigation involving Russian oligarchs and others among the central and eastern European super-rich. But just how much may come as ...
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Complainants going it alone on PPI claims
Consumers are increasingly making their own compensation claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance rather than rely on claims management companies or law firms, according to research published today. The Financial Ombudsman reported that nearly half of all new complaints during the past six months were made ...
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In-house: advising John Lewis
I joined the John Lewis Partnership as its principal lawyer, employment, almost two years ago. Before that I had worked for five years in the employment legal team at Marks & Spencer plc, and so I was very familiar with the retail environment when I started my role with the ...
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In-house: formulating corporate strategy
In the financial services industry we are in a time of unprecedented regulatory change. As a result, now more than ever, in-house lawyers are in high demand to guide the business.
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Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce plot merger
National firms Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce have begun merger talks. The pair confirmed in a statement that discussions are under way to explore the option, although there will be no further comment until those discussions are completed. If it does go ...
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Secret courts 'will conceal UK complicity in torture'
The UN special rapporteur on torture has said that so-called ‘secret courts’ could be used to suppress evidence of British collusion in torture. Professor Juan Mendez, speaking at the thinktank Chatham House on 10 September, became the latest high-profile figure to criticise UK government plans - ...
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Sorry, but the SRA is right
I want you to sit down and take a deep breath. Perhaps have a stiff drink to hand. Maybe one of those stress balls too. I’m going to write something in support of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Before I start let me make it clear I’m ...
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Santander requires CQS for all panel members
Santander has changed the terms of its residential conveyancing panel to require all existing members to gain the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation. The bank, which had already made it a requirement for new members to be CQS-accredited, this week sent letters to existing ...
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In-house: education and training
In my experience, an in-house lawyer is a different breed from those working in other sectors. In-house teams are small and their visibility within the business results in a constant flow of queries that require immediate attention. An in-house lawyer is expected to make decisions with the business people. Strong ...
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In-house: pro bono legal advice
The legal profession in England and Wales has a long tradition of pro bono advice of which it is justly proud. The lawyers of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries needed no lessons from their 21st century counterparts in helping those who were unable to pay. Rather, the two major ...
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Beginner’s guide to the ban on age discrimination in goods and services
From 1 October, the government will bring into force the provisions within the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) which prohibit age discrimination in the field of goods and services by virtue of the Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No 9) Order 2012. This means that commercial, charitable and public sector organisations ...
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MoJ backtracks on victim compensation cuts
The government has announced it will delay proposed changes to compensation for victims of crime – just three days after defending its plans in parliament. On Friday, new justice minister Helen Grant backed the government’s proposals to cut compensation for victims claiming less than £2,500. However ...
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Law Society announces Excellence Awards shortlist
The Law Society has unveiled the shortlist of lawyers and firms nominated for this year’s Excellence Awards. The awards recognise the most outstanding practitioners in the legal profession in categories ranging from Excellence in Innovation and Solicitor of the Year – Private Practice, to Excellence in ...
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Law Commission calls for divorce law shakeup
The Law Commission has proposed a ‘fundamental and principled’ reform of how assets are divided on divorce. A consultation published today says that the ‘incomplete and uninformative’ law lacks a clear objective of what courts should attempt to achieve for couples when they divorce or dissolve a civil partnership. ...
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How to be an excellent work experience student
It is probably safe to come out of my room. Throughout the summer we have had the usual crop of internees, work experience candidates and volunteers - call them what you will. They were all keen, pleasant, polite, and frighteningly intelligent and some even really impressive. Work experience is an ...
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Divorce: end to meal ticket for life settlements?
The Law Commission’s paper reviewing spousal maintenance and its duration following a divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership gives a scathing critique of current law, but could its proposals result in less work for lawyers, especially from wealthy overseas clients? The commission calls for ‘fundamental ...
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A vote against culture wars
Two legal items were reported on the same day last week, which led me to fear that the UK is moving towards the culture wars that disfigure debate in the US.
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Grant: crime compensation scheme ‘not sustainable’
Helen Grant, the newly appointed justice minister, has reiterated the government’s intention to cut compensation for victims of less serious crime. Grant (pictured) said the new scheme, due to be implemented at the end of this month, will save the taxpayer around £50m a year and ...
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‘Litigious climate’ harming public services, says thinktank
The ‘destructive consequences’ of health and education-related litigation have been attacked by influential conservative thinktank the Centre for Policy Studies. Co-authored by social commentator Frank Furedi, ...