Headlines – Page 1136
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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.
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 - ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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. ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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 ...
-
News
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.
-
News
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 ...
-
News
‘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, ...
-
News
Client money focus as SRA reviews mortgage fraud strategy
Cutting the need for solicitors to hold client money in conveyancing transactions is among measures being looked at by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as part of a review of its strategy to help firms reduce the risk of mortgage fraud. The SRA announced today that it ...
-
News
Managing the risk of IP theft
Intellectual property theft is often linked to cases of redundancies or team moves, where an employee leaves the company, taking with them sensitive documents such as business plans, customer information, or financial results. The employee will then offer a next employer this IP or will use it to start a ...
-
News
The legal services reform catechism of cliché
My attention has been drawn to a recent tendency to slackness among innovators in the supply and regulation of legal services. I refer of course to the failure to include every possible cliché in emailed announcements concerning the said innovations. As a corrective, the Gazette offers ...