Headlines – Page 1511
-
News
Universities ask City to plug gaps in law faculty funding
Top university law faculties have begun talks with City law firms asking for fresh injections of cash to plug funding gaps, the Gazette has learned. It is understood that law faculties are making special requests for donations beyond firms’ usual contributions.
-
News
Bribery bill will involve no shock tactics, law commissioner says
British companies should not be subjected to ‘extreme’ rules when carrying out business overseas, a Law Commission commissioner told MPs and peers during a two-hour parliamentary hearing on the draft bribery bill. Professor Jeremy Horder told a joint committee charged with scrutinising the bill that ...
-
News
Rock films, floating companies and treatment centres
Juke box Dury: City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse advised debt fund Aegis on financing Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, a film about the life of pop singer Ian Dury (pictured). Aegis intends to commit $50m (£33m) to film funding in total. Cheltenham firm Wiggin advised the film’s ...
-
News
Why the world's favourite encyclopedia matters
Our article on the top 50 firms and their patchy use of the online resource Wikipedia was huge fun to research, and a little disturbing too.
-
News
SRA rethinks compensation fund levy for 2009/10
The Solicitors Regulation Authority board has asked officials to rethink this year’s proposed compensation fund contributions. As the Gazette reports today, a paper considered by the board at its monthly public meeting, in Birmingham, recommended that solicitors holding client money contribute £470 in 2009/10, up ...
-
News
Best value tendering – what is to be done?
No one present at the Criminal Law Solicitors Association conference last week could have been left in any doubt about the profession’s almost-universal opposition to price-competitive tendering for the commissioning of police station legal aid work.
-
News
Profits fall at CMS Cameron McKenna
City firm CMS Cameron McKenna reported a 14% fall in profits as it became the first big commercial law firm to release its financial results this year. The decline in profits, from £84m in 2007/08 to £72m for the year to 30 April 2008/09, came as ...
-
News
Turning strategy into tactics – simply carry out what you plan
A lot of time and effort goes into formulating a strategy. This might involve partners’ conferences, staff consultations and animated debate – and ultimately, agreement upon strategic objectives, how they will be achieved...
-
News
Law Society looks to strengthen legal ties with Indian firms
Opportunities for Indian and UK firms to work together will increase as a result of the Indian elections, the Law Society has said ahead of it UK-India legal practice conference. The event, which takes place from 1-5 June, will link up visiting Indian law ...
-
News
Hot under the collar over gender equality
The Fawcett Society’s claim that the criminal justice system is ‘institutionally sexist’ is a shocking soundbite, but for many it will not sound a discordant note.
-
News
Why lunch with the partners is good for marketing
One of the firms I work closely with has a fairly rare management quirk for a firm of its size. It provides the partners (and finance director) with lunch each day.
-
News
Law Society condemns best-value tendering pilot
Des Hudson, the Law Society’s chief executive, has added his voice to criticism of plans by the Legal Services Commission to award contracts for legal aid work in police stations by a process of best-value tendering (BVT). In a speech to the Criminal Law Solicitors ...
-
News
Justice minister steps down pending expenses probe
Justice minister Shahid Malik stepped down today amid the furore over MPs’ expenses. This morning, The Daily Telegraph claimed that Malik paid discounted rent at his main home in Dewsbury – which he pays for himself – of less than £100 per week, while at the ...
-
News
Solving sell-to-rent-back issues with proprietary estoppel
The doctrine of proprietary estoppel may help clients who sold their house in return for tenancy but have since been given notice to quit.
-
News
Internet publication and freedom of expression
The long-standing principle of ‘publish and be damned’ is jealously guarded by the media. But when it comes to publications on the internet, a recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) shows that those who publish there may find themselves being damned for ever and a day.
-
News
Family law
Children – Discretion – Residence orders Re R (a child ) sub nom CP v (1) AR (2) CR (a child by his guardian): CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Wall, Wilson): 29 April 2009 ...
-
News
Sentencing
Causing death by dangerous driving – Mobile telephones – Mitigation – Undue leniency Attorney general’s reference (no 17 of 2009), sub nom R v Phillipa Curtis: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, Mr Justice Lloyd-Jones, Mr Justice ...
-
News
SharePoint can provide firms with high-end tech for low-end cash
There is a software company that owns solicitors’ desktops. It has the lion’s share of their company email too, and now it wants the rest of their IT business. Microsoft is a brand that needs little introduction, but it is making inroads into areas of law firm IT which were ...
-
News
Brought to account
Obiter, who blushes to reclaim a receipted taxi fare, has watched with awed fascination the Daily Telegraph’s exposure of how MPs have worked parliament’s expenses regime. Justice ministers are among those in the spotlight. Justice secretary Jack Straw, ...
-
News
Quick on the draw
Obiter has received two more entries for the coveted title of ‘fastest lawyer in the land’.