All articles by James Dean – Page 16

  • News

    City partnership promotions unveiled

    2010-04-20T00:00:00Z

    Major City firms announced a wave of partner promotions today, with 33 lawyers made up across the world. City firm Herbert Smith made up 18 lawyers, including 11 in London and three in Paris. The most promotions were in the firm’s energy practice (4). When the ...

  • News

    In-house upgrade at SABMiller

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    One of the UK’s biggest listed companies is conducting a major upgrade of its in-house legal capabilities because it believes that the legal pressures on business have escalated, its general counsel said this week. John Davidson (pictured), general counsel and group company secretary at brewer SABMiller, ...

  • News

    IFA commissions clampdown welcomed

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    The organisation pushing for closer relations between solicitors and independent financial advisers (IFAs) this week welcomed the Financial Services Authority’s decision to clamp down on commissions paid to IFAs. The FSA will ban IFAs from taking commissions from finance companies for recommending the company’s investment products. ...

  • News

    Baker & McKenzie using external firms to recover unpaid fees

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    US and City firm Baker & McKenzie is to instruct external law firms to recover any unpaid legal fees owed to it by clients, the Gazette has learned. It is understood the firm, in an unusual move, has instructed each of its practice areas to pay ...

  • News

    Most City firms would welcome AIR regulation

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    Most City firms would welcome a new type of self-regulation being introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, but two ‘major City firms’ have said they would probably shun the new system, research seen exclusively by the Gazette has found. Authorised Internal Regulation (AIR) was proposed by ...

  • News

    Lawyer issues libel claim against 'solicitorsfromhell' website

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    A north-east solicitor has instructed libel lawyers Carter-Ruck to bring a claim for damages against the owner of a website that blacklists solicitors and law firms. Scott Eason, principal at Eason Law, is pursuing a claim for damages of between £50,000 and £100,000 and seeking a ...

  • News

    Permanent administrators appointed to Quinn Insurance

    2010-04-15T00:00:00Z

    The status of the professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies of more than 2,900 law firms and sole practitioners has today been thrown into uncertainty after the Irish High Court appointed permanent administrators to Irish insurer Quinn Insurance. The Law Society said that its advice to Quinn ...

  • News

    Solicitors in limbo as Quinn ruling adjourned

    2010-04-12T00:00:00Z

    The concerns of 2,911 law firms and sole practitioners who took out professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies with Quinn Insurance are set to continue this week after the Irish High Court adjourned a hearing on the fate of the Irish insurer. The court will now decide ...

  • News

    Fate of Quinn Insurance hangs in the balance

    2010-04-09T00:00:00Z

    More than 2,900 law firms and sole practitioners could be left without professional indemnity insurance (PII) on Monday when the Irish High Court decides the fate of Quinn Insurance, the Irish insurance company that was forced into administration last week. Quinn covers around 10% of the solicitors’ PII insurance market. ...

  • News

    Fate of Quinn Insurance hangs in the balance

    2010-04-09T00:00:00Z

    More than 2,900 law firms and sole practitioners could be left without professional indemnity insurance (PII) on Monday when the Irish High Court decides the fate of Quinn Insurance, the Irish insurance company that was forced into administration last week. Quinn covers around 10% of the solicitors’ PII insurance market. ...

  • News

    Firm found liable to pay more than £28m for giving negligent advice

    2010-04-09T00:00:00Z

    A warning bell has sounded for law firms that advised on complex financial deals involving local authorities before the economic downturn, after a firm was found liable to pay more than £28m for giving negligent advice.

  • News

    MPs spearhead undersettlement claims drive for former coal miners

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Solicitors behind a website aimed at gathering allegedly undersettled coal health compensation claims have begun running seminars for former coal miners with the backing of local MPs. North-east firm Ingrams and sole practitioner Neil Hudgell, who together run undersettlement website claimagain.com, hosted a seminar for more ...

  • News

    SRA scraps plans to change conflicts rules

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Far-reaching plans to allow law firms to advise rival clients on the same deal have been shelved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority following ‘significant opposition’ from senior in-house lawyers. Relaxed conflict of interest rules were widely expected to be written into the SRA rulebook shortly after ...

  • News

    PI solicitors to mount legal challenge to RTA claims process

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    A collective of personal injury solicitors is planning a legal challenge against the Ministry of Justice over its new road traffic accident (RTA) claims process, the Gazette has learned. The Accident Compensation Solicitors Group (ACSG) claims that fixed costs under the new process ‘have not been ...

  • News

    EC attacks claim that legal professional privilege is a fundamental right

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    The European Commission has argued that any claim that legal professional privilege is a fundamental right under EU law is ‘superficial’. In the Akzo Nobel appeal hearing at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in February, the commission also argued that in-house lawyers could not be ...

  • News

    SRA issues advice on Quinn administration

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority today advised 2,911 law firms to sit tight and take no action after Irish insurer Quinn Insurance, which provides their solicitors' professional indemnity insurance (PII), was forced into administration yesterday.

  • News

    Quinn administration – what now for its insured law firms?

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    It’s just not getting any easier for solicitors when it comes to professional indemnity insurance. After two consecutive years of renewals pain, many small firms are once again burdened with uncertainty following yesterday’s bad news about Irish insurer Quinn Insurance.

  • News

    Indian lawyers accuse 31 foreign law firms of practising law illegally

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    A collective of Indian lawyers has accused 31 foreign law firms of practising law illegally in India, while simultaneously criticising the Indian government for failing to act on the alleged illegal practice. A writ petition filed with the Madras High Court on 18 March names ...

  • News

    Complaints against claims management companies rise 300%

    2010-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Complaints by consumers against claims management companies (CMCs) have more than trebled over the past year, Ministry of Justice figures have revealed. The number of complaints against CMCs shot up from just under 200 a month in January 2009 to more than 600 a month in ...

  • News

    SRA issues advice on Quinn administration

    2010-03-31T00:00:00Z

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority today advised 2,911 law firms to sit tight and take no action after Irish insurer Quinn Insurance, which provides their solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance (PII), was forced into administration yesterday.