All articles by James Dean – Page 23
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News
Lovells ‘in US merger talks’
City firm Lovells and US firm Hogan & Hartson are discussing a merger to create a firm with combined revenues of more than £1bn, according to reports. The firm would comprise 2,500 lawyers and would be among the 10 largest in the world if the tie-up ...
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City law firms to lose out to regions
Regional law firms look set to benefit at the expense of their City rivals in the coming year, research seen by the Gazette has indicated. A survey by research agency Acritas of 500 senior in-house counsel at large and mid-sized organisations showed that 29% were planning ...
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SRA considers reducing premium in assigned risks pool
The Solicitors Regulation Authority held a meeting this week to consider whether or not to reduce assigned risks pool (ARP) insurance premiums after a record number of firms were forced to join the pool.
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American Bar Association president scrutinises UK reforms
The US legal profession is scrutinising the UK’s legal services ‘big bang’ as part of a worldwide review that could lead to its own legal services revolution, the Gazette has learned. In her first UK interview since taking office, Carolyn Lamm, president of the 400,000-strong American ...
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Chancery Lane ‘dismay’ at Co-op’s panel cull
The Law Society has expressed its ‘dismay’ at the decision by Co-operative Financial Services to cut 3,600 sole practitioners from its conveyancing panel. The Society said that the Co-op has jeopardised its ethical image by threatening consumer choice and putting solicitors’ livelihoods at risk. Access to ...
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Insider dealing prosecution
Two former City lawyers charged with eight counts of insider dealing by the Financial Services Authority have been committed to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court. Andrew Rimmington, former partner at US firm Dorsey & Whitney, and Michael McFall, former partner at US firm McDermott Will ...
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Serious Fraud Office to demand privilege waivers in plea bargains
Companies wanting to enter into plea bargains with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will have to waive privilege rights over previous internal investigations, a solicitor suggested this week, after the SFO completed its first successful prosecution of a British company for overseas corruption. British bridge contractor ...
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MP rallies miners for legal action against legal adviser
Hundreds of injured former coal miners are being rallied to sue their legal adviser in the first coordinated legal action for alleged under-settling of government compensation claims, the Gazette can reveal. John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, told the Gazette he is gathering potential claimants to ...
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500 firms to enter assigned risks pool at indemnity deadline
A record 500 firms are set to fall into the assigned risks pool (ARP) today, as the deadline expires for professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewal. This means around one in 20 law firms will be forced to spend a quarter of their fee income on emergency ...
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Product placement could mean lucrative work for lawyers
Legal advice and litigation in respect of television product placement could boost City firms’ income next year, after the government said it will consider lifting an existing ban. The government’s announcement has stirred interest among law firm media and marketing practices. Stephen Groom, consultant and head ...
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Dignity speaks volumes on assisted suicide
The sanctity of one’s right to choose whether to live or die will forever attract heated argument. Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, reignited the debate by publishing new guidelines for prosecutors on assisted suicide.
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Probe into amount paid to law firms on Olympic Park project
The London Development Agency (LDA) faces a probe over the amount it has paid to law firms for advice on the Olympic Park project, the Gazette has learned. ...
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Lawyers to stand trial on insider-dealing charges
Two former City lawyers charged with eight counts of insider dealing by the Financial Services Authority have been committed to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court. Andrew Rimmington, former partner at US firm Dorsey & Whitney, and Michael McFall, former partner at US firm McDermott Will ...
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News
New guidance issued on assisted suicide law
New guidance intended to clarify the law on assisted suicide does not provide any guarantee against prosecution, director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC warned today. The guidance sets out the legal boundaries for people who help somebody commit suicide. It follows a ruling in the ...
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Legal market guru Hodgart predicts 'global elite' of firms
Four of the five magic circle law firms will step into an emerging international elite, advising on only the biggest deals and paying the most lucrative partner salaries, according to legal market guru Alan Hodgart. In an interview with the Gazette, Hodgart, a consultant at business ...
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Questioning the single renewal date for PII
Should there be a single renewal date for solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance? The question is an old one, and when the PII market is soft, competition heavy, and premiums low, answers are less forthcoming. But now that there are real renewal problems facing many law firms, the question becomes a ...
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General counsel opt for quality over cost, says thinktank
Corporate general counsel are not particularly concerned about the size of legal bills when considering the value of work done by their external law firms, new research has suggested. In-house thinktank Global Leaders in Law, which examined how general counsel measure value in legal services, found ...
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Barclays’ group GC Mark Harding discusses business, management and law
As group general counsel at Barclays, Mark Harding is a powerful man about the City. The drama of the last two years has left his company in a strong position: Barclays declined the government’s offers of direct financial assistance, while Royal Bank of Scotland accepted a 70% taxpayer stake and ...
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Firms shut down ahead of PII renewal
Law firms of various sizes have begun to close down ahead of the professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewal deadline, with others contemplating closure to avoid paying spiralling PII premiums for the second year running, the Gazette has learned.
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MoJ admits personal data breaches
Nearly 2,000 people have had personal information about themselves lost by the Ministry of Justice over the past year, in a series of incidents listed in the department’s accounts, published last week. The disclosure comes after the MoJ faced embarrassment last year when its IT supplier ...