All articles by John Hyde – Page 344
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Judge warns claimant firm on costs ‘manipulation’
A judge has warned law firms that courts will not tolerate attempts to change court orders for their own advantage. Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart told claimant firm Rosling King last week that it was verging on ‘contumelious’ [insulting] to produce a draft that its clients would prefer ...
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SRA commits millions to interventions
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has already used 10% of its entire annual budget intervening in failed firms in 2013, the organisation revealed today.
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Society unveils consulting service
The Law Society today unveiled a new consulting service for members to support work to meet their regulatory requirements. The service aims to provide clarity and reassurance to law firms and in particular to offer guidance to newly-appointed compliance officers. ...
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Financial crisis will cost everyone in the end
Journalists are far too willing to bandy the term ‘crisis’ around, using it to label everything from a few cancelled trains to an Arsenal defeat. But how else to describe the impending financial troubles about to hit the legal profession? I say profession quite deliberately. So ...
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Independent review of ‘pre-pack’ deals
The government has announced an independent review of the controversial insolvency vehicle through which DWF recently acquired the collapsed Cobbetts while leaving creditors likely to recoup little or nothing of what they are owed. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the review into ...
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Mid Staffs negligence ‘explosion’ predicted
NHS hospitals must brace themselves for an ‘explosion’ in medical negligence claims in the aftermath of the report into the Mid Staffordshire scandal, a leading lawyer in the sector has said. Tim Gorman, partner at clinical negligence firm Axiclaim, said last month’s publication of the Francis ...
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MPs set to shed light on whiplash
MPs will answer whether the government is right to describe the UK as the ‘whiplash capital of the world’ in a definitive report on motor claims. The Commons Transport Select Committee today outlined the terms of reference for its inquiry into whiplash and called for evidence ...
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Days of 100% damages payouts are over, says Hudson
Personal injury solicitors will have to ditch ‘100% compensation’ offers if they want to run a profitable business in future, the Law Society’s chief executive Desmond Hudson told members today. In an address to members, Hudson said he was ‘angry’ the government had ignored pleas not ...
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‘Fightback’ scheme seeks to raise £2m for ad campaign
A personal injury solicitor is setting up a panel of firms to ‘stand up and fight back’ against non-lawyer entrants to the legal market. Paul Roberts, founder of north-west firm Porters, has created eLawyers, a network of 8-10 firms in each practice area in nine regions ...
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Admiral still cashing in on PI referral fees
Admiral, one of the UK’s leading car insurers, last year made £6 on every vehicle it insures through personal injury referral fees. The company revealed in its financial statement for the 2012 calendar year that it earned £18.6m from selling customers’ details to personal injury lawyers. ...
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Seven MPs stand up against PI upheaval
MPs have called on the government to halt personal injury law reforms amidst ‘deep concern’ at the pace and extent of change. An early day motion in the House of Commons, signed by seven MPs so far from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, calls for the ...
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MPs announce new whiplash probe
An inquiry into whiplash claims led by the House of Commons transport select committee will begin later this year, the committee’s chair has revealed. Louise Ellman MP said the study would focus on how to cut the number of fraudulent claims and make sure victims of ...
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Negligence claim fears over ATE insurance
Solicitors have been warned they could face professional negligence claims if their client cannot secure after-the-event insurance before civil litigation reforms come in to force on 1 April. ATE insurers have told the Gazette they have been ‘inundated’ with law firms trying to secure cover while ...
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Bar calls on the LSB to tighten its belt
The Bar Council has publicly attacked the Legal Services Board for appearing immune from financial pressures affecting the legal profession and government departments. In a response to the LSB’s business plan for 2013/14, the bar body said it had concerns over the costs and scope of ...
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High Court throws out RTA fees cut challenge
The High Court today threw out a challenge to a new fees regime expected to cost personal injury firms £200m a year. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Motor Accident Solicitors Society were challenging a decision by the Ministry of Justice to cut ...
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Scottish firm fails
Scottish commercial firm Semple Fraser has announced it intends to appoint administrators. In a statement released today, the firm said it had been ‘severely affected’ by the downturn and contraction in parts of the corporate, property and construction sectors. It added that ...
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Why is government so keen to kill the PI sector?
When the Ford Transit plant in Southampton was at risk of closure last year, with 500 jobs under threat, David Cameron’s government offered a £10m grant. Yet when it comes to the personal injury sector, Cameron has not just stood aside and let it happen, he’s ...
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Another PI firm goes into administration
Personal injury firm Calibre Solicitors has been placed into administration resulting in 14 people being made redundant.
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SRA's assurances on enforcement under fire from super-regulator
The Solicitors Regulation Authority must focus more on performance and legal services consumers than on the theory of policy, an assessment by the Legal Services Board has found. The super-regulator said the SRA had achieved much since it was formed in 2007, but had yet to ...
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Time running out for ATE to beat Jackson
Applications for after-the-event insurance may miss the 1 April Jackson deadline if they are not made by next Monday, brokers have warned. Commercial litigation broker The Judge has written to all solicitor clients warning of a backlog of files set to slow down the system in ...