Last 3 months headlines – Page 1497
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Crippen yarn
A recent case where a husband was alleged to have given his wife sleeping tablets so that he could romp with his girlfriend reminded me of the Crippen murder, 100 years old last year, writes James Morton. In July 1910, a decayed body which was ...
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Name game
Solicitors will already be familiar with the term LeO to describe the Legal Ombudsman, which opened last October. But this could so easily have been a far more amusing acronym, as the ombudsman himself reveals in his blog. Adam Sampson says the complaints body considered various options before settling on ...
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Rallying cry
Following last week’s Memory Lane item featuring a 1970s call to start a solicitors’ racing car club, it seems the profession still has an attraction to fast cars. Freeth Cartwright partner Paul Calladine writes: ‘I was interested to see the article "Memory Lane February 1971" and the prospect of a ...
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Brussels doubt
Obiter applauds the Law Society’s human rights team, whose prompt action has helped save many hundreds of pounds of BBC licence payers’ money. Researchers at the BBC’s The One Show wrote to the Society to say that they planned to find out more ...
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'Frightened’ Bradford solicitor paid out money ‘under duress’
A Bradford solicitor who claimed she had been threatened and forced to pay out £520,000 of clients’ money under duress was suspended from practice by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal last week. Taslim Khan, 41, of Rasool Solicitors, in Dewsbury, west Yorkshire, admitted improperly withdrawing clients’ money, ...
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Sir Geoffrey Bindman joins Iran protest
High-profile human rights solicitor Sir Geoffrey Bindman spoke in support of democracy at a protest against the Iranian government last week, organised by the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran. Bindman said: ‘Change is coming in the Middle East, and that would include the liberation of ...
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US courts warned over share actions
The US must not allow its courts to accept ‘f-cubed’ cases, where foreign investors can sue foreign companies after they lose money on shares bought on foreign stock exchanges, City lawyers have warned. In a joint response to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) consultation, ...
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EU lawmakers warned over contract harmonisation
The government has told EU lawmakers that they should not legislate to harmonise European contract laws because there is a ‘paucity of evidence’ that a problem exists. In its response to a European Commission consultation on the issue, the Ministry of Justice said that the commission ...
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Clients must be able to choose the lawyer they want
One of our main concerns at the Law Society is to ensure that we continue to work to preserve the principles of access to justice. This includes preserving our clients’ ability and freedom to choose the solicitor that they want. ...
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Allen & Overy advises on Tesco deal, oil acquisition, issuing capital notes and cross-border advice
Every little helps: Magic circle firm Allen & Overy advised a consortium of banks on arranging Tesco’s £685m commercial mortgage-backed bond issue, designed to release value from its UK property portfolio. City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner advised Tesco.
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Properly rewarding and promoting law support staff is overdue
The advent of ABS and the personal opportunities that will follow throw into focus the skills required to manage and promote a successful law firm. Over many years, firms have invested in a robust and in many cases excellent management team, bringing together a full range ...
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Law Society opens its Diversity Access Scheme
The Law Society has opened applications for its Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), aimed at law students facing social, educational, financial or personal obstacles to qualification. The scheme involves the chance to gain a Legal Practice Course scholarship, work experience and mentoring. Previous ...
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NatWest to withdraw LPC study loan product
A decision by NatWest to cease offering preferential loans to students studying the Legal Practice Course has prompted concerns over access to the profession. NatWest, owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, is currently the only bank to offer loans under a Professional Trainee Loan scheme for ...
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Maximum ABS penalties raised to £250m
Alternative business structures (ABS) that step out of line could face a maximum fine £100m higher than previously expected, after the Legal Services Board decided to increase the maximum penalty for errant ABS to £250m. Responding to a consultation on the issue, the LSB said it ...
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Law firms must step into the breach if LPC loans dry up
NatWest has recently decided that it will withdraw its Professional Trainee Loan scheme for students studying the Legal Practice Course and the bar’s equivalent course. It declined to say exactly why it had taken the decision to no longer offer the product to new customers, ...
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SRA launches online registration for students
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has today launched an online service that will make it quicker and easier for students to enrol with it when they begin their legal professional training. The system will also enable students to pay their enrolment fee securely online by ...
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TV Edwards to merge with Blacklaws Davis
High profile London legal aid firms TV Edwards and Blacklaws Davis are to merge on 1 May 2011, they said today. On 1 April 2011 London criminal law and care work firm Dundons will also merge with ...
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Olympic pro bono service launches
Solicitors and barristers are being asked to provide free legal advice to participants in The London 2012 Olympic Games, as a new pro bono service was unveiled today. The Law Society, the ...
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Where IT systems are failing
It’s the Legal IT exhibition this week so I write this with some trepidation as I’m about to make a general criticism of a significant area of solicitors business practise. I’ll get my mitigation in first. What I’m about to outline is our experience of ...
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Two solicitors awarded Queen's Counsel status
Just two solicitors were among the 120 Queen’s Counsel appointments announced by the Lord Chancellor today, while three high-profile solicitors were awarded honorary silk. The successful solicitor applicants were David Price, founder of London media law firm David Price Solicitors & Advocates, and Timothy Taylor, litigation ...