Latest news – Page 683
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News
Chancery Lane unveils composite PII form
The Law Society has asked brokers and insurers to adopt a composite proposal form for professional indemnity insurance (PII) in an effort to simplify the process of obtaining multiple quotes. The Society said it had secured support for its composite form from ‘some of the major ...
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Family bar chief calls for divorce law reform
Divorce laws should be reformed to provide a default regime for the division of assets when relationships break down, the chief of the family bar has suggested. Nicholas Cusworth QC (pictured), chair of the Family Law Bar Association, told the Gazette that greater certainty over ...
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Mis-selling claim papers sent to FSA
Court papers from an ongoing interest rate swap mis-selling claim obtained by the Gazette have been submitted to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) by the MP leading parliamentary scrutiny of the products’ sale to UK businesses.
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ECtHR whip-round for extra lawyers to clear backlog
The European Court of Human Rights has appealed for voluntary contributions from member states to pay for extra lawyers to clear its backlog of cases – but no state has yet agreed to chip in. The Council of Europe and the court’s president announced the ...
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Herbert Smith merger creates ‘truly global’ giant
International law firm Herbert Smith is to merge with Australian firm Freehills to create one of the world’s largest firms. The new firm, Herbert Smith Freehills will, subject to regulatory approval, launch on 1 October, Herbert Smith said today. It will have 2,800 lawyers, including ...
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Separate jurisdiction could leave Wales in slow lane, Society says
The Law Society has warned that creating a separate legal jurisdiction in Wales could ‘dilute some of the benefits’ which accrue to the country from its present alignment with England. Such a move would also raise questions relating to whether there needs to be a ...
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‘Inquisitorial’ hearings planned for family litigants-in-person
Judges will adopt an inquisitorial approach to family cases, limiting cross-examination by the parties themselves, to deal with the increasing number of litigants-in-person, the judge in charge of family court modernisation has indicated. Mr Justice Ryder also said that the use of experts will be limited, ...
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North-east firm is latest to gain ABS status
A limited company based in Stockton on Tees has become the eighth entity to be licensed as an alternative business structure by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. NAS Legal Limited’s successful application was announced by the SRA this morning. The company, which was incorporated in August ...
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PEP dips by a fifth at FFW as public sector contracts
Field Fisher Waterhouse has blamed the squeeze on public sector spending and investment in the firm’s German offices for a sharp fall in profits in the year to 30 April. Profit per equity partner dipped £100,000 on 2010/11, from £510,000 to £410,000, on revenues which rose ...
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Outside funding ‘compelling’ reason to take the ABS route
The Legal Services Act (LSA) has so far had ‘minimal’ impact on law firms, but the reforms have acted as a ‘catalyst for change’ and increasing numbers in the profession are keen to explore outside funding, two surveys have revealed. Since the Solicitors Regulation Authority was ...
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Cost disputes set to soar post-Jackson, survey predicts
Costs disputes between solicitors and their clients will become more common once the Jackson reforms are implemented, according to a survey of specialist costs lawyers published today. In a poll of 137 costs lawyers, 69% (95) expected to see an increase in disputes, once the recoverability ...
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Society in new drive for common PII proposal form
The Law Society today asked brokers and insurers to adopt a composite proposal form for professional indemnity insurance (PII) in an effort to simplify the process of obtaining multiple quotes. The Society said it had secured support for its composite proposal form amongst ‘some of ...
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News
Shoosmiths joins Caledonian procession
National firm Shoosmiths has announced it is to merge with medium-sized Scottish law firm Archibald Campbell & Harley. This is the fourth in a series of Anglo-Scottish tie-ups announced this year. The new business will be known in Scotland as ACH Shoosmiths, and subject to regulatory ...
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SRA moves to reassure firms hit by bank computer woes
Banks paralysed by computer problems have promised to indemnify solicitors against any losses caused by the breakdown, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said today. The regulator in turn promised that no disciplinary action would be taken against firms caught out by the system failures.
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Healthy competition
I should point out the irony contained in your report of the comments of Alasdair Douglas (London ‘boosted’ by foreign competition), in which he spoke of the fillip to London from foreign competition. He is reported as saying that EU attempts to introduce a single contract law could undermine the ...
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No pain, no gain
I write in relation to the letter from Max Hill QC concerning a unified approach by solicitors and barristers to tackling the threats posed to the criminal justice system by funding reforms and cuts.
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‘Restricted’ security
There is a lot of discussion about digital working in the criminal system, but one issue the Crown Prosecution Service appears unable to address relates to the security marking of papers. When they receive documentation from the police, that documentation normally carries a security marking of ‘Restricted’. The CPS considers ...
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Costs confusion
As a non-specialist, I hope some claimant personal injury practitioner will explain just what (apart from the unearthly phraseology) is novel about the government’s latest bright idea on costs - qualified one-way costs-shifting ('QOCS rules "will deter valid claims"'). Surely it always used to be the case that if a ...
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SRA to look again at vexed issue of race
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has pledged to carry out a second review of allegations of racial discrimination by the regulator against black and minority ethnic (BME) lawyers. The first review, carried out in 2008 by Lord Ouseley, former chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, concluded ...
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Outcry over family court closure plan
A group of 160 leading family lawyers and social workers has written to senior judges raising concerns over the proposed closure of a court rated a ‘centre of excellence’. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is considering plans to close the Inner London and City Family Proceedings ...