Latest news – Page 726
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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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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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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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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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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 ...
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Judges slam legal aid cuts and lawyers who bring ‘unmeritorious’ claims
Judges have slammed government plans to cut legal aid, but also criticised publicly funded lawyers who bring ‘unmeritorious’ public law claims, and proposed limiting legal aid in judicial review cases. In a response to the government’s consultation on legal aid published last week, the Judges’ Council ...
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Law Society warns against ‘scaremongering’ insurance adverts
The Law Society has warned homeowners not to be taken in by ‘scaremongering’ adverts offering ‘ineffective’ insurance protection against property fraud. The warning follows the publication of title theft protection insurance adverts that Chancery Lane says have been ‘aggressively marketed’ by some insurance companies. ...
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Chancery Lane to launch will writing campaign
The Law Society is launching a campaign to ensure that will writers take formal qualifications before attempting to provide a service to consumers. The campaign, which will warn about the financial and other risks of using unqualified will writers, will include lobbying the Lord Chancellor ...
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Legal recruitment picks up for in-house and banking
The ‘war for talent’ is hotting up in the in-house sector, with companies increasingly entering into a bidding war for candidates, according to recruitment firm Badenoch & Clark. The recruiter’s executive director Lynne Hardman said that recruitment is also picking up in the banking sector and ...
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Hogan Lovells reports profits boost
City firm Hogan Lovells has reported a 10% boost to partner profits in its first set of full-year financial results. The firm, formed by the merger of US firm Hogan & Hartson and City firm Lovells last year, reported average profits per equity partner (PEP) of ...
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File blunders spark Legal Services Commission payment chaos
The Legal Services Commission is experiencing ‘significant delays’ in processing payments to firms after administrative blunders affected thousands of criminal case files, the Gazette has learned. Payment problems have occurred in relation to 4,000 files which were not allocated the necessary reference by HM Courts Service ...
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Consumers back 'name and shame' complaints policy
Consumers are generally in favour of ‘naming and shaming’ law firms that are subject to complaints, but would only expect information to be published when a firm has had three complaints upheld against it in 12 months, according to research released today. The findings of a ...
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Bar Professional Training Course students 'not up to it'
Too many people on the Bar Professional Training Course are ‘wasting their money’ because they are ‘not up to it’, the chair of the bar’s regulator declared last week. Lady Deech, chair of the Bar Standards Board, said the BSB would press ahead with its plans to introduce aptitude and ...