Latest news – Page 767
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News
Law shops are the future
So the Law Society is to spend £422,000 telling people what they already know, namely, that they can turn to a solicitor for legal advice because solicitors are ‘qualified to answer’. Is this money well spent and properly targeted as far as the public and the ...
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Reasonable charges
May I be allowed to respond to Ms Watson's letter in the 3 June Gazette, from the point of view of the solicitor acting for the management company? I frequently receive requests for information from solicitors acting for buyers and sellers of flats. Invariably, I receive a pre printed questionnaire ...
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Sharia law and diversity
Your report on the challenge to Sharia Law by the One Law for All Campaign has highlighted a concern I have had for some time. Peter Tatchell is quoted as generally opposing sharia jurisprudence as homophobic, sexist and anti-democratic.
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Fundamental principles
Roger Smith's analysis of the shameful killing of Baha Mousa overlooks the significance of acquittal following trial under due process of law. The Labour politicians who sent the army into Iraq required a senior officer to appear in the dock alongside non commissioned ...
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Herbert Smith sees rise in both income and profits
City firm Herbert Smith has increased both its turnover and average profits per equity partner (PEP) this year. Unveiling its 2009/10 financial results today, the top-10 firm (pictured) reported turnover up slightly to £450m from £444m in 2008/09, with PEP 2% higher at £862,000. ...
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International in-house pay survey shows that seniors are suffering
Senior in-house lawyers have fared much worse than their junior colleagues in the pay stakes over recent years, research has suggested. The average salary for a UK in-house lawyer with 10 years’ post-qualification experience (PQE) dropped 7% between 2004 and 2010, to £89,000 from £95,500, according ...
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Former Mishcon partner in court
A former partner at City firm Mishcon de Reya last week appeared in court charged with using falsified bank documents to obtain a €22m (£18m) loan. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) alleges that between 1 July 2008 and 22 August 2008, Kevin James Christopher Steele, 50, ...
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European Parliament backs equal treatment for suspects
The European Parliament has backed proposals that will, for the first time, set common standards to secure rights for suspects in criminal proceedings. It voted last week to approve plans from the European Commission to ensure translation and interpretation rights. The ...
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Human rights test case call for sharia law
A ‘parallel’ system of justice based on Islamic law should face a test case under the Human Rights Act, a group campaigning against religious laws said this week. The One Law for All Campaign called for a case to be initiated to determine whether Muslim arbitration tribunals and sharia councils ...
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‘Data corruption’ blamed for duty solicitor rota errors
The Legal Services Commission has blamed ‘data corruption issues’ for errors in the duty solicitor rotas published last week. Following publication of the new rotas for the six-month slots running from July to December, firms across the country found themselves on rotas in the wrong areas, or missed off the ...
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Fees up at top 50 law firms
Solicitors at top 50 law firms are earning nearly 20% more in fees than they were a year ago, new research has found.On average, each fee-earner in the top 50 firms brought in £77,000 in the quarter ended 30 April, compared with £65,000 over the same period in 2009, according ...
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ABI launches third-party code for insurers
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has launched a voluntary code of practice for insurers taking part in so-called third-party capture. The practice, referred to by the ABI as ‘third-party assistance’, involves an insurance company settling a claim directly with a personal injury victim of a policyholder, without the victim ...
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‘Collapse of representation’ fears over LSC’s mental health tender
The ‘extraordinary’ results of the Legal Services Commission’s mental health tender have left established firms facing bankruptcy and could trigger the ‘collapse of representation’, solicitors have warned. The tender outcomes, which were published to providers last week, have resulted in many experienced providers being given less ...
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Smaller firms to collaborate in north-west
An innovative project to help smaller law firms work together to become more competitive has been launched in the north-west. The initiative could involve around 10 Greater Manchester firms setting up a single management company to manage shared support services to help them prosper in the post-Legal Services Act environment. ...
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FSA chief warns over enforcement disruption
The scrapping of the Financial Services Authority must not disrupt a pipeline of pending insider dealing and market abuse cases, its enforcement chief warned this week. Margaret Cole (pictured), the FSA’s director of enforcement, said it is ‘vital that the momentum of enforcement activity is ...
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Legal aid payment regime blamed for RMJ collapse
The Law Society has hit back at government claims that inefficiencies at legal advice charity Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ) led to its collapse – while third sector groups have warned that all legal aid suppliers are facing funding difficulties. The charity, which was one of ...
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Regime change
The coalition government is scrapping the Financial Services Authority as a result of the latter’s comprehensive failure to provide effective regulation.
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Unethical earnings
The commercial debate about referral fees overlooks one simple fact – a referral fee is the purchase price for a client.
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Wake-up call
I cannot help but comment on the relative health of the legal profession compared with the medical profession.
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National disgrace
On 16 June Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ), one of the largest legal aid providers in the UK for refugees and migrants, went into administration because of cashflow problems caused by a legal aid contracting regime which prevents us from billing our work in progress until the closure of cases.