Latest news – Page 812
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News
Law Society acts on ‘inflated’ indemnity premiums
The Law Society has written to every professional indemnity insurer asking for an ‘urgent response’ to its concerns over the ‘hugely inflated’ premiums being quoted ahead of this year’s renewal deadline. The Society said calls to its dedicated professional indemnity insurance helpline indicated that insurers were ...
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No man is an island
I agree with Susan Singleton that being a sole practitioner does not mean living as a hermit or having no friends (see [2009] Gazette, 10 September, 9). However, for many who are currently having a rather hellish time getting their insurance renewed, and having panel membership taken away...
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Fixed-fee concerns
I am writing following your report about the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers withdrawing from the fixed-fee mediations run by the Civil Justice Council (see [2009] Gazette, 17 September, 3).
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Why bad-mouth conveyancing?
Groan. At the end of a recent Gazette editorial, the piece described conveyancing (and probate) as private practice’s ‘more prosaic functions’ (see [2009] Gazette, 10 September, 8).
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Closing down
I am incensed after reading last week that a London firm has to shut because its professional indemnity insurance premium was quoted as £110,000 for the forthcoming year (see [2009] Gazette, 17 September, 1).
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Race to the top
I write regarding last week’s news item ‘Aspiring judges quizzed on race’ (see [2009] Gazette, 17 September, 1).
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Product placement could mean lucrative work for lawyers
Legal advice and litigation in respect of television product placement could boost City firms’ income next year, after the government said it will consider lifting an existing ban. The government’s announcement has stirred interest among law firm media and marketing practices. Stephen Groom, consultant and head ...
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Probe into amount paid to law firms on Olympic Park project
The London Development Agency (LDA) faces a probe over the amount it has paid to law firms for advice on the Olympic Park project, the Gazette has learned. ...
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Office for Legal Complaints consults on complaints
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) has published for consultation a revised version of its draft rules. The new rules reduce the timeframe it had originally proposed for clients to bring a complaint, in response to concerns from solicitors. Under the new ...
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FSA contemplates action on third-party capture by insurers
The Financial Services Authority will decide this month whether to launch an investigation into the insurers’ practice of acting for non-policyholders through ‘third-party capture’. Ken Hogg, director of the insurance sector at the FSA, said it was currently undertaking ‘exploratory work to gather information on the ...
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Solicitors raise confidentiality concerns in virtual court pilot
Police station interview rooms used by defendants in the virtual court pilot are not soundproof and put confidentiality at risk, criminal practitioners have warned. Bruce Reid, a freelance solicitor-advocate, represented a defendant in custody at Brixton Police Station via the videolink from Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court. ...
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SRA board appointment call rejected by LSB
The Legal Services Board has rejected a request from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to take greater direct control of its own board appointments. In its latest consultation on legal services regulation, the umbrella body dilutes an earlier commitment toward a more discrete structure separating Chancery ...
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Barristers to form ‘procurement companies’ for block contracts
A Bar Council taskforce has put forward proposals for barristers or groups of chambers to form procurement companies to contract as a block for publicly funded advocacy work. The structure would give barristers greater power in negotiating contracts and allow the bar to take advantage of the practice changes permitted ...
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Probate services company ITC signs deal with Barclays
A probate services company which has signed a deal to handle Barclays customers was the subject of criticism this week. ITC Legal Services (ITC), which according to its website has a transparent fixed-fee policy which makes it competitive on price with solicitors, has agreed a third-party ...
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Europe to gain new justice commissioner
Europe’s legal profession made a significant breakthrough last week when European Commission president José Manuel Barroso agreed to establish a special post of EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Civil Liberties. Barroso made the concession to help secure the backing of liberal MEPs for his reappointment, which was confirmed ...
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Halifax seeks firms for nationwide panel
The Halifax is looking to build a nationwide law firm panel to support its new Legal Express service, the Gazette can reveal, enabling solicitors to ‘ride on the coat tails’ of the bank’s brand power. The move is seen as countering those who warn that the ...
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'Scrap training contract for unreserved work', thinktank urges
An influential thinktank has proposed scrapping the training contract for non-reserved work as part of a radical overhaul of the qualification process. The College of Law’s Legal Services Policy Institute advances far-reaching proposals for change in a strategy document to be published this week. ...
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Law firms 'over the worst' of recession, PwC report reveals
Large law firms have ‘weathered the storm’ of the recession, with profits up sharply since the start of the year, research by PricewaterhouseCoopers seen exclusively by the Gazette has revealed. PwC’s quarterly benchmarking survey showed an 18% rise in profits per equity partner (PEP) since January ...
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Government moves to cut ‘no win, no fee’ libel costs
The Ministry of Justice will bring in new rules from 1 October to cut ‘no win, no fee’ libel costs, as revealed by the Gazette in August (see [2009] Gazette, 20 August). The ‘first raft’ of measures constitutes the government response to its February consultation ‘Controlling ...
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Lawyers to stand trial on insider-dealing charges
Two former City lawyers charged with eight counts of insider dealing by the Financial Services Authority have been committed to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court. Andrew Rimmington, former partner at US firm Dorsey & Whitney, and Michael McFall, former partner at US firm McDermott Will ...