Latest news – Page 728
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Will ruling opens way for family claims
Family members who are snubbed in a relative’s will in favour of charities could find it easier to lay claim to the estate following a recent judgment. The Court of Appeal ruled last month that Heather Ilott could request a larger share of her mother Melita ...
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New website launches for personal injury claims
A new website has launched to gather personal injury claims for solicitors. The site selects only one firm per geographical area. Firms pay a flat monthly fee for the service which is based on the population of the area covered. ...
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Clifford Chance promotes nine partners in greater China
Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has promoted 23 lawyers to its partnership – including 12 in Asia. The firm said the partnership promotions, which took effect on May 1, reflected a new commitment to business in the Far East, with nine of the new partners focused on the Greater China ...
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Top firms involved in merger talks
Almost three-quarters of UK law firms have entered into talks about mergers in the past year, according to research. The survey of the country’s top-200 law firms by turnover found that 74.2% have made an approach to, or been approached by, another firm with a view ...
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Network launches for Islamic finance lawyers
A network of worldwide Islamic finance lawyers is to launch next week. Luxembourg-based Islamic Finance Lawyers (ISFIN) said it is looking to recruit more lawyers to provide Sharia-compliant investment advice worldwide. The network aims to bring together specialist lawyers from member law ...
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BSB gives go ahead for barristers to sue solicitors over fees
The Bar Standards Board has given the green light for the introduction of standard contractual terms that will enable barristers to sue solicitors for unpaid fees.
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Holman Fenwick Willan posts increase in revenue
Global expansion has seen international firm Holman Fenwick Willan secure revenue of £112.5m for the last year. The figure represents a 6% increase on a comparative 12-month period for 2009/10, with revenue from offices outside of London up by 45%. That jump ...
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SRA launches roadshow events on future of the profession
A series of talks on the future of the legal profession will start this week as the Solicitors Regulation Authority goes on the road. Around 2,500 lawyers are expected to attend the 2011 roadshows across the country – starting at the Law Society headquarters in Chancery ...
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Bar Standards Board to allow barristers to conduct litigation
The Bar Standards Board has approved proposals to regulate advocacy focused legal entities and allow barristers to conduct litigation. At a meeting last Thursday, the BSB decided it will regulate advocacy focused alternative business structures, legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) and barrister-only entities, but not multi-disciplinary practices. ...
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Complaints pour in on lenders' panel advice
Law firms are suffering financial loss because lenders are incorrectly advising clients that they cannot use their own solicitor for conveyancing and mortgage work, the Law Society has warned. Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said Chancery Lane had received a stack of complaints from firms ...
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Juror ‘contempt’ over Facebook contact
A juror who allegedly contacted a defendant through Facebook during a trial could face jail for contempt of court. Attorney general Dominic Grieve QC has applied to the High Court for permission to pursue contempt proceedings against juror Joanne Maria Fraill, who is alleged to have ...
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Human rights LinkedIn launch
The Gazette has launched a human rights LinkedIn group for solicitors interested in civil liberties and human rights issues in the UK and internationally. The group, launched jointly with the Law Society’s international human rights team, will become a leading discussion forum for topics ranging ...
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Solicitor set to pay for wasted costs
A London solicitor at the centre of a dispute over alleged illegal file sharing could face a huge costs bill after a judge ruled that he had breached the code of conduct and ‘brought the legal profession into disrepute’. Judge Birss, sitting in the Patent County ...
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EU takes UK to court over environmental law 'failings'
The European Commission has referred the UK government to the European Court of Justice (pictured) over its failure to provide an affordable procedure for mounting legal challenges to development plans that might damage the environment. The ECJ has the power to impose fines of up to ...
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Law Society will intervene over LPP extension
The Law Society will seek to intervene to prevent legal professional privilege (LPP) being extended to accountants if the matter comes before the Supreme Court, Chancery Lane said last week. Financial services company Prudential was granted leave to appeal a previous Court of Appeal decision ...
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MoJ ends training subsidy for Chinese lawyers
The Ministry of Justice has put an end to a £370,000 annual subsidy paid out for the last 20 years to help train Chinese lawyers. The Lord Chancellor’s Training Scheme was aimed at engaging with young Chinese lawyers to improve their understanding of the English legal ...
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Court stenographers to be replaced with digital recording
The quiet tapping of the court stenographer will be silenced by next year to be replaced with a high-tech recording system.
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MoJ could face judicial review challenge over civil cost reforms
Charitable group the Public Law Project (PLP) has threatened to launch a legal challenge to the Ministry of Justice’s civil costs and funding reforms. London firm Leigh Day & Co has sent a letter before action to the justice secretary Ken Clark on behalf of the ...
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Law Society condemns Iraqi military attack
The Law Society's human rights committee has condemned an attack by the Iraqi military on Iranian refugees at Camp Ashraf in Iraq, during which 34 civilians died and 300 were wounded. Film footage of the 8 April attack shows Iraqi security ...
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Pannone launches ‘white label’ legal services
A Manchester firm has launched a new division to tap into the customer base of major retail, insurance and financial services companies. Pannone is negotiating with several potential partners to join its ‘white label’ legal services division, known as Affinity Solutions, with one unnamed business already ...