Latest news – Page 833
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Carolyn Regan quits as Jack Straw turns LSC into executive agency
The chief executive of the Legal Services Commission has resigned after the Ministry of Justice took control of the body following the publication of the Magee review of the delivery of legal aid. Carolyn Regan, who has headed the LSC for the last three and half ...
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Landmark Court of Appeal ruling on retainers
Solicitors who cease acting for a client where the case has no chance of success on points of law are entitled to be paid for the work done up to that point, the Court of Appeal has ruled. The Court of Appeal (pictured), in Buxton v ...
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Most consumers ‘cannot tell good lawyer from bad one’
Most consumers could not tell a good lawyer from a bad one, according to Ministry of Justice research published this week.
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Miners’ solicitors to face court action
Solicitors who handled sick coal miners’ government compensation claims are set to appear before courts across the country, as the first known court actions for alleged undersettlement of such claims begin to emerge.
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Referral ban ‘will not reduce costs’
Banning referral fees will harm the legal profession and will have no effect on reducing law firms’ marketing costs, the chair of the Claims Standards Council (CSC) said last week. Speaking at the CSC annual conference in Manchester, Accident Advice Helpline managing director Darren Werth said ...
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Law Society launches election manifesto
The Law Society today published a policy manifesto ahead of the forthcoming general election, urging all political parties to respect the rule of law and safeguard access to justice. The 24-page document, contains a detailed and wide-ranging ‘wishlist’ of recommendations, ranging from support for the ...
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Government use of ADR falls – but settlement rate increases
The use of alternative dispute resolution by government departments fell last year, though settlement rates increased, a report published by the Ministry of Justice has revealed. In 2008/09 ADR was used in 314 cases, leading to settlement in 259 (82%), saving costs estimated at £90.2m, the ...
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The state we are in
It is perhaps fortunate that your lead letter 'Tools of the trade' writer (see [2009] Gazette, 18 February, 11) withheld their personal details...
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Why Lexcel needs a rebrand
I read with little surprise at the Law Society being voted strongest Business Superbrand in its sector, or at its overall 75th placing. The Law Society is an internationally recognised brand with an enviable heritage.
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Concerns over terminating retainer
I refer to the Court of Appeal decision in Buxton v Mills-Owen [2010] EWCA Civ 122 which seems to me to raise some issues of general concern to the profession.
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Only one solicitor among new QC appointments
Just one solicitor was among the 129 Queen’s Counsel appointments announced by the lord chancellor today in the fourth competition run by the independent selection panel. George Trinick, energy partner at national firm Eversheds, was the only solicitor of the 10 who applied to be appointed. Only four solicitors applied ...
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Lawyers work ‘extreme’ overtime, study reveals
Lawyers are among the most likely workers to do ‘extreme’ unpaid overtime, figures have revealed. Research by the Trades Union Congress found that 18% of legal professionals did more than 10 hours of unpaid overtime a week. The study found that ...
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Nationwide Autocentre sale and mining asset spinoff
Sales drive: North-west firm Brabners Chaffe Street advised car service and repair operator Nationwide Autocentres on its £73.2m sale to retailer Halfords, advised by national firm Pinsent Masons. Asset building: Magic circle ...
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Political lobby interests disclosed
Two MPs and one lord have taken up new lobbying or advisory roles connected with law firms over the past year, parliamentary registers show. New on the register is John Hutton, Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, who was paid £11,000 by national firm Eversheds to ...
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In-house warning over City law firm skills gap
Solicitors from the ‘cosseted environment’ of top City law firms have been denied the skills and experience they need to make the transition to an in-house role, leading general counsel have warned. In-house lawyers have complained that they cannot recruit the right candidate from private practice ...
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Immigration lawyers unhappy over new accreditation process
Immigration solicitors are concerned that they have been ‘singled out’ from other legal aid lawyers through the introduction of a new reaccreditation process. The compulsory immigration and asylum accreditation scheme, administered by the Law Society, was launched in 2004, with reaccreditation required after three years. ...
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Solicitor concerns over plans to scrap ARP
Solicitors have voiced concerns over ‘knee-jerk’ proposals to abolish the assigned risks pool (ARP) next year in their responses to a Solicitors Regulation Authority consultation on the issue. The Law Society said it did not support the SRA’s plan to scrap the pool, which it ...
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Law Society TUPE action reaches the High Court
The Law Society’s legal action against the Office for Legal Complaints and the government to determine whether employment protection rules apply to staff at the Legal Complaints Service was heard in the High Court last week. In December 2009, the Society issued proceedings seeking a declaration ...
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Two solicitors charged over £50m of mortgage frauds
Two solicitors have been charged with multiple offences related to a series of high-value commercial mortgage frauds worth around £50m in total. Mark Knights of Cheshire, 45, who worked at Manchester firm Mace & Jones at the time the frauds took place, appeared last Friday at ...
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Pioneering public sector alliance to offer 'budget' legal services
Cardiff and East Midlands law firm Geldards has teamed up with Kent County Council (KCC) to offer ‘budget’ legal services to the public sector across England and Wales. The two organisations have formed Law:Public, a public sector legal team of more than 100 lawyers, in what ...