Latest news – Page 871
-
News
Judicial hurdles hamper recovery of looted assets, says transparency group
International efforts to block the looting of poor countries by corrupt governments are hampered by the lack of a single body to combat money laundering in the UK, according to a government-sponsored study. Combating money laundering and recovering looted gains, by Transparency International, calls on the government to fund asset-recovery ...
-
News
Private equity firms target legal sector
Private equity firms are in ‘advanced negotiations’ over taking short-term stakes in leading law firms once they are allowed to do so, according to the peer in charge of reviewing legal regulation on behalf of the Law Society. ‘The figures they are talking about are astronomical,’ said Lord Hunt of ...
-
News
Bank shares, education and property management deals
Barclays disposal: The London office of US firm Shearman & Sterling advised the Abu Dhabi government-owned International Petroleum Investment Company on disposing of 1.3 billion shares in Barclays bank – around 13.5% of Barclays’ share capital. Magic circle firm Clifford Chance advised Barclays.
-
News
Solicitor loses appeal against insider trading jail sentence
A solicitor jailed after the Financial Services Authority’s first criminal prosecution for insider dealing lost his appeal against sentence last week. Christopher McQuoid, 40, former general counsel at TTP Communications, and his father-in-law, James Melbourne, 74, were both found guilty of one count of insider dealing ...
-
News
Income rises but profits fall at Field Fisher Waterhouse
City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse today reported an 8% increase in revenues, but predicted that profits would be down on last year. The firm’s turnover increased from £88m in 2007/08 to £95m for the year ended 30 April 2009. The firm did not release a figure ...
-
News
ECJ trademark ruling deals blow to ‘lookalike’ products
The European Court of Justice has extended protection for trademarks in the EU in a judgment in L’Oréal v Bellure today. The claimants, cosmetics manufacturers L’Oréal, Lancôme, and Laboratoire Garnier, accused the defendants, Bellure, Malaika Investments and Starion International, of ...
-
News
Some court costs to rise in civil fee reform
Changes to 30 types of civil court fee will come into effect on 13 July. The Ministry of Justice said the changes are aimed at targeting taxpayers’ money more effectively while helping those in financial difficulty. Several fees will rise. For example, the fee for sending a bailiff to collect ...
-
News
Solicitors and barristers unite to fight BVT ‘reverse auction’
The Law Society and Bar Council have joined forces to warn that access to justice will be reduced if the government ‘ploughs on with its reckless approach’ to best value tendering (BVT). The two bodies, together with the Criminal Bar Association, issued a joint statement as ...
-
News
Cuts, freezes and sabbaticals mooted at top-100 firms
Top law firms are re-evaluating their staffing policies by introducing more flexible working to avoid making redundancies, according to research by Sweet & Maxwell. The legal information provider found firms are introducing more flexibility, offering sabbaticals, retraining and part-time working to their employees.
-
News
Charles Plant named as SRA’s next chair
Charles Plant has been appointed chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority board. The Herbert Smith consultant will take up his post on 1 January 2010, taking over from Peter Williamson. The appointment was made by a panel of five, chaired by Elizabeth Filkin, the former parliamentary commissioner for standards. ...
-
News
Norton Rose looks east with Australia merger
City firm Norton Rose is to merge with Australian firm Deacons to create the 1800-lawyer Norton Rose Group, the firms announced today. Once the merger comes into force on 1 January 2010, the new firm will have an estimated combined turnover of £420m, with 29 offices ...
-
News
Slaughter and May slammed over £22m bill
Magic circle firm Slaughter and May was accused of running up an ‘astronomical bill’ to the Treasury by a Liberal Democrat peer today. The firm received £22m in legal fees for work relating to ‘financial stability’ in the financial year 2008-09, according to Liberal Democrat research. ...
-
News
Jackman collects legal aid gong
Angela Jackman, a partner at London firm Fisher Meredith, received an award for outstanding achievement at last night’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards. Jackman was recognised for her work in the development of education law to ensure justice for disadvantaged children, as well as ...
-
News
Event to remember Henry Hodge
An event to celebrate the life of Sir Henry Hodge is to be held next week. Sir Henry, who was one of the first solicitors to become a High Court judge, died this month. The event will take place at 4pm on ...
-
News
Professional independence in danger, incoming president warns
The legal profession is in danger of losing its independence, incoming Law Society president Bob Heslett warned last week. Heslett (pictured), who assumes the office next month, has identified three key themes and 11 objectives to tackle during his year in office. The themes will ...
-
News
Navigating mental health law
A barrister friend sent me a copy of Jonathan Rayner’s moving and disturbing article on his family’s experience of the law and mental health (see [2009] Gazette, 5 March, 14).
-
News
On the brink
The Legal Services Commission says that my figures in respect of the number of firms that may fold following implementation of best value tendering (BVT) are ‘inaccurate’ (see [2009] Gazette, 4 June, 2).
-
News
Providing answers
In last week’s Gazette, the LSC’s spokesman said the commission is working with representative groups and planning how best to support providers.
-
News
Clarity on TUPE
In your article titled ‘Law Society calls for halt to BVT rollout’, [Law Society chief executive] Des Hudson expressed concerns about BVT (see [2009] Gazette, 21 May, 3).
-
News
New fixed-fee deal could cut payments for low cost accident claims
Solicitors handling the hundreds of thousands of straightforward road traffic accident (RTA) claims brought every year look set for a significant cut in the fees they receive, the Gazette can reveal. Talks to agree a new fixed-fee claims process for RTA claims worth less than £10,000 ...