Latest news – Page 918

  • News

    Damage limitation in the courts

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    I read with interest the letter from Stuart Killen in last week’s Gazette (see [2008] Gazette, 19 June, 12). I could not agree more with his comments and felt I just had to relate my experiences with Bow County Court. You would be pushed to find a bigger failure by ...

  • News

    Wrong kind of lasting impression

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    Though empathising with Stuart Killen, I cannot comment on his problems with slow service at his local county court. However, I can comment on another government department, which is potentially crucial to part of the profession – the Court of Protection.

  • News

    Undermining the rule of law

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    I write in connection with last week’s article ‘Putting yourself first’, which reflected on the duty criminal defence lawyers owe to their clients (see [2008] Gazette, June 19, 28).

  • News

    Third of firms seek bank loans

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    FUNDING: practices need funds for mergers and to cushion blow of economic gloom

  • News

    Recruiters forced to cut fees as lawyers feel squeeze

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    Legal recruiters will have to reduce their finders’ fees as law firms look to cut costs in the economic slowdown, according to Patricia Walsh, director of human resources at national firm Hammonds.

  • News

    Deals of the week

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    Vitamins deal: National firm Pinsent Masons advised ­vitamins and supplements provider NeutraHealth on the disposal of its over-the-counter medicines for £6.2m, to fund its £6.4m acquisition of ­Perrigo UK, which ­manufactures and packages vitamins, ...

  • News

    Smaller firms feeling the strain of money laundering regulations

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    COMPLIANCE: many struggling to meet reporting duties.

  • News

    Law websites found wanting

    2008-06-24T00:00:00Z

    Law firm websites look too similar, use too many words and lose ‘75% of people’ before web users move beyond the home page, consultants have warned.

  • News

    M&A market 'robust' despite downturn

    2008-06-20T00:00:00Z

    Billion-pound merger and acquisition (M&A) deals involving private equity have dried up but the market is in 'surprisingly good health', according to corporate finance advisory firm Hawkpoint. This year, only one M&A deal has topped £1 billion, with most falling under the £150 million mark, Graham Paton, managing ...

  • News

    'Virtual' firm reveals nationwide ambition

    2008-06-20T00:00:00Z

    By Neil Rose Some of the UK's biggest financial institutions - including HBOS, NatWest and More Th>n - could tie ...

  • News

    Cheap labour

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    It was with a sense of irony that I read the article in last week's Gazette regarding the pay gap between ethnic minority, female and male solicitors, and the fact that the Law Society has begun a campaign to end the pay differential (see [2008] Gazette, 22 May, 1).

  • News

    Turnover test

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    Sue Nelson says that a happy workforce can't be calibrated and it won't show up on a print-out (see [2008] Gazette, 15 May, 11).

  • News

    Concern over 'heavy handed' SRA visits

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    By Anita Rice The president of the Liverpool Law Society is canvassing 366 member firms on the quality of routine ...

  • News

    Legal Complaints Service slams 'unjustified' fine

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    By Neil Rose The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) has hit back at the decision to fine the Law Society £275,000 ...

  • News

    Wealth adviser targets law

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    LEGAL SERVICES ACT: expenses insurer DAS names Bristol quarry A leading wealth and talent management company has signalled its intention ...

  • News

    Call for advice centre evaluation

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    REPORT: fears raised over independence of CLACs as government announces six more The Advice Services Alliance (ASA) has warned that the new community legal advice centres (CLACs) might not be sufficiently independent of funding bodies to avoid conflicts of interest, as the government unveils plans for six new ...

  • News

    LSC trumpets rise in contract take-up

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    The Legal Services Commission (LSC) last week claimed that an upturn in the number of criminal legal aid contracts is evidence that practitioners still believe publicly funded work is 'profitable'. A total of 1,799 firms across 2,333 offices have been awarded the 18-month criminal contract, an 8% ...

  • News

    Unregistered solicitors risk Data Protection Act breach

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    Solicitors who are not registered under the Data Protection Act will be presumed to be in breach of the act, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) warned this week. The ICO revealed that recent prosecutions of London solicitors are part of a blanket crackdown on solicitors and ...

  • News

    More banks could face OFT raids

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) could raid more banks as it widens its investigation into alleged price fixing by Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), a competition lawyer has warned. The OFT raided the two banks following a tip-off from Barclays that there was alleged collusion ...

  • News

    In-house counsel ready to look beyond hourly fees

    2008-06-19T00:00:00Z

    TOOLKIT: C&I to offer advice on alternative charging methods In-house counsel are to be encouraged to use ...