All News articles – Page 1377

  • News

    Canadian firm among .law domain applicants

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    A Canadian firm is seeking rights to the suffix .law on ­website addresses instead of current ‘top level domains’ such as .com. Merchant Law Group LLP is listed among eight applicants for the suffixes .law or .lawyer in a new list of potential domains issued ...

  • News

    Don't exclude future legal aid lawyers

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    I am disappointed to see that my name has been missed off both the Queen’s birthday honours list and the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY). I suppose they should now be Public Funding Lawyer of the Year but PFLY (Phillies?) does not have the same ring to it. ...

  • News

    SRA to look again at vexed issue of race

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority has pledged to carry out a second review of allegations of racial discrimination by the regulator against black and minority ethnic (BME) lawyers. The first review, carried out in 2008 by Lord Ouseley, former chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, concluded ...

  • News

    Law firms are acknowledging that they have a responsibility to solve the problems of their peers

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    ‘Help’ can be the hardest word for a lawyer to utter. As reported in this week’s feature, a call for assistance clearly goes against the grain for people whose stock in trade is assisting clients of whatever type in solving their problems. Add to that the competitive and adversarial nature ...

  • News

    Law Conference 2012 preview

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    In the original Star Wars film, answering Luke Skywalker’s scepticism about the space-worthiness of his ship the Millennium Falcon (‘What a piece of junk!’), interplanetary smuggler Han Solo reassures the young traveller: ‘She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot ...

  • News

    Applications to vary or revoke an order pursuant to Civil Procedure Rule 3.1(7)

    2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

    Does the court, pursuant to Civil Procedure Rule 3.1(7), have the power to vary or revoke an order which it has itself made? This was the question before the Court of Appeal in Tibbles v SIG Plc (trading as Asphaltic Roofing Supplies) [2012] EWCA Civ 518.

  • News

    Lawyers slam shared parenting plan

    2012-06-20T00:00:00Z

    Lawyers have described government plans to introduce a legal presumption of shared parenting after relationship breakdown as ‘unnecessary political posturing’ that could detract from children’s wellbeing.

  • News

    DPAs: start of a new wave of massive corporate fines?

    2012-06-20T00:00:00Z

    With the proposed introduction of US-style deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) into UK law expected later this year, it is likely our regulators will soon be armed with a powerful new weapon to fight serious fraud, bribery and corruption. But how should UK companies be reacting to this news and what ...

  • News

    How to keep control of your e-disclosure

    2012-06-20T00:00:00Z

    In today’s digital age we are faced with numerous issues related to various types of e-disclosure matters. Be it a litigation dispute, regulatory enquiry or an internal investigation there are common obstacles which need to be addressed at each phase of the e-disclosure life cycle. For instance, a project may ...

  • News

    Society calls for flexibility in AML directive

    2012-06-20T00:00:00Z

    The Law Society has called on the European Commission to maintain the flexibility of a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance as the EC drafts its fourth European money laundering directive. The Society’s response to a call for views also urges the commission to ...

  • News

    Bill threatens principles of ‘open and natural justice’

    2012-06-19T00:00:00Z

    A bill before the House of Lords this week threatens the principles of ‘open and natural justice’, the Law Society has warned. The Justice and Security Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Lords today (19 June), proposes extending closed material procedures (CMP) ...

  • News

    Cheer for SNR Denton partners as profits soar 48%

    2012-06-19T00:00:00Z

    SNR Denton’s financial performance has seen a 'material improvement' after its 'disappointing' results last year, according to figures announced today. Unaudited results for the EMEA region report profits per equity partner of £350,000 - up 48% on last year, and pre-tax profits of £28m - a 38% increase over last ...

  • News

    Detainees’ rights – now it is personal

    2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

    The theme this week is detention and the fundamental rights associated with it: first, the story of a particular man; and then the rights of detained persons in general in the EU.

  • News

    Crichton among birthday honours lawyers

    2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

    Two lawyers were among those knighted in the Queen’s birthday honours list announced at the weekend, while the judge behind the pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) received a CBE. Former deputy High Court judge Clive Callman received a knighthood, chief executive of the Crown ...

  • News

    Record profits for Eversheds as the good times roll again

    2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

    Eversheds has returned to growth and posted record profits after three years of declining or flat revenues. Profit per equity partner climbed 14% to £632,000 in 2011/12, while income climbed 3% to £366m. Net profit grew 10%. In a statement, the firm said all major ...

  • News

    Completion accounts clauses that are a contradiction in terms

    2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

    There have been a number of recent judgments dealing with the jurisdiction of experts appointed in the context of expert determinations *. As a forensic accountant, I have been involved with many expert determinations arising from business sale and purchase agreements (SPAs). In my experience, the most common jurisdictional ...

  • News

    31 July tax payment issues

    2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

    The second instalment of 2011/12 tax is due to be paid on 31 July 2012. In normal circumstances, these payments are calculated as 50% of a partner’s 2010/11 tax liability. However, if a partner’s 2011/12 tax liability is anticipated to be lower than for 2010/11, then interim instalments based ...

  • News

    High Court vindicates RSA on ‘in-house’ repair deals

    2012-06-15T00:00:00Z

    An insurance company was entitled to set its own rates for vehicle repairs after claimants suffered accidents, a High Court judge has ruled. In his preliminary judgment on the case of Coles v Hetherton released today, Mr Justice Cooke said RSA Insurance was entitled to ...

  • News

    Courier ‘teething problems’ hit London courts

    2012-06-15T00:00:00Z

    Courts in London have been disrupted this week because of ‘teething problems’ with the new courier service employed to deliver Crown Prosecution Service files to court. An executive officer of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association, Greg Powell, told the Gazette that prosecution files arrived ...

  • News

    CofE’s wedding rules can be elastic when it wants them to be

    2012-06-15T00:00:00Z

    Is the Church of England taking a consistent moral line over gay marriage? At one level it would be nice to think so. While I do not share the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage, no one is truly comfortable with tales of parents feigning faith to obtain a church school ...