All News articles – Page 1657
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News
Birmingham's legal sector unites to battle effects of recession
They may not have much else in common with the Liberal Democrats, but Simmons & Simmons and Birmingham-based firm Shakespeare Putsman know the value of power sharing. They are both looking to a coalition – if that’s the right word – with Mayer Brown and Needham & James respectively. Consolidation ...
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Halliwells becomes biggest casualty of the recession
One of the UK’s biggest regional law firms is expected to disappear from the market shortly, after the economic downturn claimed its biggest victim so far in the legal sector. As the Gazette went to press, Manchester-headquartered Halliwells and its staff were in limbo as ...
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Criminal justice - doing it better with less
In his first speech on criminal justice since taking office, justice secretary Ken Clarke yesterday laid out his plans for the reform of the courts, legal aid and sentencing.
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Call for EU to tighten intellectual property protection
Pressure is mounting on EU lawmakers to improve protection for trade secrets and intellectual property (IP) rights, after two business lobbies called for stricter enforcement. A coalition of seven international corporations told the Gazette this week that it has called on the European Commission to afford ...
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Lawyer strikes a chord
Playing at the blues end of the musical spectrum this week we had Roger Bolt, senior partner at London firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, strumming his six-string on Saturday at Jazz after Dark in London’s Soho with eight-piece ensemble The Big Girls Blues Band. Elsewhere, we had the Gazette’s own City ...
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The Law Society is meeting the needs of members in difficult times
In my very first Podium last August, I wrote of the challenges facing the profession in what I anticipated would be one of the busiest years in the Law Society’s history. In my final article as president, I can state with confidence that the Society has met and dealt with ...
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Rule of law ‘in disarray’ in Zimbabwe
Extra-judicial killings, kidnappings and torture continue unabated in Zimbabwe despite a 22-month power-sharing agreement between the country’s two main political parties, a delegation of legal bodies reported this week. The delegation's report, A Place in the Sun, looks at the state of the rule of ...
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Inexperienced firms seek help for mental health work
Legal aid cuts have forced firms with no mental health experience to bid for mental health contracts – and they are now urgently seeking to poach staff to enable them to do the work, recruiters have told the Gazette. Toby Williamson, director at national recruiters G2 ...
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New ombudsman service Is ‘good value for money’
The new legal ombudsman service set up to investigate and resolve complaints made by users of legal services will open on 6 October this year. Established by the Office for Legal Complaints and based in Birmingham, the service will replace the Law Society-run Legal Complaints Service ...
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Rainmaker turns haymaker
Magic circle lawyer turned boxer Laura Saperstein (right) has been offered a European title fight. The British Boxing Board of Control made the offer earlier this week, the day after Saperstein won a points victory over Bulgarian bruiser Borislava Goranova at York Hall, Bethnal Green.
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Human rights
Terrorism – Control orders – Right to liberty and security Secretary of State for the Home Department (respondent) v AP (appellant): SC (Lord Phillips, Lord Saville, Lord Rodger, Lord Walker, Lord Brown, Lord Clarke, Sir John Dyson): 16 June ...
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When nations saw red
The traumas of the current sporting season are a far (battle) cry from the football war fought between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969, says Russell Evans, a partner at Southampton firm Eric Robinson. An immigration dispute between the two South American nations, coupled with ...
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90% ‘would recommend their solicitor to a friend’
Nine out of 10 people would recommend their solicitor to a friend, according to independent research commissioned by the Law Society. Of 1,011 people questioned by research agency GfK NOP, 505 said they had a solicitor to whom they would go for advice on a legal ...
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Halliwells on the brink of administration
The economic meltdown is set to claim its biggest casualty yet in the legal sector, with Halliwells hovering on the brink of administration. Talks are under way today to transfer the bulk of the top 50 firm’s assets to Liverpool-based Hill Dickinson, though there is no ...
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Supermarketing for lawyers
For a wordy profession, lawyers are a strangely reticent bunch when it comes to marketing. But the advent of the Legal Services Act has helped usher in big-hitting advertisers such as Tesco, Asda and the Co-op, making getting your name out there a commercial imperative.
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CPS lawyer pleads guilty to bribe charge
A Crown Prosecution Service lawyer has admitted taking a share of a £20,000 bribe to drop a case. Sarfraz Ibrahim, a barrister who was the head of the advocacy unit at Gwent CPS, yesterday (Monday) admitted corruption, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public ...
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PII renewal fury
The annual renewal of our professional indemnity policies is approaching. I contacted our broker to assess what treats might be in store for us. He indicates that it is early days, but that we should budget for a substantial increase – maybe as much as 100%.The reasons for this are: ...