All News articles – Page 1668
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News
London's development agency slashes legal panel spend
The Mayor of London’s economic development agency has slashed millions of pounds from its spend on panel law firms since 2007, according to recently released figures. The London Development Agency (LDA) spent more than £8.53m on advice from panel firms in the 2007/08 financial year, but ...
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SRA warns lawyers acting in civil recovery claims against shoplifters
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned lawyers not to ‘diminish public trust in the profession’ when acting in civil recovery claims against alleged shoplifters. The warning arose in response to a report by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) on the fines levied and tactics used by ...
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Wind farms, delivery acquisitions and traffic light replacements
Gone with the wind: City and national firm Eversheds advised a number of energy companies, including six in the Forewind Consortium, on securing £50bn worth of contracts to build offshore wind farms under a government leasing programme. City firm Norton Rose advised the ...
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Time-based charging cannot be abandoned entirely
I agree that lawyers are going to have to find better ways to operate than the traditional and arguably anachronistic method of charging their clients with reference to six-minute units of time. It is not the case, however, that ‘either the lawyers are experts who know what they are doing ...
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SRA makes £3m payment to help clients of Wolstenholmes
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has made a payment of £3m to help clients whose conveyancing transactions have been left in limbo by the closure of Cheshire firm Wolstenholmes. The money has come from the Compensation Fund, which is administered by the SRA and funded by the ...
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Should lawyers be scared of the taxman?
The taxman cometh, and in his right hand he swings an axe coated with the blood of doctors and dentists. He is done with them, and now he seeks to scythe down all solicitors and barristers who have avoided paying him his dues…
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New government client care regulations ‘excessive’
New government regulations requiring solicitors to inform clients about what professional indemnity insurance they have in place have been described as ‘excessive’. The Provision of Services Regulations 2009, introduced by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) in December, require lawyers to provide information on ...
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What can legal business learn from publishing?
Are law firms more like publishing businesses than they think, and what might that mean?This sounds like an odd question, probably, if you're a lawyer and/or you run a law firm, but bear with me...
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Chancery Lane calls for answers about legal aid tendering process
The Law Society has written to the Legal Services Commission demanding urgent information about ‘fundamental issues’ concerning the civil legal aid tendering process, and expressing ‘grave concern’ at the lack of detail given to providers. The tender process is due to begin at the beginning of ...
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Tough times ahead but no more redundancies, predict conveyancers
Property experts have predicted a slow start to the year, but forecast an end to redundancies among conveyancing solicitors. Paul Marsh, lead Law Society spokesman on property, said the next 12 months would remain slow, but with house prices rising in some areas due to a ...
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Chancery Lane moves to block legal aid cap for acquitted defendants
The Law Society has filed a judicial review application in a move to block new government regulations restricting the costs that can be recovered by acquitted defendants. Regulations that came into force on 31 October 2009 cap at legal aid rates the costs recoverable by acquitted defendants who have ...
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New ways of doing business in 2010 – US style
I am still in prophetic mode for the New Year and new decade. Two big drivers in the coming year, and for some time to come, will be the recession and new technology. Here are some developments touching on one or the other or both, as reported in various outlets ...
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Have we escaped Microsoft's arms only to fall into Google's?
A minor landmark in the world of technology occurred just before Christmas. Well, actually it’s a legal issue mostly. Microsoft has agreed not to bundle Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system. Not exactly eye-popping news for most, but for some it marks the end of Microsoft...
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‘Breakthrough’ tax agreement helps large partnerships
Large law firms struggling with cash flow problems will be more able to obtain an extension on their tax deadline under a change in the rules adopted by HM Revenue & Customs. The new policy will extend the revenue’s Business Payments Support Service (BPSS) to large ...
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Telly with welly
The start of January is depressing, let’s face it, with so much cash spent in December and still weeks to go until the next payday. But when there are no readies in the wallet to fund a pleasant night in the pub, what better way to spend cold and dull ...
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Sensitive subject
James Carter (see [2009] Gazette, 17 December, 9) misrepresents Resolution as opposing government plans to extend family reporting. In fact, Resolution is fully supportive of greater openness and transparency in the family courts.
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More police psychological training could prevent violence and riots
by Mike Finn, a former police officer with the Met and City of London Police, an expert witness and director of consultancy for Elite International The G20 demonstrations in 2009 raised a number of emotive issues concerning the use of force by officers. But how might ...
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Penology/criminology
False imprisonment – Measure of damages – Prison officers/strikes Prison Officers Association v Mohammed Nazim Iqbal: CA (Civ Div) (Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury MR, Lady Justice Smith, Lord Justice Sullivan): 4 December 2009 ...
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Reform rules on migrants
I write with regard to the Immigration: Tier 1 Post Study Work Review and why successful students of the LPC and Bar Vocational Course should be granted Tier 1 Post Study Work (PSW) visas. See Immigration lawyers boost for top firms.
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Memory lane
A letter by a conveyancing lawyer from 1989. He asks if there is a life after conveyancying... Law Society’s Gazette, 6 December 1989 ...