All News articles – Page 1703
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News
When the chips are down
Obiter has got wind of some rather interesting ideas for tackling the changing legal services market from London’s Outer Temple Chambers.
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Leading the profession through changes to the legal services market
Just as the profession has changed over the past five years, so has the Law Society.
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Firms call for ‘safe harbour’ to strike early investment deals
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has rejected calls to create a ‘safe harbour’ for law firms to strike formal investment deals ahead of full implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 reforms. The news came as the Gazette learned that a number of commercial law firms have taken the first major ...
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Cafcass and the family justice system are failing vulnerable children
By Christina Blacklaws, a founding partner of Blacklaws Davis, is the child care representative on the Law Society CouncilIt is a very bad time to be a vulnerable child at risk of abuse and neglect. Not only are social work vacancies running at record levels – 12% nationally and almost ...
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Guide launched to help solicitors buy indemnity cover
The main representative bodies from the legal and insurance worlds today launched a guide to help solicitors buy professional indemnity insurance (PII) cover. The guide, put together by the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Law Society, offers guidance ...
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Tea, biscuit, mediation?
When it comes to ideas for promoting mediation in family cases, it seems the Ministry of Justice is all ears. Mediation can be less drawn-out and traumatic for family members, and of course it also happens to save the MoJ more than a bob or two in legal fees. The ...
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Can sole practitioners avoid getting a raw deal on PII premiums?
When it comes to professional indemnity insurance, many sole practitioners are getting a raw deal. The effect of the credit crunch on the housing market and levels of repossessions has led to an increasing number of lenders looking for ways to recoup their losses by suing solicitors.
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Internet users spend an average of two minutes on law firm websites
Internet users spend an average of just two minutes on law firm websites, with visits to ‘fuddy-duddy’ sites often lasting a mere 40 seconds, new research has revealed. Website marketing company Conscious Solutions analysed data from 83 law firms, ranging in size from more than 20 ...
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Dispelling the myths around indemnity insurance
This year the Law Society has been actively engaging with its members about professional indemnity insurance (PII) following the difficulties that some members experienced during last year’s renewal period. As a result of this dialogue, we have become aware of an increasing level of concern about the PII market. The ...
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Solicitors offer air miles for legal work in new loyalty card scheme
An alliance of solicitor firms is to offer clients a ‘loyalty card’ rewards system in an innovative bid to square up to the threat from big brands entering the legal services market, the Gazette can exclusively reveal. QualitySolicitors.com will launch a loyalty card this month which ...
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Comparing solicitors online by price will affect quality
Accountants, who are often ahead of solicitors, now have the ‘benefit’ of a ‘new and revolutionary’ website that compares their charges. It is claimed that by checking prices of accountancy services, the client consumer will be able to pick the cheapest. This, of course, may rely on the number ...
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Multi-party opt-out litigation saves costs and provides access to justice
by Ben Patrick, a legal officer at the public service union UNISON Neil Rose’s news article on class actions in employment tribunal claims (see [2009] Gazette, 6 August, 2) highlighted an important problem that affects many thousands of claimants in equal pay tribunal claims.
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ABSs are a fait accompli - the bar should accept this
‘Many, many things must be done, but nothing should ever be done for the first time.’ This cynical bureaucratic maxim, uttered by fictional mandarin Sir Humphrey Appleby, was brought to mind by the Bar Standards Board’s latest pronouncement on alternative business structures. The BSB ...
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Bar regulator rapped by Legal Services Board over ABSs
The bar’s regulator has been accused of engaging in a ‘sterile debate’ over alternative business structures by oversight body the Legal Services Board. The LSB’s broadside came following the BSB’s decision to commission research by economic analysts on the potential effects on the market and consumers ...
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Interpreting part 6 of the CPR: service by fax
The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2008, which came into force on 1 October 2008, brought about a number of significant amendments to the CPR, including changes to the rules governing the service of the claim form on defendants. The interpretation of some of these rules, in particular in relation to ...
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Legal Sector Alliance of City law firms press G20 on climate change
A group of City firms committed to safeguarding the environment has written a communiqué to the leaders of the G20 nations calling on them to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to climate change legislation, the Gazette can reveal. The Legal Sector Alliance (LSA) of 18 ...
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Advice scheme launched for vulnerable young people
The Children’s Society has launched an innovative pilot internet and telephone service offering legal advice to young people in Lambeth and Camden in London, and in Colchester, Essex. While available to all, Lawyers for Young People is principally aimed at ensuring the most vulnerable get access ...
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Finding a lawyer in Lapland or Lampedusa
The business of finding a lawyer in another EU country, and hopefully a competent one with experience in the field you want, has recently come to the top of the agenda.
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Intellectual property: How L’Oreal won the battle of the scents
In a major victory for the owners of well-known brands, the European Court of Justice may have crushed the market in ‘imitation’ products – and caused problems for any brand that might be similar to a well-known brand.
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Might the end of the long-serving six-minute unit be in sight?
For at least the past 30 years, chargeable time has been recorded in units of six minutes. Various justifications are made out for the six-minute unit but, whatever the reasons, it’s just been a convenient measure because hourly rates can be divided by 10 to calculate the value of a ...