All News articles – Page 1704
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News
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 ...
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Virtual support
I read Nicola Laver’s article ‘Virtual firms thrive in the downturn’ (see [2009] Gazette, 23 July, 12) with interest. As a firm we have embraced a hybrid model, which combines physical locations with virtual working. This has helped us grow to be the largest specialist family firm in the country.
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Real property
Civil procedure – Breach of undertaking – Conveyancing – Land charges (1) Adrian Paul Clark (2) Heather Jane Clark v Lucas Solicitors LLP: Ch D (Sarah Asplin QC): 31 July 2009 ...
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Peddling rumours
Tassells in Faversham, Kent, has informed us that it has an intrepid explorer in its midst. Partner Ann Matthews is about to cycle through Jordan from Amman to Aqaba, in aid of the Kent Multiple Sclerosis Society. Matthews’ cheeky colleagues have informed us that she has previously been ‘a little ...
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Nationwide signs up to probate protocol
The Law Society has this week published a new joint protocol with the Nationwide Building Society to assist in the winding up of estates. The protocol is the first such agreement to be reached with a building society, although similar arrangements are already in place with ...
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News
Nationwide signs up to probate protocol
The Law Society has this week published a new joint protocol with the Nationwide Building Society to assist in the winding up of estates. The protocol is the first such agreement to be reached with a building society, although similar arrangements are already in place with ...
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News
Small firms suffer as PI premiums soar
Solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance (PII) premiums have shot up by 50% in a handful of cases as early reports suggest that the renewals season is already proving difficult for small law firms. PII brokers and experts said that some small firms seeking early renewals have already ...
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Law firms and Wikipedia, part two: learning the ways
It’s only fair and right, after castigating hordes of big law firms over their woeful Wikipedia entries back in May, to let the world know when law firms learn to get Wikipedia right. So step up, CMS Cameron McKenna.
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Feeling peaky
It seems Yorkshire’s Three Peaks have been overrun with lawyers recently, with around 70 of them taking part in LawNet’s Three Peaks challenge, which has raised £20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society. The speediest solicitors were from Overburys in Norwich, with their team racing round in just 8hrs 45mins, though it ...
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Legal executives seek litigation and probate rights
A scheme allowing legal executives to set up their own law firms offering litigation and probate services has been put to the government. The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) has applied for the power to grant members civil and family litigation and advocacy rights, as well ...
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Dive talking
A lot of solicitors may feel like jumping out of an aeroplane from time to time, but how many of them actually do it? Well, associate solicitor Ruth Magee (pictured) from Simpson Millar is about to do exactly that – not, we hasten to add, because of despair over the ...
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Diversity data
A letter in the last issue of the Gazette questioned why the SRA was sending out a diversity questionnaire to solicitors asking about ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and other key information (see [2009] Gazette, 6 August, 7).
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News
Cutting out the middle man
The congratulatory report on claims management regulation has once again steered attention away from the rapidly increasing number of claims management companies to issues surrounding regulation of solicitors’ responsibilities (see [2009] Gazette, 30 July, 3).
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News
Funding cuts proposed for police station work
The Ministry of Justice has announced a consultation on funding cuts for police station and Crown court work aimed at ‘rebalancing’ the £2bn legal aid budget in favour of civil help. The reforms outlined in the consultation paper include reducing the fees paid for police station ...
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Pilot scheme to cut libel costs
Efforts to control the costs of defamation actions will step up this autumn with the launch of a year-long costs budgeting pilot. Under the scheme at the Royal Courts of Justice and High Court in Manchester, parties will be required to discuss with each other and ...
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Glimmers of hope for conveyancers
The term ‘green shoots’ has become toxic to politicians rash enough to use it and we hesitate to employ it here in the context of the housing market. But embattled conveyancers, still reeling from last year’s ‘annus horribilis’ and the continuation of the malaise into 2009, do at last have ...
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Huge vote of confidence for conveyancing solicitors
Conveyancing solicitors were given a resounding vote of confidence by the public this week as unpublished research seen by the Gazette revealed ‘stratospheric’ levels of satisfaction among consumers. Some 93% of ...
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Company law
Damages – Amendments – Loss of chance – Reflective loss Charles Frederick Webster v Sandersons Solicitors (a firm): CA (Civ Div) (Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, Master of the Rolls, Lady Justice Arden, Lord Justice Lloyd): 31 July 2009 ...
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A change of tack from the SRA?
The England cricket team today begin their quest for victory in the fifth and final test match of this year’s Ashes series, fronting a new-look lineup and a big gamble in the form of Warwickshire right-hander Jonathan Trott. Earning his first cap for England, Trott joins some other new faces: ...