All News articles – Page 1739
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News
Supreme confidence
Joshua Rozenberg’s article reports Lord Neuberger’s warnings about the ‘peril’ of ‘mucking around’ with the British constitution by creating a UK Supreme Court (see [2009] Gazette, 3 September, 6).
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News
The cost of HIPs
Mr Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, was rather disingenuous in his letter about estate agents ‘overcharging’ for HIPs (see [2009] Gazette, 3 September, 11).
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General counsel opt for quality over cost, says thinktank
Corporate general counsel are not particularly concerned about the size of legal bills when considering the value of work done by their external law firms, new research has suggested. In-house thinktank Global Leaders in Law, which examined how general counsel measure value in legal services, found ...
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Questioning the single renewal date for PII
Should there be a single renewal date for solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance? The question is an old one, and when the PII market is soft, competition heavy, and premiums low, answers are less forthcoming. But now that there are real renewal problems facing many law firms, the question becomes a ...
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Legal market guru Hodgart predicts 'global elite' of firms
Four of the five magic circle law firms will step into an emerging international elite, advising on only the biggest deals and paying the most lucrative partner salaries, according to legal market guru Alan Hodgart. In an interview with the Gazette, Hodgart, a consultant at business ...
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Firms keep trainees 'in limbo', says JLD
Trainees and junior lawyers are being unfairly kept ‘in limbo’ as firms delay making a decision on whether to retain them until the last moment as a result of the recession, the Gazette has learned. Kevin Poulter, former chairman of the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD), said ...
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SRA unveils mortgage fraud probe
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to examine the role played by solicitors in mortgage fraud as it marshalls its resources to tackle the escalating problem. The SRA claimed its investigations have already led to frauds worth several million pounds being thwarted. Over ...
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Sick and frustrated
Our property departments are decimated by the effects of a global recession created by causes totally beyond our control and yet for which we still suffer. Our sole practitioner colleagues are being threatened with expulsion from conveyancing panels, as a result of which many could lose their livelihoods.
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Getting to grips with points-based immigration
Immigration continues to be a highly politicised and sensitive area. The government is keen to use objective data received on the impact of migration on the British economy to continue to monitor and change the newly introduced points-based system (PBS). The government is eager to demonstrate that the pledged flexibility ...
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Hamming it up
Obiter must confess to feeling slightly sheepish. Last week, this column teased magic circle firm Allen & Overy for scrimping on the pennies, when it sent out its annual report, but neglected to include all the gastronomic breakfast goodies – posh pastries, marmalade ...
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Legal sitcom Lunch Monkeys hits the TV screen
A sitcom set in the postroom of a personal injury law firm and starring Nigel Havers made its debut last week. Lunch Monkeys, which debuted on BBC3 on Thursday and was watched by 403,000 viewers, is a six-part series written by former solicitor David Isaac. ...
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Real property
Compensation – Compulsory purchase – Neighbouring land – Rental value (1) Stewart John Pattle (2) Craig Pattle v Secretary of State for Transport: UT (Lands) (Judge Huskinson, Andrew Trott): 21 July 2009 ...
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Supermarket scoop?
There was great excitement at Obiter Towers last week. For a few short minutes, it seemed the much heralded ‘Tesco Law’ had finally arrived. And the Gazette had missed the scoop. An article in International Supermarket News revealed that Tesco had launched an online legal ...
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Is Google's Android the best thing since a sliced-up iPhone?
I reckon I've found something better than my BlackBerry. No, really.Since the Gazette got into social media in an increasingly big way, it's been my duty (or pleasure, or bane, depending on the day) to keep an eye on our different media 'channels' and interact with them increasingly regularly.
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LSB rebuffs regulator’s plea for control of board appointments
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has rejected a call from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to wrest ultimate control of SRA board appointments from the Law Society. In its latest consultation on legal services regulation, published today, the umbrella body dilutes an earlier commitment ...
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Women lawyers receive awards
The Association of Women Solicitors has presented ten ‘outstanding’ women solicitors with awards to recognise their excellence in business and people management. The winner of the large firm award was Susan Bright, head of competition at City firm Lovells, who manages a team stretched across ...
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Cyclist makes a splash
Obiter receives quite a few emails about solicitors performing sponsored bike rides and sponsored swims. But this is the first time we have learnt of a lawyer doing both at the same time. David Thomas, a consultant at Bindman & Partners, was happily ...
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Junior lawyers on community mission to Borneo
The Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) has teamed up with volunteering charity Raleigh International to develop a unique annual public service project in Borneo. Junior lawyers from the UK will work with a local community in the south-east Asian island of Borneo on infrastructure projects to build ...
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What is going on at the LSC and the MoJ?
The latest announcement by the Legal Services Commission delaying the tendering process for the new criminal contracts for at least two months probably comes as a relief to many practitioners, particularly those in the best value tendering pilot areas.