News – Page 206
-
News
Merger creates billion-dollar international firm
International firm SJ Berwin has merged with Australian-Chinese giant King & Wood Mallesons
-
News
Challinors: it’s ‘business as usual’
Midlands firm Challinors today issued a ‘business as usual’ notice despite ongoing efforts to prepare for the sale of the practice.
-
News
No welcome in the valleys for national firms, research finds
Welsh lawyers are unhappy with their government’s efforts to encourage English firms to expand into the country, a new study has found.
-
News
City lawyers plead to keep budgeting exemption
City lawyers are at loggerheads with the senior judiciary over mandatory costs budgeting for high-value commercial cases.
-
News
Students ‘pessimistic’ about training contracts
A survey of almost 600 law undergraduates has found that around half are ‘pessimistic’ about obtaining a training contracy
-
News
‘Dismay’ as new LCJ named
The new process for appointing the lord chief justice has come under fire after Downing Street confirmed the appointment of Sir John Thomas, a white, privately educated Cambridge graduate, to the post ahead of the widely tipped Lady Justice Hallett. In a letter to The Times, barrister and arbitrator Lord ...
-
News
Lawyers wary over company owners rule
Company law specialists have cautiously welcomed the government’s approach to requiring all companies to declare their beneficial owners. A discussion paper published last week by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills proposes creating a register of beneficial owners to meet a commitment set out at last month’s G8 summit. ...
-
News
First grants from Foundation
The legal education charity established with a £200m endowment following last year’s sale of the College of Law to private equity firm Montagu has awarded its first six grants, amounting to around £550,000. The grants were announced at the launch of the Legal Education Foundation (LEF). Guy Beringer, former managing ...
-
News
Regulator defiant over licensing One Legal
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has defended its decision to grant an alternative business structure licence to a company owned by Trevor Howarth, the legal director of Stobart Barristers, who faces a possible trial for contempt of court. The SRA last week licensed One Legal, a company set up in September ...
-
News
BLP, Travers Smith and Dentons post flat results
Revenue at Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) dropped 5% to £233m, as more City firms continued to post flat results for the financial year 2012-2013. Last year BLP, a key adviser for financial institutions, increased revenue by 7.4% to £246m. The firm has sought to cut staff costs by around 15% ...
-
News
Merger talks reach record high as firms battle cuts
The number of law firms opting to merge has reached an all-time high as practices respond to the prospect of reduced income. Analysis by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy found 234 mergers involving UK law firms in the past year, up from 220 in the previous 12 months. The number of ...
-
News
CMCs ordered to show they comply with fee ban
More than 140 claims management companies (CMCs) are being asked to prove they have not breached the referral fee ban since April, the government has revealed. The Claims Management Regulation Unit, managed by the Ministry of Justice, has visited more than 450 companies across England and Wales since the ban ...
-
News
APIL chief joins call for ban on incentives
The leader of the UK's biggest claimant representative group has said it is a 'mystery' why regulators have opted not to ban inducements for personal injury claims.
-
News
SRA approves £50-£350 charge scale for advocacy accreditation
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has approved the fees that solicitors will be required to pay for accreditation under the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). Fees are set for the four accreditation levels and solicitors will have to make payment on registration, on progression and when seeking reaccreditation. To ...
-
News
Ombudsman tries to extend reach as job cuts loom
The Legal Ombudsman will next week set out plans for a voluntary scheme to cover unregulated parts of the legal sector. A discussion paper will be released just days after proposals to cut 10% of its staff were confirmed. The ombudsman told workers this week that 25 roles are being ...
-
News
Challinors confirms appointment of administrator
Midlands firm Challinors has confirmed it has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator. The multi-service firm, with offices across the west and east Midlands, said in a statement today the move will protect its position pending a sale of the business. ‘This will allow an orderly transfer ...
-
News
‘Corporation’ future considered for courts as government denies sell-off
An ‘independent public interest corporation’ may take over the ownership of courts and tribunals, the government revealed today. In a letter to judges on plans to reform HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the lord chancellor Chris Grayling, the lord chief justice Lord Judge and the senior president of tribunals ...
-
News
PII renewals: just like Christmas
This week the staff asked when we are closing for Christmas. They want to make plans, and why not?
-
News
Private equity investor in £4m probate deal
Private equity investor Smedvig Capital has confirmed it has pumped £4m into probate company Kings Court Trust..
-
News
Profits soar by 32% at TLT
Profits at national firm TLT soared by 32% to £7.4m in 2012 – on turnover up 11.6% to £49.6m, according to financial results released today. Profit per equity partner rose 7.5% to £274,00. Last year TLT merged with Scottish firm Anderson ...