Dentons takes over from Norton Rose in Venezuela
Firm’s opening of new office follows exit of Norton Rose Fulbright.
Crooked solicitor swindled £1m from estates of dead clients
Edgar Thomas was jailed for six years at Swansea Crown Court.
Courts IT meltdown: Trials delayed, jurors left waiting and lawyers struggle to get paid
Ministry of Justice says it is pressing suppliers for 'urgent solutions' as practitioners highlight their struggles.
Reinstate minimum salary, legal aid lawyers urge SRA
Young Legal Aid Lawyers says its research consistently reveals low pay is main barrier for prospective trainees.
Vos: Let's rethink litigation to attract female talent
Leading judge says a new system aimed at creating a work-life balance can improve diversity in the judiciary.
On-call solicitor who drove to station after drinking 'let duty override common sense'
Steven Baggott agrees fine and rebuke with SRA after conviction for driving with excess alcohol.
'Fun, calm and a model professional': Tributes pour in for regulator Rousell
Head of claims management regulation at the Ministry of Justice has died following a short illness.
Linklaters reveals BAME pay gap
Firm’s latest gender pay report also shows pay according to ethnic group.
Economic crime reform ‘grinds to halt’
Ministry of Justice dragging feet two years after consultation - as Lords report on Bribery Act looms.
Former Co-op Bank chief set to guide legal complaints quango
Two lay members appointed to the board of the Office for Legal Complaints.
Domestic abuse bill to ban family court cross-examination
Landmark measure will also introduce the first statutory definition of domestic abuse to include economic abuse.
Restrictive covenants under spotlight at Supreme Court
Employment case could have implications for contracts in partnership model.
Confident Keystone forecasts profits ahead of expectations
Listed firm which encourages remote working now has around 290 lawyers in the network.
Simplify 1,100 pages of immigration rules - Law Commission
Rules have become highly prescriptive, too long, complicated and difficult to follow, proposals state.
Pinsent Masons tops Stonewall list of inclusive employers
Legal profession fares well in annual LGBT survey, with 16 entries in the top 100.
High Court master is a breath of fresh air
Edmund Honohan was forced to create his own ventilation system in a Dublin courtroom.
Ghost in the machine?
Perhaps the haunting of an executed highwayman is behind the ‘unique challenges’ the Central Criminal Court faces when it comes to WiFi.
Lawyers in the dock over Brexit blockage
If in doubt, blame the lawyers.
Memory lane 21 January 2018
A stroll down Gazette memory lane.
News focus: Making criminal defence pay
The government is reviewing criminal legal aid fees but does it fully grasp the predicament of embattled practitioners? And how does it stop juniors fleeing an impoverished sector for City riches?
‘Seize the nettle now on capped costs’, says judge
High Court has restricted an appellant’s costs in a case heading to the Supreme Court.
Bar Council to open membership to chambers
New offering will allow clerks and managers to benefit from representative body’s training and events.
Legal aid fraudster is disbarred
Unregistered barrister Neil Frew worked at Bradford firm Chambers Solicitors.
'Major service degradation': criminal justice email system goes down
IT fix will involve temporarily deleting practitioners' inboxes, which will take up to two weeks to restore.
Solicitor ‘no longer needed’: MoJ rolls out online probate service
System has its place - but only for administering simple estates, solicitors warn.
Defendants not obliged to get early evidence from third parties, rules CoA
Judge says parties should devote their energy and resources to getting on with the action.
Faceless blue and yellow bureaucracy says: no extension
Transition period ends for barristers.
KPMG latest 'Big Four' firm to expand legal offering
New associate law firm to open in Hong Kong, followed by one in Shanghai.
MoJ rejects hack speculation as efforts continue to end IT disruption
Digital specialist suggests ageing infrastructure is a major problem for the department.
Twitter reacts: 'Not only Brexit has no Plan B'
As HMCTS’ computer chaos continues, lawyers take to Twitter to inject a bit of humour into the ongoing fiasco.
Legal aid for welfare benefits plummets over a decade
Justice minister Lucy Frazer QC says the LASPO review will be published 'shortly'.
Rohingya crisis: international prosecutions threatened by poor witness statements
Accountability for alleged genocide relies on a more co-ordinated approach.
Big spending solicitors still failing to meet costs budgets
Survey of specialists finds many clients go over budget - but there are reasons for optimism.
SRA pays Leigh Day £1m to cover costs of failed appeal
Joint statement marks end to disciplinary proceedings over Iraq claims - but not to the controversy.
Firms step up no-deal preparations after Brexit vote
Default option is that the UK leaves the EU on 29 March, with or without a deal, legal specialists warn.
Brexit: deadlock means new vote or no deal, says Society
Chancery Lane repeats warning in wake of House of Commons Brexit vote.
Court caps appeal costs to keep 'some semblance of reasonableness'
Judge says it was ‘deeply alarming’ to discover that appellant planned to spend £1.24m on a day and a half in court.
Herbert Smith Freehills brings Alternative Legal Services hub to US
New office in New York will focus on eDiscovery, international firm says.
Brexit: Bar says 'door now open' to other options
Norway or Canada-type agreement could now be possible, barristers’ profession says.
Legal Aid Agency faces High Court showdown over protection orders
Civil liberties group has been granted permission to challenge the lack of legal aid to challenge public space protection orders.
Judge who locked up claimant for contempt 'misused power'
Court of Appeal says county court judge failed to take the ‘measured approach’ that was required.
Listed firm expands but shuns London 'merry-go-round'
Chief executive says staff are now coached to be firmer with clients about when they are expected to pay bills.
Regulatory uncertainty over key home-buying reform
Solicitors Regulation Authority says solicitors should not hold deposits on behalf of sellers 'before a sale has been agreed'.
Fighting ‘genericide’: trade mark owners handed new powers
Brand owners can request clarification in dictionaries.
Court upholds £20k fine for partner over abusive immigration claims
Director of London firm did nothing to stop abuse of process, despite his responsibility as compliance officer, appeal rules.
SRA joins new taskforce to rid UK of 'dirty money' reputation
Home Office and Treasury say taskforce will scrutinise performance in dealing with economic crime. But lawyers remain sceptical.
Ready, set, GO: 'enhanced' Wi-Fi for criminal courts
GovWifi account will enable visitors to access network in 31 buildings.
Government under fire for failure to check probate 'stealth tax' costs
Solicitors for the Elderly says government has given ‘limited consideration’ to how proposals will work.
'Not sufficiently transparent': SRA told to be more open on policy
Legal Services Board completes its health check of regulators, identifying limited areas of improvement.
Government 'exploring alternatives' to short prison sentences
Cautious welcome for justice minister Rory Stewart's proposal.
Insurer on the hook for costs in negligence claim over 'Mafia' development
Sitting in the High Court, Mr Justice Foskett exercised the court’s discretion to award non-party costs in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
HFW eyes Saudi Arabia in Middle East drive
International firm agrees association with Riyadh-based Saudi practice.
Solicitor fined £5,000 for describing complainant as a 'nutter'
Tim Bennett said he was the subject of a vexatious litigant and apologised for his conduct.
Court relaxes costs rule for PI claim heading towards multi-track
Judge says parties had signed consent order that would result in costs assessed on standard basis.
Deloitte signals legal services intent with magic circle hire
Managing partner Michael Castle joins Big Four firm from Allen & Overy.
Dobbing in your clients
When an Australian gang war led to the death of her father, Lawyer X took matters into her own hands.
Madge of honour
A discovery at the University of Glasgow has finally put a face to the name of the UK’s first woman solicitor.
Law Society's warning over leasehold costs curbs
Chancery Lane has responded to the Law Commisson’s consultation on proposals to reform process for leaseholders to buy or extend their lease.
Law Commission chair wants ‘modern lawyers’ to fill commissioner posts
Sir Nicholas Green told the Gazette it was a ‘chance to do a lot of rebalancing’.
Probate online and other news in brief
This week’s news in brief.
Disgraced ex-solicitor denied return to roll for a third time
Iqbal had run a claims management company during his ban which had been fined for making unsolicited calls.
Redundancy talks started at merged Ince Gordon Dadds
Firm says it is committed to minimising the number of people affected by job losses.
Criminal legal aid review won't be ready until late 2020
Ministry of Justice says evidence must go 'far beyond' billing data.
New owners revamp comparison site Law Superstore
Consumers will be provided with four quotes for each enquiry - and lawyers pay fee once lead has been generated.
Don’t put up barriers for EU lawyers in no-deal Brexit, Law Society urges
Consultation into new Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme closed yesterday.
Claims giant issues profit warning as PI firms pull out
Share price tumbles at National Accident Helpline, but company says it has plans to improve trading in 2019.
MPs to put £1bn courts programme under scrutiny again
Committee worried about implications of closing courts and relying on online systems.
Court rejects claimant's plea to silence life expectancy expert
Claimant lawyers had sought to argue the court could open the floodgates to similar submissions in future.
Solicitors and accountants create ‘one-stop shop’ for mergers
Association of Law Firm Merger Advisers will respond to ’changes and challenges’ facing profession.
Fewer solicitors to take silk in 2019
Solicitors’ share declines in latest QC appointments announcement.
Hale courts constitutional controversy with 'austerity' speech
Supreme Court president says government policies 'impact more harshly on women, children and disabled people'.
'Professional snobbery': Legal executives demand parity with solicitors
CILEx wants more influence and rights for its 20,000 members.
US consultancy snaps up in-house adviser Halebury
Combined business will supply lawyers and other experts for in-house teams and law firms on global basis.
MoJ reveals fixed cost levels for two-year pilot
Scheme will operate in selected business and property courts for cases valued up to £250,000.
Solicitors told about vulnerable prisoners policy - five months after it was introduced
Criminal defence practitioners told not to speak to too many prisoners on visits to police cells.
City firm anticipating India liberalisation
Gowling WLG extends partnership in India, but legal market opening no closer.
Barrister fined for sending cocaine to chambers
Richard Thomas Keogh had received a police caution.
Food for the [Dover] soul
In Brexit year, white cliffs are a recurrent theme at the Law Society Art Group’s annual show.
Firms shut by SRA to appeal interventions
Regulator announces closure of Essex and Hounslow firms, citing reason to suspect dishonesty by employee.
'Dishonest' and 'deluded': MP accuses Day to his face in parliament
Extraordinary exchanges in defence committee hearing as MPs demand apology from Leigh Day's senior partner.
Law firms 'beginning to react' to trainee salary struggle
Big improvements in pay at regional firms, while Londoners see minor improvements.
Surrogacy order ends 'legal limbo' for single parents
Family specialist says change in the law will end discrimination.
Singapore to assess ‘performance and contribution’ of international firms
Government to delay renewal of five firms operating under the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice scheme.
'Go to' solicitor for dodgy property deals jailed for seven years
Ross McKay provided conveyancing services to criminal gang who knew he would not question the details.
Tributes paid to Greater Manchester coroner Jennifer Leeming
Former Law Society Council member has died aged 69.
A&O blames profit dip on tenancy woes
Magic circle firm adds ‘exceptional’ charge of £21m to year-end results.
Listed pioneer Gateley reports profits boost
Half-year profits up 18.6% on turnover boosted by acquisitions.
Quango queen Goldwag spreads her wings
Legal complaints chair takes the reins at leasehold advisory body.
Kennedys expands virtual platform to settle most claims without lawyers
International firm admits system may appear counter-intuitive, but it can free up lawyers to concentrate on more important matters.
NDAs: Society warns public interest must come first
Practice note follows furore over attempts to gag whistleblowing former employees.
