Top law firms team up to draft standard NDA
The OneNDA project has garnered the support of Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Slaughter and May, and Norton Rose Fulbright.
SRA’s £500k cap on comp fund payments runs into trouble
In warning notice, Legal Services Board says benefits do not justify significant detriment to wronged clients.
Duncan Lewis bucks homeworking trend with City move
National practice its relocating its head office from Harrow to the City of London as part of an expansion drive.
‘How many more decades?’: Munby lambasts lawyers not complying with PDs
Retired family president returns on Children Act case where costs came to £900,000 for a jurisdiction hearing.
SQE gets green light for Covid safety
First exam is due to go ahead on 8 November, with plans in place for social distancing and enhanced cleaning.
SRA wants new PII clause on cyber-crime - but premiums 'won't go up'
Regulator says more clarity is needed about cover for client losses suffered through cyber attacks.
Obituary: David Golten
The partners of Wedlake Bell LLP are saddened to announce the sudden death of our partner, and head of Commercial Litigation, David Golten.
Breastfeeding juror case prompts call for maternity exemption
Procedure ‘demonstrates a lack of understanding for mothers’, shadow solicitor general says.
Judiciary seeks SDT recruitment scrutineer
Revelation appears in new protocol for the appointment of members of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Late bid to scrap six-year limit in Overseas Operations Bill
One of the final chances to make changes to legislation affecting injured veterans’ ability to claim.
Chinese law skills still sought by City firms, says top university
Students at Durham Law School can opt to study Chinese law as part of their undergraduate degree.
Lawyers remember the Duke
‘Quick witted, committed, interested but always, always, his own man.’
Court dismisses developers’ bid to double agreed costs budget
Master states that court procedure rules are not designed to ‘oust the role’ of the costs judge.
50:50 gender split in Freshfields promotion round
Magic circle firm set 'ambitious' diversity targets earlier this year under the management of new senior partner.
Leading firm sees off loan negligence claim from ex-solicitor client
Court says Paul Baxendale-Walker was not allowed to assign causes of action to claimant.
UN commissioner urges changes to forces claims bill
Six-year limit could adversely affect rights to remedy, redress and access to justice, human rights watchdog says.
Supreme Court delays swearing-in following Duke of Edinburgh's death
Lady Justice Rose was due to be sworn in at a socially-distanced ceremony at 9.30 tomorrow.
Decision in sight for Lugano accession
UK poised to win Brussels backing to join key cross-border enforcement convention.
Exclusive: Trial 'blitz' and vaccinated magistrates to tackle court backlog
Judiciary and HMCTS set out details of 'ambitious' five-point action plan in document seen by the Gazette.
Lakewell back on Line of Duty - with a tan to die for
Spoiler alert: a legal career has been somewhat curtailed.
Sheffield shooting victim named as local 30-year-old solicitor
Firm pays tribute to 'beloved and hard working staff member with a bright future ahead of him’.
Irwin Mitchell poised for float (again)
Reports say the national practice is working with investment bankers to prepare for an initial public offering.
Taylor Wessing latest to open in Dublin
The Irish office will focus on technology and life sciences and will lay the foundations for a new Irish LLP entity.
'No evidence' behind Whitehall's attack on JR lawyers
Lawyers accused of inflating cost bills and inviting 'abuse of process' with pre-action protocol letter templates.
Memory lane 12 April 2021
A stroll down Gazette memory lane.
Street life gets ticket to ride
Old Bank of England pub cranes bus in to its outdoor drinking space as it gears up for relaxation in lockdown rules.
‘My kingdom for a JR’: Richard III spooks Faulks
More than 500 years later Richard III still seems to be causing trouble for Her Majesty’s Government.
News focus: Remote resolution – here to stay
How the pandemic has changed the face of joint settlement meetings.
Landmark report calls for stop-and-search filming
Police officers should use body-worn cameras to help rebuild trust in community, says government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.
Legal aid census call: lawyers urged to take part in data drive
Legal Aid Practitioners Group unveils census to gather information about experiences of those working on social justice frontline.
Legal profession joins tributes to Duke of Edinburgh
Lord chancellor says Prince Philip, who has died at 99, was 'the very epitome of public service'.
Police bill makes provision for remote juries, MoJ reveals
Impact assessment moots possibility of jurors participating in trial via live video link.
Accountant jailed for £400k City firm fraud banned from working in law
Management accountant dishonestly appropriated £400,000 from international firm Clyde & Co.
Co-op reports slump in legal profits
The group as a whole saw profit leap by over 400% in the year to 2 January 2021.
Ban on unsolicited approaches ‘hits access to justice’
Dispute resolution specialist Tobias Haynes opens online petition for solicitors to be allowed to contact potential clients by email or letter.
Pay review for non-legal tribunal members
Lord chancellor requests fees which will 'enable the recruitment and retention of high-calibre individuals’.
MoJ could face judicial review - over JR reform consultation
London firm Bindmans says consultation on proposals to reform the process is 'ludicrously short'.
Barristers invited to air their views in profession-wide census
Bar Council wants to evaluate the impact of Covid-19, court backlogs and Brexit on barristers’ working lives.
CPS to pay damages for victimising case worker over timesheets
Employment tribunal hears that hours were checked after staff member raised grievance.
Linklaters announces bumper promotion round
Magic circle firm elects 35 partners worldwide, the highest number since 2007.
Defence solicitors to be paid for engaging early with prosecutors
Ministry of Justice backs down on need for practitioners to obtain a written agreement to claim fee.
GCs fear workload crisis, global survey finds
Legal departments must act fast to prepare for larger workloads and more organisational risk, says EY Law.
One in 10 young lawyers worldwide 'experiencing suicidal thoughts'
Survey by the International Bar Association finds that wellbeing among lawyers is a cause for global concern.
Ex-Kingly employees awarded £37,000 in compensation following closure
Employment Tribunal judgments published for claims brought against Kingly Solicitors t/a Coles Solicitors.
A bundle of lawyers
What is the collective name for a group of lawyers?
First woman barrister gets a plaque
Helena Normanton KC was the first woman to benefit from the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919.
'Chilling impact': summary of Whitehall submissions to public law review published
Concerns about direction of travel, costs and claimant behaviour within judicial review process highlighted in 21-page document.
One more year: global law conferences on hold
International Bar Association announces Miami and Paris events postponed to 2022 and 2023.
Court of Appeal urges Part 36 clarity after rejecting 'not genuine' offer
Judges say parties should make ‘express reference’ to what their offer to settle applies.
Council lawyers prepare to lose virtual meetings despite court challenge
Judges will decide if local authorities can continue to hold meetings remotely after 6 May.
DLA Piper thanks staff with extra pay or holiday
'One-week thank you' being given to fee-earners and business services professionals.
Don't mention the Aprilscherz
VW discovers that lawyers don't necessarily have a sense of humour.
Six months to SQE: Chancery Lane announces countdown
Solicitors need to get up to speed with the changes to the qualification process.
Law Commission chief to see through next reform programme
Sir Nicholas Green says he went into the job 'almost blind' and wants his successor to benefit from a proper transition.
Unbundling take-up in decline but watchdog still sees untapped market
Legal Services Consumer Panel wants the SRA to do more to assuage lawyers’ risk concerns.
‘Not two sets of rules’: Litigant in person handed £100k costs bill
Judgment adds to growing body of cases where litigant in person has had no special treatment.
Bar council chair criticises ‘BAME’ label
Derek Sweeting QC said grouping together ethnic minorities could disguise the ‘massive under-representation’ of black barristers.
Female staff at Freshfields earning more than men
Magic circle firm’s mean employee pay gap now stands at 1.1% in favour of women.
Veteran barristers among protesters convicted in Hong Kong
Democracy campaigners Martin Lee and Margaret Ng face prison over an illegal march in 2019.
Return to pre-Covid ways ‘not an option’ in backlogged ET
Judges set out roadmap for dealing with the 51,000 cases outstanding in the tribunal.
Victims going to court entitled not to see defendant
Lord chancellor says new code comprises 'simplified and stronger' set of rights.
Society calls for clarity on vaccination passports
Chancery Lane says employers and employees need detailed guidance over plans for Covid-status certification.
On-screen hearings to help bar pupils hone court skills
A court observation scheme has been developed by the South Eastern Circuit to help pupils and junior barristers during lockdown.
PwC lets staff choose start times – and clock off early in the summer
Employees will be able to work remotely up to 60% of the time once the pandemic has passed, under new hybrid working policy.
Holiday sickness doctor instructed by wife’s firm loses ban appeal
Mr Justice Mostyn says erasure decision by medical regulators was ‘cut and dried’.
Land Registry issues 'fast-track' reminder to conveyancers
Urgent applications necessary to complete a transaction can be processed within 10 working days.
Eversheds notes slight narrowing of gender pay gap
Elsewhere in the City, gender pay progress has stalled this year, with firms acknowledging that there is still work to do.
Race commission: criminal justice disparity contributing to negative stereotypes of black men
Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities says black people are most overrepresented within the system.
Council lawyers seek court declaration on virtual meetings
Central government has decided not to extend coronavirus regulations allowing remote meetings beyond 7 May.
Lawyers at crisis-hit Liverpool City Council put under ‘unacceptable pressure’
Inspectors’ report finds work was also outsourced without in-house lawyers even knowing about it.
Chambers criticised for giving pupils silent treatment
The regulator has asked the Bar Council for a stronger statement about the importance of telling candidates that they have not been selected for interview.
Top firm tells staff they can choose how and when they work
DAC Beachcroft offers choice of office-based work, full flexible, or a combination of the two.
Ashurst boosts bonuses as financial year draws to an end
City firm has doubled the size of its bonus pool and plans to hand out one-off payments of £1,000 to staff.
Court backlog: outgoing CPS inspector issues public confidence warning
Kevin McGinty says victims of alleged rape were facing potential 18-month wait for a trial before Covid-19 struck.
Lawyers line up to support Supreme Court contempt barrister
Almost 150 lawyers, scientists and legal academics have written to the president of the Supreme Court about its Heathrow runway ruling.
Ex-directors in dock as Serco tagging fraud trial opens
Former managers are accused of committing ‘fraud against the tax payer’ in relation to a government electronic tagging contract.
SRA passes on money laundering cases involving £200m in a year
Money laundering linked to vendor fraud identified as a key theme in suspicious activity reports.
Court of Appeal delivers ruling on family court's approach to domestic abuse
Judgment gives general guidance on common issues arising in proceedings as well as decisions on four linked appeals.
Obituary: Rosemary Polack
Fair and just matrimonial lawyer who persuaded the Law Society to trial mediation as a less painful path to divorce.
Criminal legal aid review issues call for evidence
Consultation includes questions on whether current fee schemes encourage sustainability, quality and efficiency.
Fake signature trainee to appeal ban decision in the High Court
Henna Zeb Khan represented herself at two-day Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hearing in February.
Medics to compete for unrepresented claimants through new whiplash portal
Litigants in person will have a choice of provider to carry out medical examinations.
‘Neither acceptable nor inevitable’: Peers give verdict on Covid courts
The quality of justice is ‘increasingly at risk’ as a result of Covid-19 and ‘years of underinvestment’.
CPS drops more than half of its private prosecutions
Specialist solicitor says figures suggest many prosecutions are either inappropriate or not properly thought through.
'No plans to expand' - new Public Defender Service chief
Legal Aid Agency's salaried criminal defence service currently employs 53 legal staff.
McMillan Williams saviour handed £5m by founder for fresh acquisitions
National firm Taylor Rose says it wants to keep model of retaining a presence on the high street.
BSB discloses sexual misconduct data ahead of sanctions review
The Bar Council wrote to the BSB earlier this month expressing concern over sexual misconduct complaints.
Law schools report huge discrepancy in student success
Likelihood of passing Legal Practice Course ranges from 23% to 100% depending on institution.
Compulsory mediation back on the table as too few opting into ADR
Master of the Rolls confirms that the Civil Justice Council is preparing a report on whether to compel parties to talk.
News focus: ‘Perverse’ punishments at the bar
Momentum is building for tougher sanctions to be imposed on barristers who commit sexual misconduct. Current trends show a clear inconsistency in sanctions based on offence.