Quotas ‘demeaning’ to women and minority groups – Leveson – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2015 in diversity, judiciary, law firms, quotas, reports, speeches, women by tracey

‘The president of the Queen’s Bench Division has branded quotas as “demeaning” to women and minority ethnic groups.
Sir Brian Leveson (pictured) waded into the controversial debate over quotas ahead of the publication of a government-backed report that could put law firms under new pressure to promote women in senior posts.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Appeal judges overturn Blakemores negligence claim strike-out and £635,000 costs judgment – Legal Futures

Posted October 9th, 2015 in appeals, costs, land registration, law firms, mistake, negligence, news, striking out by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision striking out a negligence claim against Birmingham law firm Blakemores, now in administration, and also set aside a default judgment obtained by the firm for £635,500 in costs.’

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Legal Futures, 8th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Appeal court reopens case against collapsed firm – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 8th, 2015 in appeals, damages, land registration, law firms, negligence, news by sally

‘Collapsed Midlands firm Blakemores will face trial over a land registration dispute after the Court of Appeal reopened a case against it.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 7th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Justice ministry considers curb on own-firm instructions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in advocacy, criminal justice, law firms, news by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice is considering restricting litigators from instructing advocates within the same firm as part of proposals to enhance the quality of criminal advocacy.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge orders removal of defamatory references to law firm on Solicitors From Hell copycat website – Legal Futures

Posted September 17th, 2015 in defamation, injunctions, internet, law firms, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge has ordered the take-down of pages of an anti-solicitor website that contain defamatory statements about a law firm, after a litigation opponent alleged their publication was “evidence that the firm was disreputable”.’

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Legal Futures, 17th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court refers immigration solicitors to SRA after five “hopeless” judicial reviews – Legal Futures

Posted September 11th, 2015 in abuse of process, immigration, judicial review, law firms, news by tracey

‘The High Court has referred an immigration practice to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority after reviewing five “hopeless” judicial reviews, each of which had already been deemed to be an abuse of process.’

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Legal Futures, 11th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister and solicitor set up groundbreaking BSB-regulated firm – Legal Futures

Posted September 10th, 2015 in barristers, law firms, legal profession, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A barrister and solicitor have chosen the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to regulate their niche firm that specialises in defending teachers and other professionals in disciplinary actions. It is understood to be the first firm consisting of a barrister and solicitor to become a BSB entity.’

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Legal Futures, 9th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court finds Legal Aid Agency “asked itself wrong question” about means assessment – Free Movement

Posted September 9th, 2015 in evidence, law firms, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

‘In a judgment that may be of interest to legal aid lawyers, the High Court has overturned a rejection by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) of a legal aid claim by Duncan Lewis solicitors. The Legal Aid Agency should have considered whether the means assessment conducted by Duncan Lewis, which had assessed a client KW as having provided sufficient evidence to show that she came within the financial threshold for legal aid, had made a reasonable judgement. The LAA had erred in refusing to fund the case on the basis that the documents relied upon were outside of the ‘assessment window’, Cranston J held in the case of R (On the Application Of Duncan Lewis (Solicitors) Ltd) v The Lord Chancellor [2015] EWHC 2498 (Admin).’
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Free Movement, 8th September 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Law firms need to work on giving female barristers equal “crack of the whip” on instructions – Legal Futures

Posted September 3rd, 2015 in barristers, equality, law firms, news, women by sally

‘Male solicitors must be alert to their “unconscious assumptions” and ensure female barristers get an “equal crack of the whip in winning work on their merits”, the vice-chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Funding Problems on the Horizon for family lawyers (and their clients) – Family Law Week

Posted August 27th, 2015 in costs, divorce, financial provision, law firms, matrimonial home, news, solicitors by sally

‘Stuart Clark, Associate Solicitor with The International Family Law Group LLP considers the implications of increased use of s.37 MCA 1973 in setting aside payments on account of costs in financial remedies cases.’

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Family Law Week, 20th August 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Good news for law firms as High Court rejects insurer’s bid to cap liability for multiple claims – Legal Futures

Posted August 17th, 2015 in indemnities, insurance, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘Solicitors’ professional indemnity insurers cannot aggregate multiple related claims when the terms of the transactions are not conditional or dependent upon each other, the High Court has decided in a ruling said to protect law firms from financial risk.’

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Legal Futures, 17th August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Slow off the blocks? BSB regulates fewer firms than expected as ABS launch date slips further – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB), which predicted at one point last year that it would authorise 400 firms in 2015, has approved only 32 in its first four months as an entity regulator, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 4th August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Two-partner firm succeeds in striking out £8m professional negligence claim – Legal Futures

‘A two-partner central London law firm has succeeded in striking out a professional negligence claim for over £8m.’
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Legal Futures, 3rd August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Students to be recruited from second year as graduate recruitment code is transformed – The Lawyer

‘Law firms will be able to recruit future trainees from their second year at university due to a change in the graduate recruitment code.’

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The Lawyer, 29th July 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Chinnock v Veale Wasbrough – are we any closer to clarity on s14A? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted July 28th, 2015 in appeals, law firms, limitations, negligence, news, solicitors, time limits by sally

‘On the silver anniversary of the Limitation Act 1980 (“the Act”) and as we approach the emerald anniversary of the coming into force of section 14A of that Act, the recent case of Chinnock v Veale Wasbrough [2015] EWCA Civ 2014 shows that the interpretation of this complicated section remains far from straightforward.’
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Hardwicke Chambers, 15th June 2015

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Law firm loses FoI bid to learn names of complainants – Legal Futures

‘A law firm which demanded the details of people who had contacted the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to allege misconduct has been firmly rebuffed by the Law Society’s freedom of information commissioner.’

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Legal Futures, 27th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Firm ‘lacked high standards of conduct’ in client transfer bid – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 17th, 2015 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘The lord chief justice has lambasted the largest legal aid firm in the country for a failed application to transfer a representation order for a convicted drug supplier.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Time for law firms to go back to school, says BPP chief – Legal Futures

Posted July 14th, 2015 in law firms, legal education, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Legal apprenticeships “are going to be massive” and law firms will have to respond by recruiting A-Level students straight from school, the dean of BPP Law School has predicted.’

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Legal Futures, 14th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The innovation game – Legal Futures

Posted July 9th, 2015 in alternative business structures, law firms, legal services, news by sally

‘Innovation is a word much bandied around in the law – on this website more than most – without always a crystal clear idea of what it means.’

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Legal Futures, 7th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal aid work refused by law firms in cutbacks protest – BBC News

Posted July 1st, 2015 in fees, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘A number of criminal law firms have refused to take work funded by legal aid in protest against government cuts.’

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BBC News, 1st July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk