High Court asks SRA to consider firm’s fitness to practise after contempt ruling – Legal Futures

“The incoming Lord Chief Justice has asked the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to consider a law firm’s continuing fitness to practise having found its senior partner in contempt of court.”

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Legal Futures, 9th August 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

JK Rowling law firm pays damages over pseudonym leak – BBC News

Posted August 1st, 2013 in anonymity, charities, costs, damages, disclosure, law firms, news by sally

“Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has accepted a substantial charity donation from the law firm that revealed she was writing under a pseudonym.”

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BBC News, 31st July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Guidelines needed to help lawyers provide a better service to people with learning disabilities

“A lack of experience in dealing with people with learning disabilities means lawyers often struggle to provide this vulnerable client group with the specialist support they need, according to new research published today.”

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Legal Services Board, 29th July 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Leicester Crown Court is ‘in crisis’ according to lawyers – BBC News

Posted July 26th, 2013 in courts, Crown Court, delay, judiciary, law firms, news by sally

“Victims of crime are being put through unnecessary extra stress because of a ‘crisis’ caused by a lack of judges at Leicester Crown Court, lawyers claim.”

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BBC News, 26th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

20 law firms implicated in ‘secret’ phone hacking scandal – Daily Telegraph

“Lawyers were the biggest users of the private investigators behind the ‘secret’ phone-hacking scandal, it has been revealed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

In re Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd (in liquidation); Neumans LLP (a firm) v Andronikou and others – WLR Daily

Posted July 25th, 2013 in appeals, expenses, fees, insolvency, law firms, law reports, sport by tracey

In re Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd (in liquidation); Neumans LLP (a firm) v Andronikou and others: [2013] EWCA Civ 916; [2013] WLR (D) 301

“Where solicitors had acted for a company in connection with its opposition to a winding up petition but had ceased to act for the company by the time the company went into out of court administration, the court had no power under the Insolvency Rules 1986 or under the inherent jurisdiction of the court to direct that fees which the company owed to the solicitors were an expense of the administration.”

WLR Daily, 24th July 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Number of ambulance-chasing firms falls by a third after change to ‘no-win, no-fee’ law – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 23rd, 2013 in compensation, fees, law firms, news, personal injuries by tracey

“The number of ‘ambulance-chasing’ firms handling personal injury claims has plummeted by nearly a third after a Government clampdown on no-win, no-fee deals earlier this year.”

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal aid reforms could undermine fundamental principles of justice, warns CPS – The Independent

“Government plans to reform legal aid for criminal suspects could undermine the fundamental principles of justice in England and Wales, the official prosecuting body has suggested.”

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The Independent, 16th July 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge warns against ‘hopeless’ applications to halt deportations – The Guardian

Posted July 11th, 2013 in asylum, deportation, judges, law firms, news by sally

“A leading judge has warned solicitors against making ‘hopeless’ applications to halt the deportation of failed asylum seekers “desperate not to leave this country”.”

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The Guardian, 11th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Interview: Lucy Scott-Moncrieff – Law Society’s Gazette

“It was a fitting end to a year’s presidency that has witnessed unprecedented changes in the way legal services are funded and delivered. On 1 July, just 10 days before she is to step down, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff was able to tell the profession that government has at last bowed to Law Society pressure and agreed to retain client choice at the heart of the criminal legal aid system.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th July 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Grayling promises second consultation on legal aid – but sets red lines – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Ministry of Justice will publish a second ‘short’ consultation on its ‘finalised’ legal aid proposals in September before ‘pressing on’, the justice secretary announced this morning.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.lawgazete.co.uk

Small law firms may be forced to merge under legal aid plans – The Guardian

Posted July 4th, 2013 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, mergers, news, select committees by sally

“Small law firms reliant upon legal aid will be forced to amalgamate under plans being examined by the Ministry of Justice to save £220m a year.”

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘This is astonishing stuff’: Split over legal aid shake-up goes right to the top – The Independent

Posted June 24th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, consultations, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“The Government’s plans to shake up legal aid have received a chilly response from its most senior law officer, signalling deep divisions among ministers over the controversial moves.”

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The Independent, 21st June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Soca alleged to have suppressed report of hacking by companies and law firms – The Guardian

“The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has withheld from MPs information about the criminal activity of large British firms, it has been alleged.”

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The Guardian, 22nd June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Part-time partners: why the legal profession is changing – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2013 in law firms, legal profession, news, part-time work, partnerships, women by sally

“Only 9.4% of equity partners in law firms are women, despite equal numbers of men and women entering the profession.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A gray new world – LegalVoice

“‘This is a derisory document’. Thus, Professor Roger Smith described the MoJ’s paper on Transforming Legal Aid, when he gave evidence to the Select Committee for Justice last Tuesday. The most senior members of the legal profession gave evidence about the potential impact of the proposals. The President of the Law Society, and the chairs of the Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association, and Criminal Law Solicitors Association all agreed that, if the Minister has his way, the criminal justice system will be irreparably harmed. The MoJ plans to introduce these changes by secondary legislation, although more than 90,000 signatories to an e-petition (Save UK Justice) have now called for a full debate in Parliament.”

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LegalVoice, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Airline compensation: law firm flies to aid of delayed passengers – The Guardian

“A Cheshire solicitors has recovered more than £300,000 for 700 passengers with their no-win no-fee service.”

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The Guardian, 15th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

SDT rulings send out warning to law firms over relationships with debt recovery companies – Legal Futures

“Law firms must not allow arrangements with debt recovery companies to compromise their independence, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned, after two solicitors were fined heavily for allowing litigation to be carried out in their name.”

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Legal Futures, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

PCT: incredible alternatives – LegalVoice

Posted June 7th, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, tenders by tracey

“Otterburn Consulting recently completed a survey to inform the Law Society’s response to the government’s consultation ‘Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system on price competitive tendering (PCT).’ The aim was to find out what the impact on firms would be, based on hard evidence and to evaluate whether the proposed system was likely to work in practice.”

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LegalVoice, 7th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Expert: ruling gives ‘very little comfort’ to employers looking to defend compulsory retirement age in partnership case – OUT-LAW.com

“Employers looking to defend or reintroduce a mandatory retirement age will find ‘very little comfort’ in last week’s decision allowing a law firm to force a partner to retire at 65, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th June 2013

Source: www.out-law.com