Bar divided over publication of Supreme Court arguments on the web Should the UK Supreme Court follow in the steps of the US and put written cases online? That was the question on Twitter last month, when the UK Supreme Court wrote that it was “exploring” the possibility of putting skeleton arguments on the internet. […]
The international legal bandwagon is on a roll in Africa, but perils await the unwary It’s official. The legal rush to Africa is under way. Forget Asia – the hot airline tickets now are to Casablanca, Cape Town or Lagos. Last week, Eversheds became the latest firm to launch an initiative designed to open the […]
Decisive action when facing closure will at worst avoid a chaotic wind-down and at best net a turnaround By all accounts the recent deadline for law firms to renew professional indemnity (PI) insurance cover passed in a frantic scramble, with many unsuccessful smaller regional firms now on the brink of closure. This unwelcome situation comes […]
You’d have had to have been hiding under a rock to miss the Battle of Balcombe – hoards of environmentalists kicking up a storm over fracking in a small Sussex village. In fact, shale gas extraction, mining, oil and gas have all been hot topics in recent months, and each has its own environmental repercussions. […]
Those firms for whom personal injury is no longer viable should not wait to put a get-out plan in place April Fools’ Day aside, 1 April 2013 was an innocuous date in Joe Public’s calendar but for personal injury lawyers in England and Wales it brought in changes that would change the legal landscape forever. […]
Leadership, organisation and funding in a fast-changing market were the themes of our recent law firm management event Never before have law firms faced so much disruption. With mergers and ABSs, outsourcing and disaggregation, private practice business models are in the spotlight. But how to manage change successfully? In the past two years The Lawyer […]
Newly elected Norway prime minister Solway has promised measures that will kickstart a flat infrastructure sector There has been a great deal of speculation about the opportunities that may arise for the international infrastructure sector as a result of Norway’s recent parliamentary election. Following the result Erna Solberg, leader of Norway’s Conservative Party, becomes prime […]
Move of the week Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer global managing partner Ted Burke is leaving the firm to become general counsel and COO of Boston private equity firm Arclight Capital Partners. Burke will step down from the role in Q1 2014 and is the longest-serving managing partner Freshfields has had, having been first elected to the […]
Series of unfortunate events shows legal profession taking a major role in latest outing of TV show ITV’s Downton Abbey continued to enthral viewers in a recent episode, with the perhaps unlikely plotlines for a ratings winner of testamentary intention, death duties, forum shopping and wrongful dismissal. Following the unwelcome discovery in series one that […]
What was your first-ever job? Sorting through dozens of plastic lemons when I worked on the House of Lords Jif passing off/false advertising case during a vacation job with IP firm Woodham Smith. What was your worst experience as a trainee? Dealing with cryptic partner instructions. Where’s the best place to go to find out […]
A bustling legal market and political attempts to make Austria a centre of European investment are keeping lawyers on their toes It was a long, hot summer in Austria and records were shattered – not just in temperature but also in the legal market. One of the biggest stories of the summer has been the […]
A panel review resulting in a network of advisers rather than a formal roster, plus a client-serving ABS to nurture, shows BT group GC Dan Fitz is ready to push boundaries When you think of BT, what comes to mind? Chances are, you think of it as the company that provides you or your firm […]