Lawyers give better value for money than any other advisers that help companies to float on the Alternative Investment Market, according to a survey which was published last week by accountancy firm Neville Russell. But the survey also found that in many cases the company used its nominated adviser’s lawyer, on the nominated adviser’s recommendation, […]
The Law Society has expressed deep concern about proposals for a solicitor pilot scheme for the block contracting of civil green form work, which it says may set unrealistic precedents and put firms in breach of society practice rules. It is writing to the Legal Aid Board (LAB) to say it finds the proposals for […]
Firms who offer mortgage health checks will not only generate more conveyancing work but also provide a cashback or substantial saving to clients’ mortgage payments. Many firms are looking at the idea and some have put it into practice. Others, not authorised to transact discreet investment business, may also have been approached by independent financial […]
MEMBERS of the Law Society’s ruling council have demanded an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind the Solicitors Indemnity Fund’s shock announcement of a £248m shortfall in contributions. Concern has also been expressed at the manner of last month’s announcement by the SIF that law firms faced a possible 30 per cent hike in their […]
A FIREproof storage room protected the vast majority of a Bolton private client firm’s documents from going up in smoke after it fell victim to a suspected arson attack. The 120-year-old offices of the two-partner firm Hulton Bailey were completely gutted in the fire on 25 January and it has been forced to relocate to […]
The Law Society has refused to authorise a further £95,000 investment in the High Street Starter Kit (HSSK), saying its council must be given the chance to decide on the future of the project first. The council was to discuss the future of the HSSK – one of Law Society president Tony Girling’s flagship projects […]
The first black barrister to be appointed as chairman of the Bar Council’s Race Relations Committee has claimed that discrimination within chambers risks holding back the careers of ethnic minority lawyers. According to Lincoln Crawford, the Bar had made huge advances in opening up the profession to people from ethnic minorities groups, but once in […]
The Inns of Court School of Law (ICSL) has affiliated with London’s City University in a bid to meet increased competition. From this year, the ICSL has to compete with six other institutions for students after its historic monopoly on the training of barristers was scrapped by the Bar Council in 1995, following complaints about […]
Law firms are grabbing a bigger chunk of the investment management market with funds under management increasing by 30 per cent last year. Members of the Association of Solicitor Investment Managers (Asim) increased funds from £1.167bn just over a year ago to £1.599bn at the end of 1996. Scottish firm Murray Beith Murray topped the […]
Niche intellectual property specialist Rouse & Co International is to open new overseas offices in Jakarta and Dubai. The company – the international arm of the UK-based Willoughby & Co – already has eight offices in Hong Kong and China. Stuart Adams, a company director and partner at Willoughby & Co, confirmed that the company […]
Open season has been declared on the greatest British institutions – the monarchy remains under fire, the House of Lords is firmly in New Labour’s sights and many barristers’ chambers are reinventing themselves to respond to the market. Chambers began hiring practice managers in the rush to become more business-like, but results have been mixed. […]
THE IRISH Law Society has been forced to reassure the public that its compensation fund is secure after speculation that an £11m claim could threaten it. The massive claim followed the suicide in 1992 of Dublin solicitor Jonathan Brooks, who left behind a complex series of debts totalling £11m. The society has paid £3.3m to […]