A former Customs and Excise gamekeeper has turned poacher by forming his own niche practice in the City. Adrian Shryane, who for three years was one of 50 HM Customs and Excise legal advisers in its headquarters near Blackfriars, has been running Enforcement Response since he left in 1993. The company specialises in publishing and […]
Four suppliers – Timeslice, Technology for Business, Solicitec Computer Systems and Axiom Business Computers – have been admitted to the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA). The association, set up in May to promote self-regulation and professional standards among legal IT suppliers, now has 17 members. It is currently carrying out a customer survey to set […]
Administrators of the estate of a Nottingham woman who died from an asbestos-related disease said to have been caused by a gas mask are suing Boots. Agnes Bakewell died on 13 June 1988 from mesothelioma. The writ issued by administrators of her estate claims her death resulted from the negligent manufacture and testing of gas […]
A major question mark has long hung over the potential side effects of oral contraceptives, which have been blamed for a variety of long- and short-term ailments. Despite this, a major personal injury test case against a doctor who prescribed the brand of contraceptive pill called Logynon has ended in defeat for the claimant. The […]
A verdict is due in PR man Brian Basham’s libel action over claims that he was a key player in the ‘dirty tricks’ campaign waged by British Airways against Virgin Atlantic. Basham is suing journalist Martyn Gregory and publisher Little, Brown and Co (UK) over allegations made in the book Dirty Tricks. The defendants in […]
Alison Laferla reports City law firm Fox Williams is getting rid of its existing IT applications and “starting from scratch” with a firm-wide implementation of a new IT strategy known as Telemation. The Telemation programme was initiated by Irish technology management consultants The Coolfin Partnership. It aims to create an IT infrastructure in which telecommunications […]
City firm Rowe & Maw has published a guide to dealing with the year 2000, when many computer systems will be unable to deal with the date changeover. Partner Michael Webster recommends everyone should start damage-limitation procedures now to avoid costly litigation and to salvage existing systems. The Millennium Timebomb, which covers contracts, duty of […]
The House of Lords has given leave for an appeal in the case of Cockburn v Chief Adjudication Officer against refusal of an allowance in respect of laundry created by an incontinent woman. The appeal will question a Court of Appeal ruling from 26 June 1996.
Doreen June Sayburn, clerk with Peter J Wilson & Co, Walsall, banned from working for any further solicitors without written consent of Law Society and ordered to pay £2,626 costs. Allegations substantiated that she misappropriated £3,545 of client money by receiving cash from clients but not entering it into firm’s account books. Sayburn was jailed […]
Sore v Scott – QBD, 29 October 1996 Claimant: Barry Sore, 53 Incident: Road traffic accident Injuries: Claimant seriously injured and wife killed in crash. Damages in respect of injuries and loss of wife. Head, chest and leg injuries forced claimant to retire from his job as a maintenance electrician Award: £300,000 (agreed damages) Judge: […]
FRENCH lawyers have scuppered the latest UK bid to liberalise the restrictions preventing lawyers from practising freely in Europe. At a meeting of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of the European Union (CCBE) on 29 November, a French motion to impose restrictions on the ability of foreign lawyers to practice freely was passed […]
Lawyers hoping to practise in another European jurisdiction can take advantage of a new web site, explaining to what extent they can rely on their existing qualifications. The site, developed by Dr Julian Lonbay, of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of European law, gives details of each member state’s aptitude test, national regulatory bodies and […]