Issues

Freshfields faces a possible £10 million damages claim brought by the Bank of Ireland. In its statement of claim, the bank says Freshfields failed to advise BI Mortgages Services, a subsidiary of the Bank of Ireland, to notify its insurer of a possible damages claim from merchant bank NM Rothschild. When Rothschilds sued, the insurers […]

Lovell White Durrant has appointed Christopher Sheridan, former chief executive of investment bank Samuel Montagu, as a non-executive member of its partnership board. He replaces non-executive John Wood who retired from the board earlier this year. Sheridan is seen as an impressive catch for Lovells given his long experience at Samuel Montagu. He spent his […]

THE PROSECUTOR who watched a rape victim being cross-examined for six days by her attacker has called for a tough sentence to deter future defendants from putting victims through a similar ordeal. Stephen Holt, of Furnival Chambers, said the case had left him “completely schizophrenic” about whether the defendant in a sexual offence case should […]

Contrary to the saying, mounties do not always get their man. But when they do, responsibility for prosecution passes to Canada’s provincial attorney generals. In British Columbia, prosecutors are termed crown counsel and are civil servants in the attorney general’s department. Unlike English Crown Prosecution Service lawyers, crown counsel have full rights of audience in […]

US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey has pulled out of Kazakhstan after less than two years, at a time when US firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius is setting up connections in the resource-rich country. Squire Sanders made its move after deciding the “near-time prospects for that practice” were not strong enough, said former London co-ordinator […]

Ashurst Morris Crisp is to open a Singapore office on 1 October with two partners and three assistants. The office will be headed by corporate and commercial partner Richard Gubbins (right). He will work alongside project finance partner Scott Brodsky (left) who worked in Hong Kong for Linklaters & Paines until joining Ashursts in 1993. […]

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has stepped up its campaign to get compensation for ex-service personnel suffering from asbestos-related diseases. It has joined the recently-formed working group of the National Asbestos Related Disease Association, whose members include David Jamieson MP and Major Tom House of the Royal British Legion. Under current legislation, service personnel […]

Government proposals to pilot a public defender system in Scotland have been condemned by Scottish lawyers who say they will create “a clear and present danger” of miscarriages of justice. In its response to a white paper by Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth proposing a pilot public defender scheme, the Law Society of Scotland says it […]

Around 2,500 lawyers and judges from around the globe arrived in Vancouver last Sunday for the triennial Commonwealth Law Conference which will run until the week’s end. James Vilvany, conference co-chair, said attendance was higher than the last conference, in Cyprus in 1993, and added that a South African delegation will be attending for the […]

Pinsent Curtis has poached top franchise lawyer John Chambers (right) from the Norwich office of Eversheds. Pinsent Curtis says his arrival as an associate means it can boast 40 per cent of all new franchise work in the UK. Chambers, 41, qualified eight years ago after a career in business. He is the third franchise […]

Alison Laferia reports In the first case of its kind, the Data Protection Registrar has brought a successful prosecution for unlawfully obtaining and selling personal data. The case concerned a part-time private investigator who was convicted last month of procuring the disclosure of personal data and selling the information in contravention of the Data Protection […]