THE CONSUMERS’ Association has enlisted the support of the Building Societies Ombudsman as part of a long-running dispute with the Law Society over the accuracy of one of its surveys. The association has published a letter from ombudsman Brian Murphy in a bid to back claims first made in October by Which? magazine that many […]
THE SELECT band of female heads of chambers has been joined by Laura Cox QC, newly elected to lead Cloisters Chambers. Cox is the first woman to be elected as head of the leading civil rights set, which boasts 12 QCs among its 40 tenants. The employment, discrimination and professional negligence law specialist is chair […]
BUSINESS conglomerate Hanson is favouring smaller and local law firms in its high-profile £500 million new town project, which is expected to generate millions of pounds in fees for professional advisers. And Norton Rose, advising on environmental issues surrounding the now equally high-profile colony of great crested newts resident on Hanson’s development site, is the […]
LAW Society secretary general John Hayes has moved to stamp out public criticism of his senior staff by society president Martin Mears. Last week’s The Lawyer reported Mears’ pledge to hold an inquiry into the circulation by his staff of a “deeply damaging” internal memo about him. In a statement Hayes praised his staff, stressed […]
Trade mark infringement and comparative advertising Barclays Bank v RBS Advanta (sued A RBS Advanta) (1996). Ch.D (Laddie J). Summary: Inclusion of a competitor’s registered trade mark in comparative advertising material no longer constitutes infringement of the mark in view of the Trade Marks Act 1994. Plaintiff bank’s claim for interlocutory relief as to alleged […]
High profile decisions, big awards and a lot of media interest in the details made sexual harassment one of the personnel issues of 1995. Employers have sought to use the get-out clause – “such steps as were reasonably practicable” had been taken to prevent harassment occurring – by updating staff handbooks with a sexual harassment […]
Linda Tsang was born in Dudley in 1961. She qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and then practised as a commercial lawyer in Hong Kong. She is features editor of The Lawyer. Anyone who studied law with her at Glasgow University from 1978 and is interested in attending a reunion of the class, to be […]
I note your recent leader (The Lawyer 23 January) on euthanasia and the advocacy by the legal profession of immoral legislation in this country. Many pundits are now decrying the moral disintegration of our society and blaming politicians and lack of money. It is nothing to do with money, but organisations such as the Law […]
Your article on our merger (‘Merger Strengthens Chancery Set’ 23 January 1996) was well researched and I am grateful to you for the lineage you have afforded these chambers. The amalgamation of these two sets of Chancery chambers, together with the wholesale improvement in its administrative and communication systems, will provide us with the facilities […]
Linklaters & Paines and Slaughter and May advised on both sides of the latest City stockbroking merger which created a leading new investment management house with around £3 billion funds under management. The new firm, Quilter & Co, is expected to come into effect in March at the earliest, and will be dedicated to serving […]
The divorce scam used to be epitomised by a man in a grubby mac, a hired hotel room and a fake love affair. At the centre of this seedy melange was a solicitor. The trick, at the centre of the film Under Suspicion, which starred Liam Neeson, was worked to circumvent the strict divorce laws […]
Nicholas Dobson reports The sleeping spell over local authority trading once cast by the Audit Commission has now been dispelled by an unlikely prince. The Department of the Environment (DoE), which oversees local authorities, has given a cautious green light in the debate over municipal trading and the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970. […]