THE SPIRALLING intake of people into the US legal profession has generated economic incentives which have “demeaned” the practice of law and caused the profession to lose sight of its objectives, a former American Corporate Counsel Association (ACCA) chair has said. Carl Liggio, now a partner in Chicago firm Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & […]
“Most of the problems with expert evidence arise because the expert is initially recruited as part of the team which investigates and advances a party’s contentions and then has to change roles and seek to provide the independent expert evidence which the court is entitled to expect.” So wrote Lord Woolf in his interim report, […]
In the context of Lord Woolf’s other recommendations for the civil justice system published in Access to Justice, the proposals for the use of experts look modest. But they could have a big impact on how experts do forensic work. The interim report identified the problems of cost, delay and complexity. These, especially cost, are […]
ASHURST Morris Crisp led a number of top City firms in the Government’s £1.8 billion sale of the three rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs), the largest-ever privatisation by direct sale in the UK. Lawyers gave advice on issues from finance and tax to intellectual property and IT in the run-up to the contract signing. Ashursts’ […]
Birmingham solicitors Pearson Rowe has introduced a new accounts system. According to Mary Parry, office manager at the firm, the 11-workstation system has greatly improved its accounts function. With the help of supplier Professional Computer Solutions, Pearsons opted for the Cognito system which has so far been installed at over 90 firms of solicitors.
A row between whisky manufacturers William Grant and Sons and Lloyd’s underwriters is heading for the High Court. Grants is seeking damages after losing almost £2 million on a contract to ship whisky to Iraq. After it shipped whisky worth £1,400,950 to Iraq in 1988, the Revolutionary Command Council of the Republic of Iraq banned […]
Bryan Bennett has launched High Court action against his former employers, Chep UK of Addlestone, Surrey, accusing the company of negligence. An accident happened on 20 February this year after Bennett, 35, put his head into a waste reducing machine to clear a blockage. The writ says he removed a piece of wood blocking the […]
The long running High Court libel action by McDonalds against environmental campaigners, is already in the record books as the longest libel case in history. But in December it is set to notch up 199 days which will turn it into the longest civil case of any kind.
Helen Sage reports Davies Arnold Cooper has issued a warning bulletin to all its clients about the potential legal problems that can arise from using email. Practitioners in the intellectual property department at the firm said that if used appropriately email is a quick and efficient way of communicating. However, they warned if it is […]
John Malpas reports ANTONY Shaw QC’s set at 4 Brick Court, Temple, has parted company with its chambers manager. Anne Bates is understood to have left the set around a month ago and is to be replaced by a new administrator. A spokesman at the chambers, which specialises in civil, crime and family law, refused […]
In regard to Mr Ross’s letter on use of the term “attorney” I should point out that in the US the term “attorney” is only applied to qualified members of the Bar and is not used for paralegals. However, in the UK the term is clearly allowed for use by those who are qualified to […]
Andrea McWatt is a partner specialising in employment law at Manchester-based Davies Wallis Foyster. Born in South America in 1949, she now lives in Manchester. What was your first job? Training officer, Road Transport Industry Training Board. What was your first ever salary as a lawyer? £4,500. What would you have done if you hadn’t […]