NINE-partner French practice Sales Vincent & Associes has become the sixth European firm to be admitted to the Denton International Group of Law Firms. Sales Vincent, which officially joined the group during the IBA conference in Paris last week, has a strong international bias, employing French and US lawyers and handling clients on the continent […]
AN ASTONISHING degree of complacency was displayed by the Law Society council at its meeting last Thursday. A confused and directionless debate on Martin Mears’ policy paper was bad enough. But the most incredible aspect of the meeting was the way council members, including very senior ones, lined up to defend the current constitutional arrangements […]
The speed of the president in calling last week’s special meeting of the council surprised the staff. His own paper was countered by a paper from the hitherto discreet intelligentsia of Chancery Lane known as the Ginger Group. Appointed by the secretary general John Hayes, it is established “to think the unthinkable” and it is […]
Cyrus Tata, the research officer at Strathclyde University’s Centre for Law, Computers and Technology.looks at a program for Scottish judges to iron out variations in sentencing PERHAPS the most difficult decision which a judge has to face is that of sentencing. It is an uncertain task which often places judges in the firing line of […]
THE FIRST legal action taken by Lloyd’s of London agents against a Lloyd’s Name could start an “avalanche” of cases against other individual defaulting Names, according to the agents’ lawyers. The action, against Dr Andrew James Higgins, was the subject of an Order 14 hearing last week and should result in a judgment within days. […]
Fladgate Fielder acted for Kyle Stewart Properties in its freehold purchase of Phase II Southmead Industrial Estate, Didcot, from Prudential Assurance, represented by Lovell White Durrant.
IRISH solicitors claim they have given their business community a “bloody nose” during a media scrap over ambulance chasing allegations. The Law Society of Ireland has accused the Irish business community of fostering a “negligence culture” in an effort to counter claims that no win no fee rules are encouraging spurious compensation actions. The society […]
The case of Walker Wingsail Systems, where a jury awarded £1.485 million libel damages against the editor and publishers of Yachting World in 1994, has now been settled prior to the appeal. Rather surprisingly, the defendants publicised the settlement figure under which they pay £760,000 in damages, costs and interest to the plaintiffs. As their […]
MANCHESTER solicitor Andrea McWatt was called in when a local couple faced a barrage of press inquiries on the imminent birth of their siamese twins. McWatt, head of the employment practice at Davies Wallis Foyster, helped Brian and Melanie Astbury hammer out a contract which would “control” the press and give exclusive rights of the […]
Troubled Home Counties firm Winter-Taylors was snapped up last week in a surprise eleventh-hour merger move by neighbouring practice Blaser Mills. Blaser Mills stepped in with a rescue deal which was accepted by partners of the debt-ridden firm ahead of that from Kidd Rapinet. The moved shocked Winter-Taylors creditors and partners of Kidd Rapinet who […]
A UK family lawyer is to speak at an international conference next month in an attempt to shape domestic violence legislation in the emerging state of Slovenia. Sara Blazey, a partner and head of the family law department at Sheffield firm John Howell & Co, will detail the UK legal experience of marital assaults. Blazey […]
DENTON Hall has emerged with egg on its face after a mistake was made in what is described as the largest ever residential property deal. The error occurred over the sale of the Kensington Estate by the Smith’s Charity to the Wellcome Trust for £280 million. Twenty-six blocks of tenants did not receive the proper […]