The increasing emphasis on commercial law in the Legal Practice Course may make it difficult for trainee solicitors in City firms to undertake pro bono work in law centres. “The new course is more focused towards City law firms,” comments one, adding that new trainees need to receive some training in family law, crime and […]
Three dozen law firms are to attend leading financial services conference PIMS aboard the cruise ship QE2 next month, following a concerted drive to try and improve legal sector attendance by conference organisers. The conference, which will run from 6 to 9 June , aims to bring together representatives from key product providers and independent […]
A LONDON firm of solicitors has helped secure the freedom of three soldiers who were sentenced to death in Brunei for allegedly exchanging guns for cough mixture. Finers partner Richard Curtin handled the successful appeal of three members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The men had been sentenced to hang for illegally possessing firearms […]
SIX mainly provincial firms have seen off their bigger City rivals in winning the national property work for British Gas. The work may be worth a total of £2 million or more in yearly billings, and possibly a greater sum in the first couple of years if British Gas makes disposals ahead of the more […]
COUDERT Brothers has hit back at speculation that it is facing a rocky future, amid rumours of merger talks between the firm and New York practice Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon. London administrative partner Steven Beharrell says the recent exodus from the 130-partner firm is a sign of natural attrition of “non-performing partners”, and […]
Lord Woolf, winner of the The Lawyer/HIFAL Awards Personality of the Year, receiving his prize from Jayne Bowtell, director of legal recruitment company Reuter Simkin, which sponsored the award. Lord Woolf, soon to publish his extensive blueprint for the reform of the civil courts, headed the line-up of 15 winners at the awards night in […]
EMPLOYEES who lose their jobs as a result of a business transfer can take action for unfair dismissal regardless of whether or not they have been employed for a minimum of two years, following a decision in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Lawyers say the judgement, handed down last month, will have”radical implications” for those people […]
It was good to see the Law Society firing on all cylinders in its report ‘Design for the future’ in the legal aid debate. The issue of barristers’ fees attracted media attention to the area. But the society’s raft of “principled but pragmatic” proposals are worthy of greater consideration than they are ever going to […]
Solicitors for Independent Financial Advice has appointed Teresa Fritz as its South East development manager. Fritz, who has previously worked in the life and pensions sector with Skandia, JRA, and Barclays Insurance Services, will be based at SIFA’s Epsom office.
A CALL to arms has gone out to personal injury lawyers to help defeat the expected bill reintroducing the Government’s controversial tariff compensation scheme. A letter sent out to all 1,900 members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (Apil) urges them to lobby their MPs on the injustices of the tariff system. Although Home […]
LAWYERS remain dissatisfied with “many important aspects” of court services, says the Law Society. In response to a Court Service opinion survey of court users, the society says the results show “significant dissatisfaction with many important aspects of court services”. Phillip Sycamore, civil litigation committee chair, says: “In particular, lawyers are unhappy about the listing […]
THE ACTON Law Shop, the first self-funding law centre partially supported by firms ranging from Clifford Chance to Bindman & Co, celebrates a successful first year this week. Begun in May 1994, the Law Shop is a charity hybrid of a legal aid firm and a law centre. It employs lawyers and advice workers to […]