Ian Garrard is an associate at Osborne Clarke, Bristol. ADR has much in common with Darwin’s theory of evolution. Disputes have been determined by the courts, by experts chosen by the parties, and by mediation. Each has developed in the commercial and legal environment of their time. Are they the final chapter or will a […]
CITY lawyers are supporting calls for an independent inquiry into alleged misconduct at Lloyd’s, following the first successful action involving the troublesome ‘long tail’ claims. Lloyd’s Names’ victory in Merrett is the first-ever successful claim against auditors and means other Names’ action groups could now have a stronger claim against other syndicate auditors. Memery Crystal […]
FAMILY lawyers have come out in support of the Lord Chancellor as he faces mounting pressure from Tory backbenchers to drop his radical plans for divorce reform. The Solicitors Family Law Association has criticised the press and MPs leading the attack on Lord Mackay, saying claims that no-fault divorce would devalue the institution of marriage […]
INTENSE competition in the elections for the in-house seats on the Bar Council has prompted calls for more places to be given to the employed sector. This year 13 in-house counsel are fighting it out for the four places up for election on the Bar Council. Calls for extended rights of audience are high on […]
LONDON firm Lawrence Graham has formed an association with two-year-old Hong Kong practice Koo and Partners. The deal, which gives the firm its first presence on the Asian market, has been struck to raise the international profile of both practices. Lawrence Graham senior partner Gavin Purser said it was expected both businesses would develop through […]
A SUPPORT group is launching a campaign to reform inquest procedures long regarded by lawyers as fundamentally unjust. The group, Inquest, has put together a package of measures, including a call for proper rights and legal aid for families of the deceased. The proposals will be included in a Private Member’s Bill currently being drafted. […]
The merger of major French law firm SG Archibald and the world-wide business consulting group Arthur Andersen continues to generate a lot of heat in France, three years after the event. Much of it is professional rivalry, but the merger is a reminder to the professions that rationalisation will be necessary if it is to […]
Judges bear the brunt of suspicion. They have been accused of using their membership to climb the judicial ladder and favouring counsel, defendants or plaintiffs who are fellow masons. Lord Justice Millett, a freemason since 1968, is a member of the Chancery Bar Lodge. He said: “I was asked if I would like to be […]
A company trying to sell a product with a naff brand name learns to change it pretty quickly. And so it was that at this year’s AGM in April, the Locum Solicitors Group became the Freelance Solicitors Group. Derek Wilkes, group chair, says: “There is a prejudice against the word ‘locum’. It implies the person […]
The Labour Party has made its voice heard on pro bono work on many occasions – Paul Boateng’s speech at the London Solicitors Litigation Association annual dinner last week was one more call to arms. Boateng acknowledged the major contribution which some firms were making in this area but emphasised that more would have to […]
The British Institute of Verbatim Reporters (BIVR) would draw to the attention of London law firms that they are unwittingly breaching Section 25 (1) of the Immigration Act 1971 when they assist in making arrangements for searching or facilitating the entry into the UK of American stenographers to engage in court reporting or the taking […]
What was your first job? Serving burgers at a beauty contest for a 50p remuneration. What was your first ever salary as a lawyer? £12,500. What would you have done if you hadn’t become a lawyer? Wept inconsolably. Which law could you live without? The law that says you can only lose socks and never […]