Issues

Noisy neighbours

Nosey neighbours on a train or plane will be totally disconcerted when faced with this new privacy filter for notebook computers. According to manufacturers 3M all they will be able to see is a blank, dark screen, enabling confidential data on the screen to be viewed only by the person directly in front of the […]

How to meet a moving target

Jane Ahrends on the steps some law firms are taking to make arranging travel both easier and cheaper Law firms are paying increasing attention to their travel arrangements. In the process they are scrutinising their own internal organisation as well as the agents they use. While some opt to have secretaries place bookings among a […]

In brief: Belling judicial review case dropped

An attempt to judicially review the Law Society over two rejections of a compensation claim by members of the pension scheme of crashed company Belling was dropped by trustee Law Debenture Trust after leave to appeal had been granted. The Law Society has agreed to reconsider the claim on 8 March. Sole practitioner Charles Deacon […]

US firms' referrals drying up

Referral work has dried up for US firms which are associated with UK firms or which have expressed intentions to do English work, according to the survey carried out by The Lawyer. Graham & James, which is linked with UK firm Taylor Joynson Garrett, estimates that two per cent of its work is referrals from […]

Revamp for business list

LAWYERS using the Central London County Court Business List set up last June have won two improvements: the granting of Mareva injunctions, and the handling of cases worth up to u200,000. Until now, Marevas were only granted in the High Court, while the size of case was limited to u50,000. Both changes are welcomed by […]

McKennas advises Indian State Governments on utilities restructure

INTERNATIONAL law firm McKenna & Co has been instructed by three of India’s State Governments to provide utilities advice on the restructuring of State Electricity Boards in Orissa, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The firm, well-established in the country as an expert in the power sector, is advising the boards on seven projects, as well as […]

Are you being served?

Professional firms providing legal, trust and company services in leading offshore centres cannot ignore the potential of the Internet. Until recently, it might have been argued that the jury was still out on the extent of the Internet’s role as a business communications tool. For some, it was destined to remain the preserve of academics […]

Jersey's Bailhache takes AIM

Jersey firm Bailhache Labesse has chosen the AIM practice management system. The fact that Bailhache would not be the only AIM Professional user in Jersey played a big part in the firm choosing the supplier. Practice director Edmund Bendelow says it is very important that AIM is used in other island firms so the firm […]

In brief: Pitmans swells its ranks by three

Thames Valley firm Pitmans has taken on three lawyers. Jane Young has joined the litigation department from Edwin Coe, in London, and Caroline Martin has joined the company commercial department from Newbury’s Charles Lucas & Marshall. Robert Fuzzey has been taken on in the litigation department as a paralegal prior to obtaining a training contract. […]

Liverpool hauled over coals for benefit delays

LIVERPOOL City Council has been ordered to pay compensation after delays by its legal department in deciding whether a local resident qualified for housing benefit. It took three months for the lawyers to give the go-ahead for cash to be paid. The file was sent on 9 March 1993 to the legal department which gave […]

Savage considers share issue

NOTTINGHAM Law School, the wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of Nottingham Trent University, is considering raising u1 million in a unique equity issue to help fund its growing range of specialist courses for lawyers. Law firms are likely to be the main private business sector to be targeted for the issue, which venture capital company 3i may […]

Northern firm to shut down Bradford base

LEADING Northern commercial firm Walker Morris is closing its Bradford office to work from a single base in Leeds. The firm, which originally opened for business in Bradford, will shut its doors in the city at the end of this week. Managing partner Peter Smart says the 26-partner firm wants to increase its regional, national […]