London-based firm Evans Butler Wade revealed last week it has won back its legal aid franchise following a fresh audit of the practice. The franchise was suspended last month after the Legal Aid Board identified “non-compliance” with normal procedures. Evans says its counsel, Nigel Pleming QC, argued the shortcomings were trivial and did not justify […]
Northern Irish law firms are wondering about the ‘peace dividend’, the much heralded predictions of economic revival which were expected in NI in the aftermath of the ceasefire. So far, there have been some signs of increased business activity but no major rush to invest in the war-weary province. “It is slow to percolate through,” […]
THE NATIONAL Trust’s in-house legal team entertained their external lawyers and other trust staff to a charity concert at the Middle Temple Hall earlier this month. The Pavilion Opera Company provided the entertainment at the event, part of the Trust’s centenary celebrations, with an opera cabaret. National Trust secretary David Pullen, a solicitor, welcomes trust […]
One area in which the peace process may have a direct part to play is the return of the natives, those solicitors who left the North in search of a better life elsewhere. Carson & McDowell partner Brian Turtle says his firm has had “more and more enquiries of a genuine nature”, from solicitors anxious […]
THE RISING popularity of dangerous sports is generating a boom in legal work as an increasing number of accident victims bring claims for damages. Sporting law experts predict that more cases will reach the courts as an increasing number of people take part in hazardous pastimes in managed surroundings. Likely plaintiffs include those who take […]
THE LEGAL profession is showing signs of division over legal aid reform – a week after the Lord Chancellor unveiled his controversial Green Paper. However, speakers at the Legal Action Group conference on legal aid were united in condemning Lord Mackay’s cash limits. Law Society deputy vice-president Henry Hodge said Lord Mackay’s proposals were “treasury-driven” […]
THOMAS WILLIAM MAY, admitted 1962, practised as Marshall Hall & Levy, Tyne and Wear, struck off and ordered to pay £5,280 costs. Allegations substantiated he permitted client account to be operated by persons not authorised to do so, failed to maintain books correctly, wrongly drew and used client funds for his own purposes and purposes […]
LAW firm Memery Crystal is pitching for work from professional football clubs in an attempt to expand its portfolio of sports clients. The partnership has already been in contact with several interested teams after displaying its legal skills at an exhibition for football clubs’ commercial managers this month. A spokeswoman says there have already been […]
The Law Society’s Sole Practitioner’s Group last week voted in new faces for the four top positions. David O’Hagan replaces Arnold Rosen as chair, John Lymbury becomes vice-chair in place of Naomi Turl, Tim Readman becomes secretary, and Andrew Blencowe is treasurer. All the positions were uncontested.
Irish firms are always happy to speculate on how their competitors are doing. McCann Fitzgerald is frequently the topic of such conversation, probably due in part to their move out of the centre of legal Dublin into the International Financial Services Centre. Whilst William Fry and Arthur Cox is frequently quoted as being involved in […]
Ireland, to paraphrase LP Hartley, is a foreign country – they do things differently there. On the face of it, local government appears similar to the pre-1974 position. There are county and urban district councils and county borough corporations – but things are still not quite as they seem. The functions are not quite on […]
ACCOUNTANCY giant Coopers & Lybrand has recruited a second new lawyer to its Polish office in an effort to replenish the team following a walkout last December. Wojciech Nowak started in the office’s eight-member tax and legal department earlier this month, joining senior Dutch lawyer Camiel Van der Meij who was brought in from Coopers’ […]