The Press Complaints Commission has upheld a complaint by Sittingbourne solicitor Andrew McCooey against the Sunday Mirror over an article about his client Myra Hindley last May entitled “Help Me! Myra SOS to hypno star Paul.” The PCC said the headline gave the impression that the convicted murderer had actually contacted the hypnotist when she […]
THE BAR Council’s out-going treasurer Martin Bowley QC blasted the Inns of Court as “self-perpetuating geriatric oligarchies” in a speech to the Bar Lesbian and Gay Group (Blagg). Bowley also called for a radical revamp of the archaic sex laws which he says should enshrine the concept of equality. The QC, of 1 King’s Bench […]
HIGH Court judge Mr Justice Dyson has called on the Law Society and Bar Council to back a directory of black lawyers. “The committees of the Law Society and the Bar Council have been working hard to reduce racial prejudice within the two professions,” he said at its launch. “It is clear that there is […]
BELFAST litigation firm Harrison Leitch & Logan is merging with one of Ulster’s oldest practices, Galway McIlwaine & Seeds. The new firm, to be known as Harrison Leitch & Logan (incorporating Galway McIlwaine & Seeds), will combine corporate and private client departments with a strong litigation base. It will be based at Harrison Leitch’s current […]
Less than six of the 400 or so names cited in the author’s index of this book will be familiar to British readers. The absence of any reference to British experts (eg Gudjonsson) is a weakness and reflects the introspection and preoccupation within the US of so much literature in this field. There is a […]
LAW firms are managing to boost profits despite static fee income, according to a snap-shot survey. Cutting staff costs, reducing overheads and an increase in the use of technology have been the back-bone of the improvements. But the smaller firms, those with less than 10 partners, have continued to struggle and have failed to increase […]
When a law firm produces a biannual guide to its publications, two things are clear: it must bring out a reasonable number of publications, and it must take them seriously. So it is with Clifford Chance. The partnership sees publishing as an important business service for its clients and as a marketing tool. To this […]
FORMER Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle employee Joan Asghari has won her unfair dismissal case againt the New York-based firm. But Asghari, who worked full-time as London office manager and accounts supervisor for the practice from 1989, failed in her claim of sex discrimination. She is now awaiting news of a cash settlement in the […]
Irwin Mitchell has merged with Kershaw Tudor to create south Yorkshire’s largest legal practice. The 42-partner practice, with nearly 500 staff, has offices in Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham. Michael Jelly, former senior partner of Kershaw Tudor, heads the enlarged corporate department, while Irwin Mitchell’s Michael Napier is senior partner of the merged firm.
Nicole Maley reports THE THIRD round of tendering for legal work at Wandsworth will begin this week when the borough places its social services contract on the market. The council, which has already split its property work between the in-house team and Ipswich firm Gotelee & Goldsmith, received more than 100 expressions of interest before […]
European draft takeover laws would threaten the UK Takeover Panel’s relationship with the courts and could lead to tactical litigation to delay the system, according to David Calcutt QC, the panel’s chairman. Brussels has been sitting on various forms of the draft Takeover Directive, for several years. “There may one day come a day when […]
RAILTRACK has picked Peterborough firm Greenwoods to carry out its debt recovery work for England and Wales. The 14-partner practice saw off competition from about eight other firms to be selected for the contract. Managing partner Michael Taylor says he is “absolutely delighted”. “It is a substantial amount of work – in the region of […]