THE CHAMBERS of Michael Gale QC, at 6 Pump Court, has set up premises in Maidstone in a bid to win more provincial business. The chambers has strong links with Kent and Gale is chair of the Kent Bar. “We will put the new premises to exactly the same uses as the chambers in London,” […]
BARRISTER Andrew Jackson has left 10 King’s Bench Walk to join the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). As a senior government lawyer, he will act as a case controller or investigative law-yer, or a combination of both. Jackson says of his move: “I had an exclusively criminal practice both prosecuting and defending. Latterly, I dealt with […]
FRESHFIELDS partner Robert Lewis, who has been accused of helping Tory councillors to cover-up an alleged gerrymandering scam, has fiercely rejected the auditor’s “monstrous and dreadful conclusion”. He told the Westminster Council homes-for-votes hearing that the provisional findings of auditor John Magill had “cast a shadow” over his professional life. Lewis, the council’s deputy chief […]
BUDGET tax avoidance measures to be announced this week will heavily penalise partnerships if they attempt to manipulate their accounts during the 1996-97 assessment changeover. Berwin Leighton tax partner Ron Downhill says the big warning to all partnerships will be: if in doubt, don’t do it. “There will be a penalty which will be more […]
Kennet District Council has appointed former private sector solicitor Maria Memoli as assistant solicitor to the council. Memoli has replaced Kevin Winter, who left the authority to join Hereford City Council as head of legal services.
DAVIES Arnold Cooper is warning the insurance industry to come up with an action plan for reforming accident compensation law or face exclusion from the personal injury law reform process. The Insurance Institute of London’s recent ‘Liability and insurance and accident report’ recommended a no-fault compensation scheme, but DAC partner and insurance specialist Alan Fisher […]
Law Society President Charles Elly has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law by Kingston University. Elly, who has served as a member of the society’s council since 1981, received the doctorate last week. He has provided advice to the university over a number of years and has been closely associated with the development of […]
Visual aids are a vital ally in promoting professional services, says Chris Sessions The marketing of any service within the legal profession can appear daunting, even to those companies which have employed specialists before. To alleviate this the aim of any good design company is to work in partnership with its clients to create a […]
SHOOSMITHS & Harrison is to close its London office in February to concentrate solely on business in the provinces. The firm will retain its six regional offices, including the Northampton base, and staff in London are currently discussing future plans with management. Managing partner John Peet says the closure could see members of the London […]
THE IRISH Bar Council is to hold an extraordinary general meeting next month to consider the case of the judge whose appointment plunged the country into political crisis. Former Attorney General Harry Whelehan resigned as president of the Irish High Court less than a week after his appointment. He was accused of misleading the Government […]
At its last session the Council of the Law Society met in camera to determine its views on the future of conveyancing. Since the public and legal press were excluded the only information we have was contained in a news-managed report in last week’s Law Society Gazette which stated that the council “had confounded expectations […]
Simon Rogers reports on how an unrecognised workforce could be threatening trainee places in the big law firms While aspiring trainee solicitors contemplate an uncertain destiny, there is one section of the legal population for whom the future seems increasingly bright – paralegals. There is an increasing recognition of the need for staff who are […]