WARWICKSHIRE firm Blythe Liggins has been appointed legal adviser to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the largest professional body for estate agents in the UK. Richard Thornton, a partner at the Leamington law firm, said: “This is quite a coup for us. We will be providing legal advice to the association and its […]
LAWYERS interested in Central Asia and Transcaucasia (Georgia and Azerbaijan) are being encouraged to join a new association. Around 30 lawyers attended a meeting at the Law Society last month and a draft constitution is being circulated. Law Society international relations manager, Babette Brown, says: “Most of the countries still have Soviet-style collectives of lawyers […]
Fennell Betson
Bobbetts Mackan, solicitors to alleged mass murderer Fred West, is now instructing Martin Picton after the withdrawal of Charles Barton QC and Martin Steen of Bristol’s Albion Chambers. The West Country firm’s choice of leading counsel is soon to be finalised. The change follows the switch in solicitors after West sacked Gloucester’s Howard Ogden in […]
THE LAW Society has set new rules in motion which will improve lawyers’ cash-flow. The society says the changes to the remuneration certification system, which allows clients to challenge fees, are designed to reduce disagreements over costs. Clients will now have to pay at least half the cash, all disbursements and Vat, before they can […]
EVERSHEDS solicitor Audrey Dorival has become the first woman to head a black and Asian legal body after being named chair of the African, Caribbean and Asian Lawyers’ Group (ACA). Dorival, a commercial litigator at the firm’s London office, takes over the post from Lovell White Durrant’s Dele Ogun. A graduate of Thames Valley University, […]
Financial advisory consultant Fraser Smith is launching a major marketing drive aimed at convincing law firms not to take their investment management business in-house. The firm has spent 18 months developing an asset management introductory scheme among accountants and solicitors, aimed at providing rock bottom asset management charges by fund managers by consolidating introduced business […]
HIGH-profile legal aid firm Bindman & Partners has written to the Government threatening legal action to force publication of a controversial report on its road building policy. Partner Stephen Grosz says that under the Environmental Information Regulations 1992, Transport Secretary Dr Brian Mawhinney is under an obligation to publish the report. Grosz says: “The duty […]
NORTON Rose employment partner Melanie Tether is leaving the practice to become a pupil barrister at 15 Old Square. Tether, who joined the firm seven years ago, will start a six-month pupillage in March at the chambers of John Melville Williams QC. The chambers, which has been involved in the mineworkers and dockers’ disputes, is […]
The Lord Chief Justice has backed the views of Lord Woolf and called for a “drastic re-evaluation” of the system which allows experts to pit their wits and jargon against lawyers and each other. Speaking on expert evidence last week, Lord Taylor said: “I see no reason why the court itself should not assist in […]
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has launched a discretionary management service aimed at solicitors’ private clients. The Strategic Investment Portfolio (SIP), has a minimum investment of only u25,000. Philip Darwall-Smith of Royal Bank of Canada Investment Management says: “After discussions with professional firms we have brought our minimum down from u200,000.” Clients will be […]