Damages-based agreements – Are you at risk of being sued? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 11th, 2013 in damages, fees, news, solicitors, undersettlement by sally

“Damages-Based Agreements (‘DBAs’) became lawful on 1 April 2013 thanks to the Jackson reforms and more particularly the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013. A DBA is a contingency fee arrangement whereby the lawyers can take a percentage of the damages (up to a maximum of 25% in personal injury cases, 35% in employment cases and 50% in most other cases).”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

It wasn’t my fault! Contributory negligence through the actions of others – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 11th, 2013 in agency, fraud, negligence, news, solicitors by sally

“An unresolved issue that has received little attention is whether a solicitor’s conduct could be attributed to his client as contributory negligence by that client in a claim brought against a different professional. If a claimant sues professional A for losses to which professional B also contributed, the normal course of events is for professional A to make a contribution claim against professional B. Professional A does not usually seek to attribute professional B’s conduct to the claimant in order to raise the defence of contributory negligence against the claimant. But it is easy to imagine circumstances in which the latter course would be attractive to professional A if available, for example if professional B is a man of straw whose insurers repudiate liability.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

New £1,300 charge for High Court challenges against Government decisions – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 8th, 2013 in fees, immigration, judicial review, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“People will have to pay up to £1,300 to bring High Court challenges against Government decisions in a crackdown on spurious legal challenges, under new plans.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal education: bespoke courses – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 26th, 2013 in legal education, news, solicitors, universities by sally

“News that Oxford Brookes University is discontinuing its legal practice course (LPC) because a drop in applications means it is no longer viable has sent a shock wave through the legal education market, as we await publication of the much-anticipated Legal Education and Training Review (LETR).”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 25th March 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid: Lawyer’s strike warning over reform plans – BBC News

Posted March 25th, 2013 in barristers, bills, budgets, costs, industrial action, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“A Welsh barrister has warned that lawyers could go on strike against the UK government’s latest plan to cut the legal aid bill in England and Wales.”

Full story

BBC News, 24th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme Court: diversity, equality and flexibility – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted March 12th, 2013 in diversity, news, solicitors, Supreme Court, women by sally

“In 2009, when asked by the then Lord Chancellor to look at judicial diversity, Baroness Neuberger said:

‘Judges drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences will bring varying perspectives to bear on critical legal issues. A judiciary which is more visibly reflective of society will enhance public confidence.'”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 11th March 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Legal Services Board draft business plan response – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 11th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Standards Board today responded to the draft Legal Services Board business plan 2013-14.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 8th March 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

New Contractual Terms: Joint statement by the Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society – The Bar Council

Posted March 8th, 2013 in barristers, contracts, press releases, solicitors by tracey

” The Chairman of the Bar and the President of the Law Society have released a joint statement on the new Contractual Terms.”

Full press release

The Bar Council. 7th March 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Law firm partner jailed for marriage scam – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 19th, 2013 in fraud, immigration, marriage, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

“A partner in a law firm has been jailed for a £20 million ‘industrial scale’ immigration scam that saw about five sham marriages carried out a day over many years.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New CPR to be amended next month, rule committee chief reveals – Litigation Futures

Posted February 18th, 2013 in civil procedure rules, fees, news, proportionality, solicitors by sally

“There will be another statutory instrument (SI) next month to tidy up the one published last week with changes to the Civil Procedure Rules, after a warning that the new rule on proportionality could affect millions of pounds worth of work already done by solicitors.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 18th February 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court of Appeal: solicitor not liable for fellow partner’s fraud – Legal Futures

Posted February 14th, 2013 in appeals, fraud, mortgages, news, partnerships, solicitors by sally

“A lender has lost its appeal against a High Court ruling that said a solicitor was not liable for its loss in a £2.5m mortgage fraud perpetrated by her former partner because she was not aware of the misrepresentations he made.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

City solicitors strike deal with commercial Bar over special terms of business – Legal Futures

Posted February 1st, 2013 in barristers, contracts, indemnities, legal services, news, solicitors by tracey

“The City of London Law Society (CLLS) and Commercial Bar Association (Combar) have published model terms of business for barristers instructed in commercial cases after more than two years of negotiation.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 1st February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council and Law Society at loggerheads as standard terms of contract come into force – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2013 in barristers, contract of employment, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“Barristers could end up uninsured and in financial hardship if they agree to variations of their new standard terms of contract recommended by the Law Society, the Bar Council has warned.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council welcomes BSB proposed changes to public access – The Bar Council

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) proposed changes to Public Access training, which look to ‘enhance the course content and introduce an element of formal assessment’ to ensure barristers have the requisite knowledge and skills to carry out public access work.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 29th January 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Setting the matter straight – The Bar Council

“The merits of joining forces with the Law Society and CILEx; the need to help facilitate the transition to the new world, even if its flaws are readily apparent; the Bar as guardians of the Rule of Law; and a fond farewell.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, December 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Law Society warns solicitors to protect themselves against “biased” barristers’ terms – Legal Futures

Posted January 25th, 2013 in barristers, contracts, news, solicitors, unfair contract terms by tracey

“The Law Society has urged solicitors to protect themselves against the new terms of business being introduced by the Bar next week because they are ‘weighted strongly’ in favour of barristers.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 25th January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Alternative business structures: an uncertain future? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

“The government’s White Paper preceding the Legal Services Act, based on the conclusions of Sir David Clementi’s review, promoted the concept of alternative business structures (ABSs) based on an expectation of a glowing future: that consumers would have more choice, and would benefit from reduced prices, better access to justice, improved levels of service, greater convenience, and that in consequence there would be increased consumer confidence in the quality of legal services. The suppliers of legal services would benefit from increased access to finance, a better spread of risk, increased flexibility, the opportunity to recruit and reward high quality non-legal staff, and there would be greater opportunities for new legal professionals.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 21st January 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

A Time of Change: Solicitors’ Firms in England and Wales – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 17th, 2013 in law firms, legal profession, news, reports, solicitors by sally

“A report setting out findings from a survey of solicitors’ firms commissioned jointly by the Law Society, Legal Services Board and Ministry of Justice.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, January 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Brown-Quinn and another v Equity Syndicate Management Ltd and another – WLR Daily

Posted December 14th, 2012 in contracts, costs, fees, insurance, law reports, remuneration, solicitors by tracey

Brown-Quinn and another v Equity Syndicate Management Ltd and another: [2012] EWCA Civ 1633; [2012] WLR (D) 377

“A legal expenses insurer could seek to limit the level of costs and expenses payable under an insurance policy in respect of a solicitor’s services for which it was liable to the insured provided that the freedom to choose a lawyer guaranteed by Council Directive 87/344/EEC, as transposed into English law by regulation 6 of the Insurance Companies (Legal Expenses Insurance) Regulations 1990, was not rendered meaningless.”

WLR Daily, 12th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

British agents ‘facilitated the murder’ of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane during the Troubles – The Independent

Posted December 12th, 2012 in armed forces, murder, news, Northern Ireland, reports, solicitors, terrorism by sally

“Prime Minister David Cameron said today he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the extent of state collusion in the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989 following the publication of an independent review.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th December 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Related link: Pat Finucane Report