Costly business – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 22nd, 2007 in costs, solicitors, special report by sally

“William Gibson pores over the finer details of the rules on costs in the new Solicitors Code of Conduct.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st June 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Profession hits back at complaints verdict – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 22nd, 2007 in complaints, news, solicitors by sally

“The leaders of the solicitors’ profession hit back at the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO) this week after she branded the Legal Complaints Service’s (LCS) performance as ‘still well short of where a modern, customer-focused organisation should be’.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st June 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Unravelling the code – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 15th, 2007 in professional conduct, solicitors, special report by sally

“Bronwen Still and Derek Mitchell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority provide a rule-by-rule introduction to the new Solicitors Code of Conduct.” 

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th June 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar Council to investigate ‘of counsel’ title use by non-advocate solicitors – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 15th, 2007 in barristers, news, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Council is to consider the use of the term ‘of counsel’ by non-advocate solicitors after barristers expressed concern over its use, the Gazette can reveal.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th June 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Partners wary over plans to usher in alternative route to profession – Legal Week

Posted June 14th, 2007 in news, solicitors by sally

“Most leading business lawyers have concerns about proposals to create alternative routes into the legal profession, according to a survey this week.”

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Legal Week, 14th June 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

Lamont v. Burton – Times Law Reports

Posted June 7th, 2007 in fees, law reports, solicitors by sally

Payment-in and success fee

Lamont v. Burton

Court of Appeal

“In a road traffic accident claim, the claimant’s solicitors, operating under a conditional fee agreement providing for a success fee, were entitled to a 100 per cent success fee where the claimant had won at trial but failed to exceed a payment-in which was made earlier but rejected.”

The Times, 7th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Law Society wins money laundering review – The Lawyer

Posted June 5th, 2007 in money laundering, news, solicitors by sally

“The Law Society has won another battle in its war to change the draft money laundering regulations causing headaches among City lawyers.”

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The Lawyer, 5th June 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com

SRA delays launch of abridged LPC – The Lawyer

Posted June 4th, 2007 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

“Alternative routes to qualifying as a solicitor will not be piloted this year as planned, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed.”

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The Lawyer, 4th June 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Stop pigeonholing women and minority lawyers, says Bridget Prentice – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 17th, 2007 in minorities, solicitors, women by sally

“Law firms should stop shepherding new recruits into specialisms based on background or gender, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said today.”

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Ministry of Justice press release, 16th May 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Miners’ firms strike back at DTI over £2.4bn costs – The Lawyer

Posted May 15th, 2007 in costs, industrial injuries, miners, news, solicitors by sally

“The under-fire law firms representing sick miners in the British Coal compensation fiasco have accused the Government of hypocrisy after its costs topped £2bn.”

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The Lawyer, 15th May 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Become less straight, white and male – or go out of business – The Times

Posted May 8th, 2007 in homosexuality, solicitors by sally

“In a better world, Adrian Barlow would be here to talk about his accomplishments as a lawyer. The recognition would not be undeserved: the son of a pathologist, raised in Huddersfield, Barlow read law at Cambridge before rising through the ranks of Simpson Curtis – later Pinsent Masons – to become a partner at only 31. Now, at 44, he is global head of Pinsent Masons property group, responsible for 150 fee earners and £20 million in revenues, boasting clients such as BT and Royal Mail. Instead of discussing his day job, however, we are here to talk about his sexuality.”

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The Times, 4th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

LCS to approach thousands of miners over fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 4th, 2007 in compensation, fees, industrial injuries, miners, news, solicitors by sally

“The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) is to canvas thousands of former miners directly to determine whether solicitors wrongly deducted fees from their compensation claims.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd May 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

A new lease of life – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 27th, 2007 in landlord & tenant, solicitors by sally

“Major changes are afoot in Landlord and Tenant work – whether it is residential or commercial, writes Grania Langdon-Down.” 

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th April 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Miners’ compensation ‘exploited’ – BBC News

Posted April 25th, 2007 in compensation, industrial injuries, miners, news, solicitors by sally

“A scheme for sick miners has been exploited by a few unscrupulous solicitors, a report has claimed.” 

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BBC News, 25th April 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Higher rights plan backed – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 20th, 2007 in advocacy, news, solicitors by sally

“Advocacy should not be treated differently from other practice areas and so the requirement for solicitors to achieve an additional qualification before being permitted to exercise higher rights is unnecessary, the Law Society has said.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society re-jigs management as restructuring gathers pace – Legal Week

Posted April 19th, 2007 in news, solicitors by sally

“The Law Society is to shake up some of its most senior decision-making committees in its latest attempt to establish itself as a new-look representative body.”

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Legal Week, 19th April 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

Forced to sign on the dotted line – The Times

Posted April 17th, 2007 in contracts, legal aid, solicitors by sally

“To the outside world it must seem extraordinary that lawyers (of all people) signed a contract so apparently weighted in favour of the paymaster that the profession’s own contract lawyer advised them not to put pen to paper.”

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The Times, 17th April 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Law Society’s complaints handling plan declared adequate – Government News Network

Posted April 17th, 2007 in complaints, news, solicitors by sally

“The Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, Zahida Manzoor CBE, has today declared the Law Society’s complaints handling Plan for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 as adequate.”

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Department for Constitutional Affairs press release, 17th April 2007

Source: www.gnn.gov.uk

Lawyers who made a fortune from miners’ claims must repay millions – The Times

Posted April 16th, 2007 in news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors have been ordered to pay back tens of millions of pounds from the profits they made by handling compensation claims for sick miners.”

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The Times, 16th April 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Opportunity knocks – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 13th, 2007 in solicitors, women by sally

“With women now achieving great things in many fields, Fiona Woolf asks: Is there anything left to fight for?”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th April 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk