Steve Sumner is director of IT at Taylor Vinters. He joined the firm in 1995 having previously worked for legal systems supplier Miles33 and companies including IBM and Avis Rent-a-Car. Describe the key parts of your role: My aim as IT director is to provide Taylor Vinters with an IT infrastructure that matches its […]
Turmoil and turbulence – words that pretty much sum up the Spanish economy right now. They aren’t bad shorthand for one of Spain’s biggest firms, Cuatrecasas, either. As we report today, 28 non-equity partners are apparently on the chopping block, while its financial performance is unlikely to provide much balm. Last year turnover rose by […]
Currency conversion rate change sows seeds of discontent among UAE staffers Spare a though for staff at international firms working in the United Arab Emirates. Those who moved to the area in 2007 would have received around 7.7 dirham for each pound sterling they earned, compared with some 5.8 now. No wonder employees would rather […]
Single-partner law firms are suffering as lenders withdraw support Even the most populous City law firms can seem like lonely places sometimes, but institutionalised loneliness seems to be on the downturn. Research by finance provider Syscap, based on data from the SRA, shows that the number of single-partner firms in the UK fell by 3 […]
Interpreting ‘casual’ – as in casual dress policies at law firms – is a minefield Like using the word associate to describe an assistant solicitor, ‘casual Friday’ is a US concept that has well and truly stuck among UK law firms. Some have gone so far as to let lawyers dress how they want for […]
The tide is turning on the bar’s reliance on solicitors for referrals Traditionally, the bar has relied on litigators as its route to market. The recession, however, has brought a power shift in that relationship, with City lawyers increasingly looking to the bar for referrals. The bar’s Public Access Rules came into force in 2004, […]
Top law firms know it is vital to invest in IT but are divided on what systems will best help them combat new competition Law firms face a host of pressures as we enter the third quarter of 2012. Increasing competition in the marketplace, new rules allowing non-traditional business models to enter the fray and […]
‘Non-sophisticated’ bank customers are being deterred from seeking firms’ advice on mis-selling issues On 29 June the FSA announced that it had found “serious failings” in sales of interest rate hedging products such as interest rate swaps, caps and collars by major banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and NatWest). More than 28,000 such products are […]
Manoj Paul, GC at cloud computing specialist Emailvision, is keeping a close eye on evolving data privacy law around the world Manoj PaulEmailvision Position: General counselIndustry: Cloud computingReporting to: Chief operating officer Guy PorréEmployees: 680Global legal capability: TwoGlobal revenue: $90m (£57.6m)Law firms: Field Fisher Waterhouse, Slaughter and May, Wragge & Co Manoj Paul is an […]
Doing business in the Congo will be easier now the country has embraced the pan-African Ohada code It’s official: after years of speculation the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has gone all out to improve its legal investment framework in a bid to encourage investors into the country by finalising its ratification to the Organisation […]
A deputy compliance officer can be a valuable asset in the drive to toe the line on SRA requirements Although not a role recognised by the SRA, many firms have appointed a deputy to support the compliance officer for legal practice (Colp). Our deputy assists the Colp with all aspects of compliance in our small […]
Law is not that different from other business services, so get in shape for the tough new world For so long, as lawyers, we thought we were different. The number of solicitors in private practice grew by some 400 per cent between 1968 (20,500) and 2011 (87,973), but now change seems to be coming at […]