Tony Landes; THE Robson Rhodes annual legal IT survey (The Lawyer, 5 July) has again produced some interesting results. I would take issue, however, with the chart purporting to illustrate the ‘most used legal software suppliers with marketshare more than 2.5 per cent’. To the cursory reader it implies, albeit inadvertently, that there are no […]
Soccer ace Eric Cantona has launched libel action against The Sun. In his writ Cantona, seeks exemplary libel damages from publishers over a Sun story on May 7 this year headed ‘Booze-ah Cantona’ and ‘He was nose to nose with me like a psycho.’ In addition to damages Cantona also seeks an injunction preventing the […]
THIS is the logo that hundreds of solicitors’ offices will be parading to the public as proof of a quality legal aid service. More than 1,000 franchise applicants have heard they made it through the arduous audit. About 300 offices were weeded out but the majority are set to re-apply after making minor changes to […]
Bar Council chief executive John Mottram retires this week after eight years in the post and is replaced by his deputy, Niall Morison. Morison, who once trained to be a solicitor and is popular choice among senior Bar members. Morison will be in charge of administering policy decided by the Bar Council. He expects to […]
MANY American lawyers are expected to train as English solicitors following a new venture arranged by the College of Law. The college is to open a test Centre in Toronto, Canada, for US and Canadian lawyers who want to requalify as English solicitors. The news opens the prospect of American lawyers taking tests previously only […]
UNISON, the second-biggest trades union, is setting out on a major shake-up of its legal panel, involving some of the top names in trades union-related work. Before “rationalising” the panel, which currently has around 12 firms, Unison is to circulate a draft code of conduct to all firms requiring them to perform to agreed standards. […]
THE HEAD of Herbert Smith’s education department, Alexandrina le Clezio, is to join the College of Law as director of continuing professional development. She leaves next month after six years at the City firm where she took articles and practised as a solicitor before setting up and heading the education department. She says: “I’m leaving […]
CURBS on new solicitors, less Law Society staff, a less generous compensation fund and a conveyancing insurance levy for clients, are included in Martin Mears’ election manifesto. Due to be unveiled this week, it urges electors to vote in “the reform candidates” of Mears and Sayer, his running mate. Among the proposals, rounded on as […]
The Lawyer regrets that in an article on the US legal market in our 26 July issue, we incorrectly stated that three partners and eight associates of Davis Polk & Wardwell joined the New York office of Clifford Chance. One associate, no partners of Davis Polk has joined Clifford Chance.
IN-HOUSE legal departments are getting tough when it comes to outsourcing, a survey reveals. It shows that heads of legal departments are broadening the number of firms they use regularly when they out-source work and are driving down costs by negotiating better rates for their companies. The survey, carried out by recruitment consultants Taylor Root, […]
A Law firm has been forced to suspend its new accident line service after being accused of deliberately trying to poach Law Society clients. The Sunderland-based practice was operating a freephone service with “a confusingly similar” number to the recently-launched Accident Line. But court action brought by the society last week forced the firm to […]
FOUR leading law firms have re-shuffled their marketing departments after a series of departures. Clifford Chance media relations’ manager Carolyn Griffiths leaves this week after four years at the firm to train as a barrister. She read law at university and says her ambition was always to practice. She will not be immediately replaced. Linklaters […]