19 June 1995

Property

Nabarro Nathanson advised Financial Insurance Group, part of GE Capital, in its taking of 116,000 sq ft at Wimpey’s Vantage West office complex in Brentford, London. The company was advised by its in-house solicitors. Ashurst Morris Crisp advised Wimpey and agents Jones Lang Wooton and Chestertons.

Financing

Ashurst Morris Crisp acted for bankers Trust Company and a syndicate of banks in the provision of £60m of loan facilities to Independent Newspapers and nominated subsidiaries.

Flotations

Norwich firm Mills & Reeve advised USM company Sentry Farming Group on its admission to the Official List by an introduction of the whole of its issued ordinary share capital.

Litigation Discliplinary Tribunals 20/06/95

DEREK PETER WATMOUGH, 48, admitted 1971, practised as Watters & Watmough, St Helens, Merseyside, struck off and ordered to pay £4,583 costs. Allegations substantiated he practised without practising certificate, used client funds for own purposes and those of other clients, sought to mislead client about professional conduct of her matter, forged a letter purporting to […]

Property

Boots Properties, advised by Hammond Suddards, has exchanged agreements with Marks and Spencer, advised by SJ Berwin & Co, and BHS, advised by Field Fisher Waterhouse, to anchor the £50 million Priory Shopping Centre in Hastings.

Bar motions carried

That the Bar Council should make representations to the Home Secretary to withdraw changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in his forthcoming Bill. Proposed by Robert Latham, seconded by James Goudie QC, chair of the Bar Council Law Reform committee. That treasurer Michael Blair will examine concerns over lack of democracy in the Bar […]

Sinclairs' shipping team sails to rival

SHIPPING firm Sinclair Roche & Temperley lost another batch of key staff last week as eight lawyers – including four partners – quit to join a rival practice. The departing members of Sinclair Roche’s shipping group will join Stephenson Harwood to strengthen its expanding maritime division. They follow on from the departure announced two weeks […]

Ackner narrowly loses fees revolt

THE LORD Chancellor is likely to receive two separate reports giving contrary advice on the rights of audience for employed solicitors, both from the same organisation. The 17-member Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (Aclec) has informed the Law Society that, by a “small majority” of nine to eight, it opposes the […]

Bradford to challenge DoE

Cyril Dixon reports LAWYERS at Bradford City Council are preparing to challenge a government ban which prevents one of its direct labour organisations (DLOs) carrying out municipal services contracts. Leaders of the West Yorkshire authority are poised to consult counsel on the best way to overturn the decision announced by the Department of Environment two […]

Where credit's due

When this firm formed its specialist debt recovery unit in 1990, it adopted a novel approach. The firm wanted to ensure that the service it offered matched client requirements, and in what was considered a major departure from accepted practice, it employed credit managers to show it what sort of service they would want as […]

Ethics threatened by hard-up profession

POVERTY is the greatest threat to ethics facing the legal profession, with lawyers being tempted to take on dubious cases in an effort to compete with the “billable hour syndrome”, the Law Society’s secretary general says. Speaking at the International Bar Association’s eighth biennial conference of the Section on General Practice, Law Society secretary general […]

In brief: A&O tight-lipped on press link to Scott

City firm Allen & Overy refused to confirm or deny last week that it has been hired by two cabinet ministers caught up in the arms to Iraq Scott inquiry, as reported in the national press. The practice was said to represent William Waldegrave, former Foreign Office Minister, and Lord Howe, ex-Foreign Secretary. Labour pressed […]