20 October 1997

SIF under fire for failing to settle claim for £1,000

THE SOLICITORS Indemnity Fund (SIF) has been attacked for dragging its heels over a £1,000 claim against a criminally convicted solicitor which was filed two years ago. Graham Balchin, head of professional negligence at Bolt Burdon, the Islington firm representing Nigerian immigrant Henry Adelana, said Adelana’s costs already “significantly exceeded” the value of his claim […]

Conns tries its hand at legal recruitment

Manchester commercial practice Philip Conn & Co has become the first practice to take the unusual step of setting itself up as a legal recruitment consultant. The four-partner firm is advertising itself as a “new organisation, comprising only practising solicitors” and offering to charge only 10 per cent of starting salary for placing someone – […]

Govt drops legal aid bombshell

THE GOVERNMENT has confirmed the profession’s worst nightmare by announcing it will withdraw legal aid from the bulk of civil actions while delivering the rest of it through cash-limited block contracts. Its plan to substitute a large swathe of legal aid with conditional fees was widely leaked, but practitioners assumed the Government was bluffing. Law […]

Dibbs loses second regional banking partner in a week

Dibb Lupton Alsop has lost a second senior banking partner from its regional offices in the space of a week. Leading banking lawyer Nicholas Fisher, recruited by Dibbs four and a half years ago from Wilde Sapte to establish and build up its banking departments in Manchester and Liverpool, has announced his intention to move […]

Lord Irvine hints at magistrates' areas cuts

THE Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, has given a strong indication that he is preparing to halve the number of magistrates’ areas in England and Wales from 96 to 42. He told the annual general meeting of the Magistrates’ Association that such a move would correspond with the current reorganisation of the Crown Prosecution […]

Global path to MDPs

MDPs are a way of providing clients with an all-round solution, not of locking out competitors, says Chris Arnheim. Chris Arnheim is one of the founding partners of Arnheim & Co. The recent announcement by Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand of their plans to merge, creating the world’s biggest professional services firm, has once […]

In brief: Mishcons consultant banks on new firm

Theodore Goddard has lured David Harvey from Mishcon de Reya’s banking team. In February, The Lawyer revealed that Harvey had left Mishcons’ equity at the start of the year to become a consultant following what is believed to have been a dispute with the firm’s remuneration committee. Theodore Goddard managing partner Peter Kavanagh said: “On […]

Simmons does the double as Freshfields record goes stale

SIMMONS & Simmons is basking in the glory of an unprecedented month of sporting success. Fresh from giving Freshfields a 32-5 thrashing in the final of the Law Society rugby sevens tournament, the firm has also walked away as winner of the Young Lord’s Taverners solicitors indoor six- a-side cricket competition. And two of the […]

Working for a better world

The international power of the IBA makes the Human Rights Institute a force to be reckoned with, says Peter Goldsmith QC. Peter Goldsmith QC of Fountain Court Chambers is a former chairman of the Bar and chairman of the IBA’s human rights committee on legal systems, procedures and independence of the legal profession. The International […]

Contract taken out on London lawyer

A CONTRACT has been taken out on the life of a high-profile lawyer by the clients of an opponent in court. The lawyer, a top London solicitor who asked not to be named, had to resort to bodyguards after contract killers were hired to target him, his wife and his family. He said that he […]

Counting the cost of inquiry

Chris Fogarty finds the solicitor fighting the Terminal Five inquiry in upbeat mood, despite serious funding problems. The council solicitor leading the opposition to the proposed Terminal Five building at Heathrow Airport has admitted that her legal team may have to scale back its efforts because of a lack of funds. Surrey County Council principal […]

Clifford Chance 'weeks away' from Canary Wharf settlement

Clifford Chance is believed to be a matter of weeks away from agreeing to pay up to £10m plus costs to four Canadian banks in settlement of a £610m negligence claim, thought to be the largest claim ever against a UK law firm. The Lawyer revealed in June 1995 that the banks – Canadian Imperial […]