The shock House of Lords ruling on Paramount, which makes administrators and receivers liable to claims from redundant company staff, will lead to increased litigation worth hundreds of millions of pounds, say top lawyers and accountants. There will also be more dissatisfied creditors, and possible bankruptcy for some insolvency practitioners (IPs). But the only people […]
That franchised firms got the lion’s portion of the meagre pay-out in this year’s criminal legal aid fees uplift brought understandable howls of fury. The even more unequal treatment for Green Form work rubbed salt in the wound. The Lord Chancellor clearly decided to reward firms which franchised after criticisms that there was not sufficient […]
The British Czech and Slovak Law Association has appointed a new president and chair to take it into a “new kind of relationship” with the European republics. At its annual general meeting this month, attended by the Czech and Slovak ambassadors together with their diplomatic staff, Professor Roy Goode and Stephen Rayner, of Rayner, De […]
* Two Austrian firms have opened offices in Brussels following Austria’s membership of the EEA. Schoenherr Barfuss Torggler & Partners opened in the city as did Heller, Lober, Bahn & Partners.
THE CHINESE government has granted its latest batch of licences to foreign firms looking to set up offices in the People’s Republic of China. Sixteen firms were granted licences last week by the Ministry of Justice, bringing the number of foreign firms with licences to around 70. London practice Simmons & Simmons was the sole […]
THE SUPREME Court Taxation Office has launched a revised version of its pilot scheme for a radically faster and cheaper taxation process, after the failure of its first scheme last year. The SCTO dropped elements that had triggered concern among lawyers and which led to an almost non-existent take-up of the earlier scheme. The pilot […]
Observers prepared to watch a battle for supremacy when Nabarros set up in Sheffield. But the firm refused to play. When Nabarro Nathanson rode into town four years ago, Sheffield’s big guns prepared for a legal showdown. “When Nabarros arrived we had to reposition ourselves,” admits Dibb Lupton Alsop regional managing partner Paul Firth. The […]
MEADE King’s Bath branch office has de-merged with its Bristol headquarters to join forces with its neighbour Stone King & Wardle. Senior partner at the Meade King satellite office Tom Charrington describes the move as the best solution to the problem caused by a freeze on expansion at his office. Although he stresses the office […]
TRUSTEES of the Roman Catholic Mission to Italian Emigrants in Great Britain are taking solicitor Christopher Blythe and his firm Wansbroughs Willey Hargrave to the High Court claiming damages for negligence. Writs have just been issued by London firm Witham Weld on behalf of the mission against Blythe and Wansbroughs accusing them of negligence and […]
PERSONAL injury lawyers are delighted at the Government’s decision to follow Law Commission advice on making damages awards inflation-proof and encouraging structured settlements. The Lord Chancellor says he will introduce legislation implementing all the recommendations in the commission’s paper on structured settlements and interim and provisional damages “when a suitable opportunity arises”. The paper, issued […]
NICHE insurance and construction litigation firm Merricks has profited from Lewis Silkin’s continued restructuring by taking two insurance partners to launch a new London office. The two partners, Dennis Wilkins and Jonathan Suckling, joined existing Merricks partners Tim Hunt and Robert Muskath in opening the London office last month. Merricks, which has rapidly expanded since […]
Work has begun on Shoosmiths & Harrison’s new offices at the Lakes Office Park on the outskirts of Northampton. The £7 million development will take 12 months to complete. Local managing partner Michael Orton-Jones says: “By the summer of 1996 we will have all our commercial departments under one roof which will be a major […]