Lawyers acting for John Norton, who last week took the Home Office to the High Court over its decision to end the early release of prisoners under the 1967 Criminal Justice Act, are still waiting for the court to give its reasons for finding against him. The Divisional Court rejected Norton’s application for judicial review […]
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain acted for four Dutch companies in the sale of four freehold properties comprising the racing circuits at Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oultern Park and Cadwell Park to Brands Hatch Leisure Holdings which currently operates the circuit. The purchasers were represented by Rosenblatts.
Allen & Overy advised a number of banks which recently provided Granada Group with a new £740 million syndicated credit facility. Lovell White Durrant advised Granada.
Re: “The big issue of small claims” (Viewpoint 27 August). Raising the small claims limit to £25,000 is not the way to increase access to justice, particularly if the Legal Aid Board persist in their present view that cases being dealt with by arbitration do not merit legal aid. Going to court, whether arbitration or […]
A Norton Rose lawyer, Elizabeth Franey, has joined Britannia Airways as general counsel and company solicitor. Franey, a specialist in aviation and asset finance, spent nine years at Norton Rose, where she advised Britannia. As an in-house lawyer she will advise the company on aircraft-related contracts and purchasing agreements. Britannia said it decided to create […]
The Legal Aid Board has awarded funds to Bristol firm Lawrence Tucketts to pursue a compensation claim against the manufacturers of the anti-malaria drug Larium. The claim is made against the Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffman-La Roche on behalf of hundreds of sufferers who allege severe side-effects from taking the drug. The controversy over Larium arose […]
Lovell White Durrant has scooped a £1 million contract to advise the Government on the estimated £4 billion sell-off of the Department of Social Security’s national property estate. Lovells won a beauty parade involving at least six other law firms, rumoured to have included Linklaters & Paines, Norton Rose and Nabarro Nathanson. The sell-off, code-named […]
Linklaters & Paines was squeezed out of the latest mega-merger in the brewing sector because of a potential conflict of interest. Bass is paying £200 million to take over Allied Domecq’s half share in Carlsberg-Tetley, the joint venture brewing operation owned by Allied and Danish drinks giant Carlsberg. But Linklaters was denied a piece of […]
The five-year deadline for French multidisciplinary practices to get rid of their non-lawyer partners is likely to be extended following lobbying from law firms. The Ministry of Justice has written to all French law firms asking for their comments on whether the law, due to take effect in the New Year, should be postponed. Francis […]
Catherine Leech, personal injury partner at Manchester firm Pannone & Partners, has been elected secretary of the product liability/consumer affairs special interest group of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. The group concentrates on claims over defective products and how the public fares against the manufacturers in these cases. She said: “The knowledge that people […]
A specialist commercial litigation firm, Curtis Davis Garrard, will be opened this week in the unusual location of Heathrow’s Terminal 4. The practice’s three partners, Simon Curtis, Mark Davis and Ian Garrard, said they felt they could offer a better service outside a City environment. All three formerly worked for City firm Watson, Farley & […]
Defendant’s rights are put in the dock On 22 August 1996 Ralston Edwards was convicted on two counts of rape. He defended himself in court and put his victim, Julia Mason, through six days of gruelling cross-examination. Mason, who waived her right anonymity in order to publicise the alleged abuse of process, said after the […]