Despite the trend for City firms to handle a growing amount of advocacy-related work themselves, the role of the commercial Bar heavyweight remains undiminished. To describe the top silks in this broad area of law is to focus on superlatives. “They have got to be bright, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of commercial law, and a […]
The Appeal Court is set to decide whether a charterer was entitled to invoke its cancellation clause, reports Roger Pearson. Judgment is now pending in a case of considerable significance in the shipping world. It centres on the rights of charterers to cancel charterparties. A finding by Mr Justice Mance in the High Court on […]
Hutton v Dyfed Health Authority – QBD 7 April 1998 Claimant: Simon Hutton (widower of deceased) on behalf of himself and his family Incident: Medical negligence Injuries: Rose Hutton, 35, was six to eight weeks pregnant when she died from a pulmonary embolism on 6 January 1991. She had been to Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, […]
Northern Irish firms have not expanded at the rate of their Dublin colleagues, but the outlook is good provided that the new political accommodation goes according to plan. In terms of growth, Belfast firm Madden & Finucane has moved to the number one slot. The firm, which represented Sinn Fein in the recent political negotiations, […]
Sir David Alliance, chairman of Coats Viyella, is heading for the High Court with a claim in respect of a property transaction. He is suing Regent Holdings, of Nauru in the Central Pacific, over a property in Acacia Road, London NW8. When the case comes on Alliance will seek an inquiry into the open market […]
Three Kent solicitors were jailed for a total of 10 years last week after being convicted of stealing £925,000 of their clients’ money to fund a champagne lifestyle. Former North Kent Coroner Lionel Skingley, who admitted the charges, received three years, while his partners Robert Hammond and Geoffrey Hufton each received sentences of three and […]
Leading criminal law solicitor Tony Edwards has attacked barristers for their “arrogance” and “verbosity”. The attack came during a call for the introduction of new standards for advocacy at the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates’ (SAHCA) first annual conference. Edwards, senior partner of London firm TV Edwards & Co, told the conference in Coventry […]
The recruitment of specialists is seen as crucial for long-term success in a transformed Irish market. How much longer can the Celtic Tiger roar? This question is increasingly being asked as Ireland continues to beat all economic predictions. But, with the top 25 law firms reporting activity up by an average of 20-30 per cent […]
Philip Banks-Welsh on the extent of directors’ personal liabilities. Philip Banks-welsh is a partner at Trethowan Woodford. The House of Lords recently overturned a Court of Appeal decision which had imposed personal liability on a company director for the negligent misstatements made by a limited company. The long-awaited decision is seen by many as being […]
A joint attempt by Liverpool’s Weightmans and Teeside’s Jacksons to create a national insurance firm has fallen apart in sudden acrimony. But the 100-plus partners of Beachcroft Stanleys, Wansboroughs Willey Hargrave and Vaudreys have all voted, in principle, to merge. Weightmans and Jacksons were in talks with London firm Kennedys. When Kennedys was found to […]
Competition between lawyers and accountants is hotting up as the Law Society of Ireland debates MDPs, says Mary Heaney Next month the Law Society of Ireland Council is set to consider the controversial subject of multidisciplinary partnerships (MDPs). Whatever conclusion it arrives at, the betting is that MDPs, for better or for worse, are on […]
John Entwistle, consultant at northwest firm Davies Wallis Foyster, was elected president of the British Chambers of Commerce in London last week. Entwistle was chairman of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce between 1992 and 1994, and is chairman of several private property companies.