All articles by John Hyde – Page 342
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News
Lost in translation
Perhaps Crispin Blunt MP spent the first two weeks of February on holiday on the moon. Maybe the justice minister was too busy perfecting that unnerving stare that gives him the air of a Stalinist henchman who’s been giving the task of breaking bad news to ...
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Society seeks civil litigation compromise
The Law Society has joined forces with two claimant lawyer groups to offer a compromise on civil litigation reforms. The Society, which has campaigned against the government’s changes, has agreed new proposals with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Motor Accident Solicitors Association ...
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10% damages uplift ‘still fair’ says Jackson
The architect of the government’s civil litigation reforms today rejected calls for a bigger uplift in damages payouts. Lord Justice Jackson said his original proposal of a 10% uplift on all settlements is still fair, despite claimants having to spend up to 25% of their ...
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HSBC hits back at panel criticism
Banking giant HSBC has denied that its conveyancing panel is closed to new firms following criticism from lawyers. In a prepared statement, the bank today rebutted the Law Society’s claim it had gone back on a promise to offer an appeals process to firms denied entry ...
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Chinese giant to open office in London
Leading Chinese firm Zhong Lun will open its first London office in May, the firm has announced. A team of five solicitors and nine legal professionals will move into the Square Mile after the move was formally approved at a meeting of the firm’s partners last ...
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Six firms would make FTSE100, says survey
Six of the top 10 UK law firms are large enough to be included in the FTSE100 index of blue chip companies if they were stock-exchange listed, according to a new study. Corporate advisory firm Europa Partners said value-per-equity partner in the biggest four firms now ...
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Interpreter problems ‘unacceptable’ says ministry
The Ministry of Justice has criticised the ‘unacceptable’ number of problems in the first weeks of a controversial new contract to run court interpreting services. It has emerged this week that a trial hearing at Leeds Crown Court had to be called off because no one ...
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SRA sets ‘final deadline’
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has added two extra days to the time allowed for renewing practising certificates - but stated this will be the last extension. The renewals process, due to finish the end of this month, will now close at 5pm on 2 March. The ...
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‘Cordial’ talks on HSBC panel
Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson has met senior representatives of HSBC a month after the bank caused consternation by announcing a conveyancing panel containing only 39 solicitor firms. Despite a ‘cordial’ meeting, Hudson described the outcomes as ‘disappointing’ and said he did not expect ‘any voluntary change of approach ...
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MoJ to consult on PI discount rate
The Ministry of Justice is to re-examine the discount rate used to calculate the amount deducted from an injured person’s compensation to account for income received from investing the damages, the Gazette has learned. The personal injury discount rate of 2.5% has not changed since 2001. ...
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Millions spent on empty court buildings
The government is spending £2.5m a year maintaining dozens of redundant courts across England and Wales, the Gazette can reveal. A reply to a freedom of information request shows 69 former court buildings remain vacant, with no imminent chance of them being sold. Justice minister Jonathan ...
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Firm in interpreter storm offers better deal
The firm at the centre of the row over courtroom interpreters says it has taken on more staff and offered cash incentives to improve the service offered under its Ministry of Justice contract. Gavin Wheeldon, chief executive of Applied Language Solutions (ALS), contacted staff members ...
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HSBC accused of blocking panel appeal
The Law Society has accused HSBC and its conveyancing panel manager Countrywide of 'unreasonable' behaviour over membership of the bank's conveyancing panel. According to a statement, the Society had been told by the bank and Countrywide that an appeal process was in place for firms who ...
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Ombudsman confirms move into claims management
Plans for the Legal Ombudsman to handle complaints about claims management companies will benefit consumers and the legal profession, according to the chief ombudsman. Proposals to bring complaints about claims management into the scheme’s remit were confirmed at this week’s meeting of the Office for Legal ...
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ABS revolution in view
Tesco Law was never supposed to be like this. We expected a flood of new entrants to a high street near you, laden with private equity cash and ideas of grandeur, many backed by existing big-name brands. Alternative business structures were going to sweep up the mass market of personal ...
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DLA’s fixed-price venture chases commercial market
A fixed-price legal services provider today became the first new entrant of the alternative business structure era to enter the commercial market. Riverview Law, backed with funding from global firm DLA Piper, aims to attract every type of client from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations.
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Litigation changes ‘border on recklessness’, says APIL chief
Rapid change in civil litigation threatens to ‘besiege’ claimant solicitors and their clients, according to the outgoing president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). David Bott, speaking at the APIL president’s lunch last week, accused the government of ‘recklessness’ in pushing ahead too quickly ...
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ABS aspirant Express announces £3m expansion
Manchester-based personal injury firm Express Solicitors has announced £3m expansion plans and the creation of 40 new jobs in a bid to become an alternative business structure with a £10m turnover within four years. Over the next year, the 12-year-old firm plans to move to a ...
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CFA does not justify departure on interest rate, Neuberger rules
Interest on costs should run from the date of an order rather than the point where costs are agreed, the master of the rolls, Lord Neuberger, has ruled. In a landmark judgment in Simcoe v Jacuzzi Group UK, Neuberger yesterday held that interest on the costs runs from the date ...
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Personal injury lawyers meet on Jackson compromise
The executive committee of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers meets today amid member discontent over its proposals for a compromise deal on the Jackson reforms. Last week APIL set out a ‘Plan B’ to offer the government, as the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of ...