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Rupert White
- News
Court cost: Supreme Court IT system was overpriced and poorly procured
It would take an imaginative New Labour apologist to argue that this government’s IT procurement record has been impressive. From the botched National Programme for IT in the NHS to a cancelled system for processing benefits commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, the headlines have been unremittingly negative.
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What can legal business learn from publishing?
Are law firms more like publishing businesses than they think, and what might that mean?This sounds like an odd question, probably, if you're a lawyer and/or you run a law firm, but bear with me...
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Can women really rise to the top in big law firms?
Looking at some research into non-legal directors in top-100 law firms yesterday, I was shocked by the gender split at big firms for 'support' roles such as finance, IT and HR director.
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Make more time for your life: unsubscribe from spam
At a very social day of learning about social media for law firms this week – we mostly sat around and talked about the issues, rather than listen to endless PowerPoint-led talks – I got a sage piece of advice: unsubscribe from any email newsletter you no longer read.
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How law firms can use social networking to stay ahead of the pack
Over the past two years or so, the way solicitors network, interact and go about business development has undergone a profound, but almost unnoticed, change.Back in 2007, I wrote a feature for the Gazette on how social networking would change the way solicitors did business with each other and with ...
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Costs: how to lose when you win
It appears the banks still don't know how to save a penny or two – makes one wonder how good their advice is to customers.In a recent case brought against Barclays, the old adage of 'only bite off what you can chew' was dragged...
- Profile
In-house interview: how ITV is rewriting its role with external firms
Barry Matthews works in TV. He is also a solicitor. Matthews is legal affairs director of ITV’s brand and commercial unit, part of a 90-strong legal team providing support for one of the most heavily regulated businesses in the land.
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Private equity: the discussion is already well under way
Over on our LinkedIn group some really interesting discussion topics are being batted around, especially about what possible future investment in law firms by private equity firms might mean...
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General practice firms: look in the mirror, before it's too late
Are some traditional, 'general practice' firms living in cloud cuckoo land? In terms of how well they're managing their firms and especially their staff, and how they're going about marketing themselves, I'm beginning to think they are.
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Is Google's Android the best thing since a sliced-up iPhone?
I reckon I've found something better than my BlackBerry. No, really.Since the Gazette got into social media in an increasingly big way, it's been my duty (or pleasure, or bane, depending on the day) to keep an eye on our different media 'channels' and interact with them increasingly regularly.
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Last chance to see… that PII form before your broker pulls it away
Ok, I promise that we'll stop talking about PII now. Actually, I'm lying – it's not that I find it the most riveting subject in legal practice right now, but it is very timely, as we news people say, and we've a duty to give you as much information about ...
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Law firms and Wikipedia, part two: learning the ways
It’s only fair and right, after castigating hordes of big law firms over their woeful Wikipedia entries back in May, to let the world know when law firms learn to get Wikipedia right. So step up, CMS Cameron McKenna.
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Why are we behind Dubai on courts IT?
On the Gazette we’ve been here many times before, but that’s only because I feel duty-bound to keep pointing this out: we could have a really tidy electronic filing and document management (EFDM) system for our commercial courts (and beyond) for a fraction of the price that we appear to ...
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Selling the benefits of LLPs
A painful time is fast approaching for law firms in the shape of professional indemnity insurance renewals, due up in October. Last week we published a supplement on PII insurance for firm partners – if you didn't get one for some reason, go to our Supplements page to download it ...
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Why the new social world will change your firm
Ever heard of ‘constant partial attention’? I was at a press bash for City firm Nabarro the other night when, in conversation about the Gazette’s work on Twitter and recent foray on to social media websites LinkedIn and Facebook with Nabarro’s IT director, the phrase was mentioned.
- Profile
In-house interview: James Ormrod, legal affairs director for HP
The Gazette begins a series of interviews with top in-house counsel by talking to James Ormrod, legal affairs director for HP UK, Ireland, Middle East, the Med and Africa.
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Hacking into voicemails: when is a crime not a crime?
There's been a great deal of press coverage about the News of the World and alleged interception of phone messages among the country's celebs and public figures, but a huge amount of it is missing the point.
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Join the Gazette on Twitter
This week the Gazette launches two new online services on the professional social networking site LinkedIn and news-snippet service Twitter.
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SharePoint learns to love Firefox and Outlook
Most supplier conferences about their technology are not, let’s be honest, fun. They can often be interesting, however, and one I went to this week on Microsoft’s SharePoint document management/collaboration/etc business software was exactly that. It’s a technology which – once Microsoft has shaken out some obvious problems with it ...
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Lunch is for wimps – and law firms?
I’m entering a new phase of life this month – no, I’m not getting a tattoo or joining the Royal Marines, I’m getting married (equally permanent, and just as dangerous).