Last week the government published a consultation document which took two big steps to tackle two different, but related, problems. The first addresses misbehaviour by taxpayers who tend to hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. Continue reading “Guest post: Tax avoidance penalties – a few notes of caution”
‘A real issue’: Lawyers risk fines in Treasury crackdown on tax evasion
Lawyers could face harsher penalties for enabling tax avoidance schemes under new proposals from the Treasury.
Continue reading “‘A real issue’: Lawyers risk fines in Treasury crackdown on tax evasion”
‘Expensive badge of legitimacy’: Olswang in firing line of BHS report
Legal advisers on the sale of BHS have been labelled an ‘expensive badge of legitimacy’ in the report investigating the retail giant’s demise.
Continue reading “‘Expensive badge of legitimacy’: Olswang in firing line of BHS report”
Making the point: Lord Faulks quits in protest over Truss appointment as Lord Chancellor
Conservative peer Lord Faulks QC has quit as Minister of State for Justice after Liz Truss became the third consecutive non-lawyer to be made Lord Chancellor. Continue reading “Making the point: Lord Faulks quits in protest over Truss appointment as Lord Chancellor”
Here we go again: Law Society to splash £61m on new IT systems after joint project fails
The Law Society, which has overseen several IT failures in the last decade, has agreed to spend £61m on new technology systems.
Guest post: The new justice secretary – does it matter that she’s not a lawyer?
So, as anticipated, our new prime minister has favoured punishing disloyalty over rewarding competence and sent Michael Gove and his ambitious, compassionate prison reforms to the naughty back benches. Yesterday morning (July 14) brought a transfer-deadline-day-style frenzy to Legal Twitter, anticipation and trepidation converging as rumours and supposition threw up name after name as possible new secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor.
Continue reading “Guest post: The new justice secretary – does it matter that she’s not a lawyer?”
‘How did Grieve not get the job?’ – City lawyers react as Truss becomes new justice secretary
City lawyers have expressed disappointment as Liz Truss has been made the new justice secretary, replacing Michael Gove. Gove, a prominent Brexit campaigner and candidate for Conservative leader following the resignation of UK prime minister David Cameron, had spent just 14 months in the role.
‘Harry Potter’ lawyer Lord Harley banned from legal profession and hit with £86,000 costs
A lawyer who styles himself as senior counsel Lord Harley and was criticised for dressing ‘like something out of Harry Potter’ has been kicked out of the profession after a two day hearing at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
‘Simpler and better’: CMA calls for more competition but stops short of recommending full legal services review
An interim report into the legal services market released by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that competition in legal services for individual and small business consumers is not working as well as it should, while upfront information on price and quality is often not available to consumers. However the investigation has stopped short of recommending a full review.
Under fire: Linklaters and Olswang in the spotlight as dealmakers face parliament over BHS collapse
City lawyers faced the wrath of MPs during May and June in an inquiry over the sale of BHS. The April collapse of the retailer, following its sale by Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group for £1 to Dominic Chappell’s Retail Acquisitions, caused political fallout for advisers on the deal, including law firms.
Partners from Olswang, Linklaters, Eversheds and Nabarro all appeared before a joint committee of MPs from the Work and Pensions and the Business, Innovation and Skills departments.