‘Makes absolute business sense’: City firms up their game with living wage commitments
Most of the UK top 20 firms are officially credited as paying the Living Wage after the scheme was endorsed…
Legal affairs
‘It would be ludicrous’: Government launches consultation into second Leveson inquiry
Culture secretary Karen Bradley has announced a new consultation into whether to hold a second part of the Leveson Inquiry…
‘A brave new world’: City firms anticipate further changes after new white collar reforms introduced
City lawyers anticipate more cooperation between the public and private sectors as the introduction of the Criminal Finances Bill into…
‘No clarity’: Industry reacts as MoJ puts brakes on Osborne’s personal injury reforms
Law firms with substantial personal injury businesses have mixed views as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has put the brakes…
Comment: A period of silence from the profession on access to justice would be welcome
Inevitably with an event as dramatic as Brexit, the unintended consequences keep coming. One of the less noted is the…
A period of silence from the profession on access to justice would be welcome
Inevitably with an event as dramatic as Brexit, the unintended consequences keep coming. One of the less noted is the…
Judging the judges – identifying the stand-outs among the judiciary
The good, the bad and the ugly – we asked litigators to identify the judges that – for better or…
Leading counsel suspended in latest setback to child abuse inquiry
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) today (29 September) suspended Matrix Chambers’ Ben Emmerson QC from his role…
Taking the initiative: Burges Salmon pushes ahead on legal apprenticeships through government scheme
Burges Salmon has become one of the first law firms to hire legal apprentices under the Government’s new Trailblazers Apprenticeship…
‘A serious point of principle’: Jackson reignites debate over increasing court fees
The debate amongst the profession over ever-increasing court fees continues to prove contentious, with Lord Justice Jackson being the latest…
Guest post: Tax avoidance penalties – a few notes of caution
Last week the government published a consultation document which took two big steps to tackle two different, but related, problems.…
‘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.
‘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…
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…
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…
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…
‘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…
‘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…
‘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…
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…