High Court judge castigates senior property partner “who cut corners all the time”
A High Court judge has launched an extraordinary attack on a senior property partner, saying that although he was “on the whole” an honest witness, he “plainly cut corners all the time in his practice”. Mrs Justice Proudman said Michael Parker regarded himself as a “man of commerce”.
Income plummets by 24% as BSB regulates smaller than expected number of firms
The Bar Standards Board has reported that its annual income is expected to plummet by almost a quarter (24%) by the end of this financial year, with the smaller than expected number of firms or ‘entities’ that had sought its oversight contributing significantly to the shortfall.
Slater & Gordon share price continues to plummet, while UK-listed PI businesses also hit
Slater & Gordon’s share price continued to tumble in the wake of the Autumn Statement, with another 27% wiped off their value overnight, while National Accident Helpline has also taken a big hit on AIM. The two listed UK alternative business structures with exposure to personal injury have fallen as well – albeit less precipitously.
Solicitors should be able to practise from unregulated firms, SRA suggests
Practising solicitors should be allowed to deliver advice to the public from unregulated firms, subject to restrictions, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has suggested as part of a phased review of how it regulates both individuals and organisations.
Ex-partners fined for exchanging offensive emails
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has fined three former partners who sent each other emails containing offensive comments about colleagues over several months. It said the emails contained “derogatory and hurtful comments about individuals, including some colleagues, which were based on gender, sexual orientation and/or race”.
Breathing space for PI lawyers? General damages reform will not come in until 2017
The abolition of general damages for all low-value whiplash claims will not come into force until April 2017, it has emerged – giving the personal injury market more time to adapt than expected. Law firms have also been urged to start planning for the changes, with some likely to close as a result.
Slater & Gordon’s share price collapses in response to Autumn Statement
Slater & Gordon’s share price tumbled by more than 50% overnight as investors reeled at the potential impact of the personal injury reforms unveiled yesterday in the Autumn Statement. It fell below A$1 for the first time since the firm listed in 2007.
First “fully digital” court process set for expansion after successful pilot
A group of London local authorities, a legal software supplier and an electronic data specialist claim to have developed the first “entirely digital” process for court proceedings.
Autumn Statement: £5k small claims limit and end to general damages in whiplash
The government is set to remove the right to general damages for minor soft tissue injuries and increase the small claims limit for personal injury claims from £1,000 to £5,000, it was announced in the Autumn Statement today. The Chancellor, George Osborne, also announced that £700m would be invested to fully digitise the courts.
Average price of standard law firm will drops to £118
The average price of a standard will from a law firm has fallen from £124 to £118 over the last year, new research has indicated. The report, by IRN Research, warned that a highly competitive market had become even tougher with the arrival of accountants and chartered legal executives.
