Practice Management


Barrister fails in race discrimination claim against chambers

9 March 2020

A barrister expelled from a leading London set after a complaint by its senior clerk has comprehensively lost a race discrimination claim in the employment tribunal.


Video witnessing of deeds moves step closer

6 March 2020

Witnessing deeds by video link has moved a step closer after the government accepted a call to set up an industry working group to consider it, while agreeing the law already allows electronic signatures.


Sexism denying female start-up founders investment

5 March 2020

Female founders of legal start-ups are confronting sexism among investors, including having to answer demeaning questions like ‘have you frozen your eggs?’.


Most firms increasing bank borrowing, survey finds

5 March 2020

There is a “real profitability divide” between larger and smaller law firms although income is generally increasing across the board, new research has found.


City firms “falling behind global rivals” on technology

5 March 2020

Commercial law firms based in the UK are falling behind their global rivals in adopting new technology, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, a report has warned.


Judge attacks S&G for “wholly unacceptable” failure

4 March 2020

A High Court judge has strongly criticised Slater & Gordon for a “wholly unacceptable” failure to give him a crucial letter when applying for an urgent injunction in a police misconduct case.


Solicitor wife compensated on divorce for career loss

3 March 2020

A solicitor who sacrificed possible partnership at a magic circle law firm to have children has been awarded an extra £400,000 in her divorce settlement with an equity partner at the same firm.


Female lawyers project looks to accelerate progress

3 March 2020

The team behind the First 100 Years has launched its latest project, The Next 100 Years, dedicated to achieving equality for women in law over the next decade.


Client “acted reasonably” in relying on incorrect advice

2 March 2020

An employer acted reasonably in relying on legal advice that the restrictive covenants on a new employee were unlikely to be enforceable, even though they proved to be, the Court of Appeal has ruled.


Kennedys spins off technology product arm

26 February 2020

Leading City law firm Kennedys has spun off its technology development into a separate business, dubbing its ‘Kennedys, without the lawyers’.


Lawyers need to take ‘whole person’ approach to clients

26 February 2020

Law firms and other advisers are often organised so they only see a legal problem that needs to be resolved, rather than take a ‘whole person’ approach to clients, the head of a well-known legal charity has said.


Consumer forum uses IBM partnership to build legal chatbot

25 February 2020

A partnership with IBM is helping leading consumer law forum LegalBeagles develop a chatbot that will answer the types of questions that people are regularly posting on the site.


Extended pilot of fully video hearings made opt-out

21 February 2020

A pilot of fully video hearings in the civil courts is to be extended and turned from opt-in to opt-out so as to drive more cases through the system, the Civil Procedure Rule Committee has decided.


Small firms “unable to pay for the best lawyers”

18 February 2020

Smaller law firms are unable to pay the high salaries that top candidates for jobs are demanding and this is putting them under economic pressure, a survey of 4,000 practices has concluded.


SME legal app launches with consumer version to follow

17 February 2020

An app to help small business owners diagnose and get guidance on their legal problems has gone live – with a consumer version set to launch later this year – in the wake of a huge research project.

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Blog


Is clients’ use of AI destroying legal privilege?

Much has been written about the risks of lawyers misusing AI. However, in my view, the greater challenge lies elsewhere: the routine use of AI by clients themselves.


Does the Lloyd review mark the end of the Legal Services Act?

The Legal Services Board often generates eye-rolls and irritation from the leaders of the frontline regulators it oversees and of the representative bodies attached to them.


A familiar story?

There is no doubt that the rising cost of clinical negligence claims deserves attention. However, the system’s true cost driver is often not the claim itself.