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  • January 28, 2013 |

    Pinsents adds City partner with Addleshaws bank litigation hire

    Pinsent Masons has strengthened its City financial services practice with the hire of banking litigation partner Michael Isaacs from Addleshaw Goddard. Isaacs, who is currently based in Addleshaws' Manchester office, is set to move to Pinsents' London base, bringing the total number of partners at the firm's City headquarters to around 150. His start date is yet to be confirmed.

    1 minute read

  • January 28, 2013 |

    Capita moves into legal process outsourcing after Pinsents deal

    Business process outsourcer Capita has moved into the legal process outsourcing (LPO) market after sealing a deal with Pinsent Masons to handle document review work in Poland. Pinsents last November instructed Capita to review documents in relation to a large dispute case, with the work sent to the company's 550-seat operation in Krakow.

    1 minute read

  • January 24, 2013 |

    Suing the Church – how one City litigator pursued an abuse claim against the Catholic Church

    I litigated for seven years against the Catholic Church and its insurers, Zurich. In doing so, I wore several hats – as former litigation partner with Pinsent Masons, as the client in a high-profile action, as a sexual abuse victim and latterly as a mentor to other claimants. Over the years, I had to draw heavily on my 16 years doing commercial cases. Finally, in November 2012, after two trials totalling 15 days, one appeal and several interlocutory applications, I was awarded £55,000 damages by Mrs Justice Swift arising from sexual assaults by a Jesuit priest in the 1970s.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2013 |

    Supreme Court rules against extending privilege to accountants

    The Supreme Court has ruled against extending legal professional privilege (LPP) to accountants, in a closely watched case relating to tax advice. By a majority of five to two, the court confirmed that LPP can only apply to advice provided by solicitors, barristers and foreign lawyers, including in-house lawyers...

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Pinsent Masons and Linklaters advise on £321m M25 upgrade project

    Pinsent Masons and Linklaters are among a raft of firms advising on a deal that has seen construction companies Balfour Beatty and Skanska secure a £321m contract from the Highways Agency to upgrade the M25. A 50/50 joint venture (JV) between the companies – both of which are part of the Connect Plus motorway management consortium – is set to upgrade around 29 miles of road between junctions five to seven and 23 to 27 through Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Line-up of law firms win places on long-awaited Government super-panel

    Eversheds, Ashurst and DLA Piper are among more than 25 law firms appointed to the long-awaited Government Procurement Service (GPS) legal panel following the conclusion of a lengthy and much-delayed review. The overhaul of the panel – formerly known as Catalist – was originally launched in September 2010 in a bid to reduce Whitehall's legal spend and cut back the number of firms used by Government departments.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Better out than in – how Carillion's legal process outsourcing venture worked wonders for the company

    Last year, Carillion launched a legal process outsourcing venture to help the company tackle its huge volume of employment work. Legal head Richard Tapp talks to Caroline Hill about how his unusual approach has brought about myriad opportunities...

    1 minute read

  • January 14, 2013 |

    Siemens cuts UK panel to just three firms as OC, Eversheds win roles

    Siemens has cut its UK legal panel to just three firms, with previous adviser Reed Smith reappointed alongside new roles for Eversheds and Osborne Clarke (OC). The company's previous panel included a number of other firms including Pinsent Masons, Addleshaw Goddard, Watson Farley & Williams, Manches and Hill Hofstetter.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Law firms name first compliance officers for new regulatory regime

    Law firms across the UK have named the individuals who will take up the newly created compliance officer roles under the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) new regulatory regime. The SRA set a deadline of 1 January to approve law firms' compliance officers for legal practice (COLP) and finance and administration (COFA) – roles that have been brought in as part of the post-Legal Services Act shift to outcomes-focused regulation.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Partners back apprenticeships into law but fear trainees will struggle for acceptance

    Moves to establish an apprenticeship route to the profession have drawn considerable support from senior lawyers, despite fears that such candidates will struggle to compete with university-track practitioners. The latest Legal Week Big Question survey comes after news last month that BPP Law School is in talks to create a vocational job route, which could help non-traditional candidates qualify as solicitors.

    1 minute read