• April 18, 2008 |

    Justice Smith reprimanded after OJC verdict

    Mr Justice Peter Smith has been found guilty of misconduct by the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) after refusing to stand down from a case over which he was presiding. The outcome of the OJC investigation was announced today (18 April), with Smith receiving an official reprimand over his actions. However, he has not been suspended and will continue to sit in court.

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    Pannone leads legal in '08 best employer list

    Manchester firm Pannone has again emerged as the highest placed law firm in The Sunday Times' latest 100 Best Companies To Work For survey. Pannone dropped from third last year to fifth in 2008 but retained its position as the highest-ranked law firm, notching up its fifth consecutive year in the top 10. The firm was praised in the survey for creating one of the UK's best working environments, with 85% of staff highlighting the clear definition of individuals' roles as a key strength.

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    Addleshaws promotes 10 to legal director

    Addleshaw Goddard has promoted 10 lawyers to the post of legal director, the national firm announced last week (8 April). The promotions took place across the firm's offices, with Manchester and London receiving six and four new directors respectively. The promotions spanned eight practice groups, with banking and property taking the lion's share with two each.

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    Kirkland City arm wins trophy role on Somerfield/Co-op talks

    Kirkland & Ellis has secured a trophy corporate mandate - taking the lead role in the ongoing takeover talks between the private equity owners of supermarket group Somerfield and Co-op. A team headed by Kirkland corporate partner Graham White is representing the consortium that owns Somerfield in its sale of the UK's fifth-largest supermarket chain.

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    From start to finish

    Step 1Get your degree A qualifying law degree has traditionally been the first step on the road to becoming a solicitor. It will exempt you from the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), provided it covers all seven foundations of legal knowledge: obligations I (contract) and II (tort); criminal law; equity and law of trusts; European Union (EU) law; property law; and public law.

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    Time at the Bar?

    One-in-four lawyers believes the Legal Services Act is likely to spell the end of the Bar, with Tesco law and one-stop solicitor advocates set for prominence in the post-reform marketplace. Claire Ruckin reports

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  • April 16, 2008 |

    Manchester leads as Hill Dicks promotes eight

    Hill Dickinson has made up eight lawyers to its partnership, the national law firm announced today (16 April). The new appointments, which are effective from 1 May, grow the total partnership at Hill Dickinson to 154. The promotions fall just short of last year's tally of 10 new partners.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2008 |

    UK dominates as Hammonds promotes 19

    Hammonds has promoted 19 lawyers to its partnership, the national firm announced today (14 April), including seven in Birmingham and just three overseas. The new appointments, which are effective from 1 May, grow the firm's total partnership to 212. The promotions represent a significant hike on last year's partnership round, when the firm made up 11 new partners.

    1 minute read

  • April 11, 2008 |

    Eversheds targets City as 30 get partner nod

    Eversheds has made up 30 lawyers to its partnership, including eight in London, the national heavyweight announced today (11 April). The new appointments, which are effective from 1 May, match last year figure, when the firm also made up 30 new partners.

    1 minute read

  • April 10, 2008 |

    Hammonds dispute nears court as firm files response

    The high-profile dispute between Hammonds and a group of ex-partners is a step closer to court, after the national firm filed its response to the defendants after months of extensions. The firm, which made the original claim against the ex-partners last year, filed its reply last week (4 April), after many of the ex-partners requested answers from Hammonds after lodging their defences earlier this year. Hammonds' response means the case management conference is now scheduled for the beginning of June, two months later than expected owing to the firm's extensions.

    1 minute read