Welcome to the year's 11th edition of the weekly 'Law Business' column brought to you by the SundayLawReview team. In the week when Nigeria had been mourning the loss of its best known writer Chinua Achebe, this column would like to pay tribute to this greatest ever African storyteller of whom Nelson Mandela had once said, "He was the writer in whose company the prison walls came down."
The weekend leading to the start of the week was dominated by concerns over a new deal on press regulation in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal. A deal had been reached by the end of Monday.
If budget cuts, ABS and the effective abolishing of legal aid were not a serious threat to the profession, this week there was another stark reminder of how difficult the job of a legal practitioner could be. In Warrington, a pickaxe gang has been jailed for attacking a lawyer who just happened to be driving his client - in the wrong place and wrong time, in scenes reminiscent from the Wild West?
The purpose of this column is to take a serious look at what happened in the business of law within UK as reported by online legal publications throughout last week.
The most interesting articles on developments, compliance, business of law within UK or as well as international developments of interest to UK law firms and legal practioners:
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| 'But, only 37% of lawyers received a bonus' - New law Journal |
- Beekeeper becomes new President of Association of District Judges | New Law Journal http://t.co/utLNtFPFcK
- Warring couple criticised by family judge - £2.7m bill for bitter divorce | New Law Journal http://t.co/uYCmvHkZV3
- Ruling in Thompson case highlights the risks of blogging | New Law Journal http://t.co/yoTTUR9dHR
- High Court rules in favour of campaigners on one ground but decision "should not delay the process" | New law Journal http://t.co/IddZ6Pi6Om
- Scottish Law Society President Austin Lafferty on the separate representation issue | The Firm http://t.co/KKYt1pOxh2
- Viability of legal system at “critical mass” says former Law Society CEO | The Firm http://t.co/IE4wlJKYgZ
- Holyrood to debate UK Royal Charter implications for Scottish media | The Firm http://t.co/WAVkFoVCTU
- McLeveson Ministry of Twitter - 'universal jurisdiction over all media available in Scotland' | The Firm http://t.co/UVo38ZWVR5
- From BATNA to BAFTA – A Lawyer’s Journey into Filmmaking | The Firm http://t.co/UgI0d06zPs
- Historic date in Scots legal calendar as Supreme Court permits secret hearings with parties excluded | The Firm http://t.co/w8497FPEIC
- Brain research could play growing role in criminal justice system but must be used with caution | The Barrister http://t.co/Izwj8MGnKa
- Cold-calling prosecutions planned | Law Gazette http://t.co/UBlW4rR9i3
- ‘Ex-gay’ advertisement could not be justified, High Court rules | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/ZZMsZireEe
- Green light for separate representation rule for Scottish conveyancers | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/QPTJIeGpvC
- Mixed response to Edmonds’ call for a single legal regulator | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/PLqy93nFwC
- Former lawyers ramping up boardroom presence | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/pP69zDO76w
- Troubled times for the UK legal sector http://t.co/LDCCcssFVO
- UK’s Co-op Legal has a banner year in first year of operation http://t.co/JAc0A5DDkQ
- Cherie Blair’s tribute to the barrister Rose Heilbron, the glass ceiling breaker http://t.co/mChIUTdS57
- 'Save the Legal Industry' campaign reports 2,500 personal injury job losses | Legal Futures http://t.co/aplQpa620m
- Lords plan parliamentary 'ping pong' to win battle over secret courts http://t.co/5EEHnCodyx
- Probation officers face social media gag as outsourcing row rumbles on http://t.co/f1Pw02bRfe
- Budget fallout: running into a brick wall | Law Gazette http://t.co/w5AGWCCVYR
- Call to end ‘mock trials’ in public inquiries | Law Gazette http://t.co/7IYLgCk67S
- Supreme Court holds secret hearing in Mellat case | Law Gazette http://t.co/F0W65aJfeU
- Staff costs soar as top UK firms pay out almost 50% of revenues - Legalweek http://t.co/h2f4RTFSeR
- The new global legal norms | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/s8WuIgk6jY
- Balance of power remains with sellers in M&A deals | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/OfhL2ruSrs Rewards for the modern law firm | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/hpOQXnQId5
- LSB keeps door open on regulation of estate administration | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/nP40EjlDM8
- People must act rationally to rely on harassment defence | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/YaPA0pSpVP
- LSC to reconsider ‘hacked’ legal aid contract tender | Law Gazette http://t.co/RANNqNWjPs
- Top general counsel to converge on Lisbon for The Lawyer In-house Strategy Summit | The Lawyer http://t.co/IMS6RQmvCZ
- Supreme Court has jurisdiction to consider secret ruling | The Lawyer http://t.co/nmZSOY2c8a
- Co-operative Legal Services makes profit of £26,000 | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/ehn2mOIT9J
- Insurers turn guns on compensation payments | Law Gazette http://t.co/c8jew8KD9l
- Probate work helps Co-op ABS break even in year one | Law Gazette http://t.co/lfz0LvXBli
- Trouble for personal injury law firms means trouble for claimants | Joshua Rozenberg http://t.co/KPBOU95sV6
- Budget crackdown on misuse of partnership structure to avoid tax | Legal Futures http://t.co/inePqTMFLp
- The "noisy minority" of barristers opposed to QASA hit back at BSB claims | Legal Futures http://t.co/qPDFUv5OdT
- Small businesses 'deeply unhappy' with legal services | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/cIq5ipOs3d
- Strike disrupts courts service as another walkout is planned | Law Gazette http://t.co/HukBTKRSEH
- Chancellor cheers conveyancers, as Scots vote on ‘sep rep’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/N2mFfixRAV
- Budget 2013: Lawyers back corporate tax cuts and infrastructure spending | Legalweek http://t.co/AXiNzDehH6
- MySRA comes back to life for non-practising solicitors | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/KgpRiATHdS
- Budget tax threat to LLPs | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/SRQIqutaZb
- Equal pay in City law: is there a light at the end of the tunnel? http://t.co/EQ5McIE9jR
- City firms should slash NQ salaries to £50,000, say recruiters | The Lawyer http://t.co/Vmu1r6FsWZ
- Parliament should set up single legal regulator | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/w5NXimMrH0
- Co-op banking staff ‘trained to identify legal need’ | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/ZAPmGimvn8
- Even potential clients may complain about lawyers following changes to the Legal Ombudsman scheme rules | Law Gazette http://t.co/2qnk1vAunR
- SMEs "deeply unhappy" with legal services as lawyers warned they risk going the way of HMV | Legal Futures http://t.co/61zJ3QcMZ4
- LSB chairman warns MPs of "unintended consequences" of referral fee ban | Legal Futures http://t.co/PiBUH8hBLF
- Strident criticism from criminal law barristers about the impending Quality Assurance Scheme http://t.co/yndFVHeJTi
- Law Society mulls levy on CQS firms to fund advertising campaign | Legal Futures http://t.co/XHKR9hF9Ds
- Alex Salmond poised to accept UK-wide regulator for Scottish media http://t.co/nugL293s4E
- Supreme court rules it can examine secret judgements by lower courts http://t.co/1g3RS2MuP2
- Susskind attacks CJC for dismissing online dispute resolution | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/EkOIS1OZzM
- Rocket Lawyer asks LeO to handle complaints | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/ZVKhtegfhf
- Edmonds: single legal regulator ‘possible within three years’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/P8ixXKy41O
- Scottish borrowers could see conveyancing fees double http://t.co/KrQ0NjMcJ4
- One fifth of northwest personal injury firms consider closing | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/8T0EK6Qttn
- Underhill J's tribunal changes set for the summer | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/mvLV5ULDey
- Press Royal Charter looks like a winner for lawyers | Law Gazette http://t.co/8VenhlLxIT
- Fast-track for ‘lower-risk’ ABS applications | Law Gazette http://t.co/Kmj71N3VXV
- Firms sign up to professional referral network that "cuts out costly panel managers" | Legal Futures http://t.co/qAsm5VOKNs
- Robertson cautions criminal bar over opposition to plea-only advocates as QASA mutiny grows | Legal Futures http://t.co/Cu765bzb91
- 'Save the Legal Industry' campaign warns Cameron of 100,000 jobs losses | Legal Futures http://t.co/9CR4ZICSU9
- UK lobby says growth in Law Firm fees set to slow http://t.co/lqHWm5a59K
- Strategies for success - what’s your blueprint? | Law Gazette http://t.co/tvsDIzu3nL
- Repeat offenders ‘should lose right to jury trial’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/PRbWHn6j6J
- Law Society calls on solicitors to respond in respect of the changing conveyancing market to sustain their business http://t.co/UQRz91tebi
- 'Unbundling' the new craze as lawyer-backed family mediation service launches | Legal Futures http://t.co/RRoXXLp4UH
- SRA reveals financial instability indicators as it relaxes rule on reporting non-material breaches | Legal Futures http://t.co/srhvKMuRky
- The formula for lateral hire success | The Lawyer http://t.co/qSvsW8GPW2
- Feeling the judicial chill on costs | The Lawyer http://t.co/PaKCHT9RKy
- Insurance: details and the devil | The Lawyer http://t.co/JBxd7B6BJb
- IT companies and publishers could be the future for law firms | The Lawyer http://t.co/3DlpkRHOWb
- Judgment call comment | The Lawyer http://t.co/n980Dd8ymj
- EU regulatory changes on shale gas means lawyers should see even more work | The Lawyer http://t.co/ubffmC3KDV
- A third of partners hired in London don’t stick | The Lawyer http://t.co/mVjjJEY4Dz
- Transatlantic firms fare best at retention, research shows | The Lawyer http://t.co/YhujqSAE52
- Lambeth and Southwark legal teams consider ABS spin-off | The Lawyer http://t.co/tRGgzoMWv7
- Family courts cuts will create ‘perfect storm’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/CNdjj9yXB7
- Insurers blamed for blocking Atteys sale | Law Gazette http://t.co/GZJLyFewec
- Leveson haunts crime bill | Law Gazette http://t.co/u9IJ28M3Sf
- Society calls for tribunal fines to fund regulation | Law Gazette http://t.co/ABgjP3M4wN
- Inter-firm initiative to promote diversity | Law Gazette http://t.co/MRo9wOyHqg
- Blakemores chief hits out at regulator over shock closure | Law Gazette http://t.co/5dBdHoWbiU
- Prepare for the worst, SRA tells struggling firms | Law Gazette http://t.co/bh9jD1W9V3
- Changes to criminal law – part 2 | Law Gazette http://t.co/n3CLbuPYEZ
- Emergency declared after Blakemores falls | Law Gazette http://t.co/KBHNou86dk
- Grayling flies flag for City law firms | Law Gazette http://t.co/rw0v88ruuc
Interesting articles on the study of law, legal training, pupillage and legal academia:
- Are future criminal barristers out of touch with reality? http://t.co/C8tToVPGBz
- Apprenticeships ‘risk alienating international firms’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/aUnXg2vUtc
- Ten Top Tips when studying Law http://t.co/HVzUaopkJg
- Which recent law grads earn the most? http://t.co/XCqKZj0mSM
- Law School interscholastic team headed to American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition https://t.co/rLC50HTdHK
- Entire executive committee of the UK Law Students Association quits after huge bust-up with governors: http://t.co/6EP59UjpDq
- Law schools: Still hiding the sad truth from students? http://t.co/6NOWzCkPjN
- China is a nation ruled by people with Law Degrees http://t.co/6yrYMlpk0M
- Students Protest Canadian Christian University's Law School Application Over Rules Forbidding Gay Sex, Relationships http://t.co/fVIsdtBaoJ
- Female law grads criticise Saudi government inaction | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/GDZGEzXsJm
- Northern Kentucky University recruits new law school Dean http://t.co/afZPZrRfHN
Articles of the week:
The UK and international articles of the week are pieces selected by @TheLawMap tweeting team based on recommendations from friends and followers of LawNewsIndex.com daily law news blog.
- Beneath the skin of the Leveson law | James Landale - The BBC
- LIBYA: Transitional justice: perspectives from and for young Libyans | Tom Westcott - Libya Herald
- Pope Francis's emphasis on social justice could reinvigorate the church | Catherine Pepinster - The Observer
- Legal rights in big data: the elephant in the room | Richard Kemp - The Guardian
- Women's Rights are Human Rights | Evelyn Leopold - Huff Post
- Protection from Slavery, Servitude and Forced Labour under the ECHR: Problems and Prospects | Cliodhna Murphy - Human Rights in Ireland
News from the Law Firms & Chambers:
Friday 22nd March
- Yorkshire firm Oxley & Coward launches 'Pay as You Go' service for family clients as unbundling movement grows http://t.co/UtSsvRne1W
- Skadden and Freshfields advise as Evonik lines up multibillion-euro IPO http://t.co/z8MKZSxeEg
- Dickinson Dees on board for new Northern Rail remit http://t.co/YptGRET60Q
- Nabarro and SJB lead on British Land's £472m sale of London's Ropemaker Place http://t.co/XTdHQTZYqB
- Simmons makes double City partner hire from K&L Gates http://t.co/Ygo6YtSIsw
- Halliwells liquidator continues talks with ex-partners over reverse premium http://t.co/FD35WAB7ho
- Hot 100: Elizabeth Robertson, K&L Gates http://t.co/MpUvwMmfdI
- Bird & Bird strikes alliance deal with Australia's Truman Hoyle http://t.co/A4m8D6g2FN
- Shell to axe global panel as adviser review nears closure http://t.co/N1V6SmnvTe
- Gide trio quit firm for boutique venture http://t.co/ZuscMw8Y1M
- Speechlys and Withers in talks over £170m merger http://t.co/mmJcF3Onzr
- DLA Piper takes the gong at Law Rocks Los Angeles http://t.co/O8oA5ymYV6
- Osborne Clarke mourns loss of longstanding partner Andrew Gowans http://t.co/vkQTenjZHg
- Pre-merger SNR Denton sees global revenues fall http://t.co/8atTSBJLTv
- SNR Denton makes all-female partner round with four EMEA promotions http://t.co/JH3Di2Xgca
- TwoBirds signs cooperation agreement with Sydney firm http://t.co/nfap0hw05y
- Parabis brings in former Co-op insurance chief as non-exec director http://t.co/yJkcAiOUin
- Eversheds names new Singapore chief as former head leaves firm http://t.co/KCek5EDjQJ
- Ashurst receives approval to open up new base in Beijing http://t.co/flOOwP4oPp
- BLP appoints new corporate leader as ex-Links chief takes corp fin role http://t.co/TO4OPpHABi
- Ashurst gets green light for Beijing launch http://t.co/mqWWYNCtN3
- Sidley hires first Singapore-qualified partner from Clifford Chance http://t.co/WF1PpgMy3k
- Olswang promotes three to partnership http://t.co/xBmR7LQ9qX
- Belgian boutique makes inaugural lateral hire from White & Case http://t.co/ihMkqb397d
- Slaughters favours disputes and competition in two-strong promos round http://t.co/xr4HcVr288
- Field Fisher finance chief quits to take FD role at Ince & Co http://t.co/ycJJfRS0Vv
- Stephenson Harwood flies high on record $24bn Airbus order from Indonesia's Lion Air http://t.co/xi4LmAzBWG
- Latham sees London revenues rise 4% to reach £125m http://t.co/BQe6rrqawX
- RPC recruitment drive continues with hire of DLA IP and tech partner http://t.co/h3IC1FfiQk
- White & Case launches in Madrid with hire of Latham team http://t.co/TWN7al4W26
- Pinsents adds two financial services partners with Eversheds and CC hires http://t.co/E0OeWU4Kbx
- White & Case head to Madrid http://t.co/iBzPH518Nr
- Clifford Chance scores Qatar role http://t.co/3OpNJ0IBG1
- Schillings sports star John Kelly quits for Harbottle & Lewis http://t.co/6motCDSH28
- New Milbank chair tells partners: London was highlight of 2012 http://t.co/UamCJ5VVek
- Ashurst, SNR check out as Malmaison sells to Denver private equity group http://t.co/fl8JT7UG58
- High Court hands $2.5bn win to Hogan Lovells client BTA Bank http://t.co/NPaDxcrFms
- Ashurst clinches licence to open Beijing base for latest Asia step http://t.co/VsiTfiysmM
- Clifford Chance scores role for Qatar committee on 2022 Fifa World Cup http://t.co/UhDIccX4Z5
- DLA loses Scotland restructuring head in wake of Glasgow closure http://t.co/eyOtCGRbTE
- Slaughters grows FTSE 250 lead with key client additions http://t.co/G9g6W8mdSK
- BLP corporate chief Bennett to oversee global growth in new role http://t.co/hIFBVdmUaR
- Linklaters and White & Case win roles on record $2bn Thailand IPO http://t.co/DIZZvh6AGJ
- CC selected for Qatar 2022 World Cup infrastructure and projects work http://t.co/XdMnEwfHiG
- DLA Glasgow partner trio opt against Edinburgh move to join HBJ Gateley http://t.co/hwR8BBVQSm
- Pre-merger Salans reports modest revenue growth http://t.co/wBVynPCKD3
- Ithaca-Valiant legal fees near £1.5m as Herbies, Pinsents erect Chinese walls http://t.co/mD8HYJq8Zt
- China's Yingke expands into Milan and Brussels http://t.co/lJzALUQ2lY
We would like to thank all the publications cited in this week's column. Please notify via @TheLawMap Twitter handle of any errors or omissions.
TheLawMap Publications at a glance:
LawNewsIndex.com - Daily Law News Archive
SundayLawReview.com - Weekly Law Business News Blog
Law Specials - A compendium of articles on Justice & Society
Wig - Daily Newspaper Focusing on Law & Society
MetaLawIndex - Informal Blog chronicling behind the scene events at LawNewsIndex & Twitter
