United Kingdom

BabyBarista Blog Splits from Times Online to Avoid Subscription-Only Status

As a result of the plan for Times Online to move to subscription-only access in June, its popular legal humor blog, BabyBarista, which had been hosted by the site the spring of 2007, is jumping ship. “I didn’t start this blog for it to be the exclusive preserve of a…

May 28, 2010 4:36 PM CDT

Eversheds Gives Staff Cash for Biz Development Ideas, Hires Five Laterals

In an effort to squeeze innovative business development ideas from its lawyers and staff, London-based Eversheds is offering a cash prize of around $700 for each month’s best idea—and a cash prize of more than $25,000 for the idea to be judged the year’s best. “So far there’s been a…

May 27, 2010 6:27 PM CDT

Exec’s ‘Passion’ for NeuTec Pharma Led 2 Lawyers to Buy Stock, Jury Is Told

An executive of NeuTec Pharma had such a “passion” for his company that he told friends and family members “I work for the most amazing company that will save many lives and make me very wealthy one day.” But, although his enthusiasm for the biotech company “rubbed off” on about…

May 26, 2010 6:06 PM CDT

Laid-Off Eversheds Associate Wins Reverse Bias Judgment

A laid-off Eversheds associate who says he should have been rated higher than a colleague on maternity leave has won a bias judgment against the British law firm. An Employment Tribunal awarded 123,300 pounds to former associate John de Belin, according to stories in the London Daily Mail and the…

May 18, 2010 12:44 PM CDT

New UK Justice Secretary Surprised by His Appointment

Kenneth Clarke says he was surprised when he learned he was being appointed as Justice Secretary in the new coalition government of incoming prime minster David Cameron. Clarke was shadow business secretary for Cameron before the election, but he told BBC Radio 4 that his experience as a criminal defense…

May 12, 2010 3:46 PM CDT

Twitter Rant Over Closed Airport Leads to Conviction

A British man training as an accountant has discovered the downside of Twitter. On Monday, Paul Chambers became the first man in the United Kingdom convicted for sending a menacing electronic communication on Twitter, according to the DailyRecord.co.uk, the Financial Times and True/Slant. Chambers, 26, was planning to visit his…

May 11, 2010 4:20 PM CDT

Airline, Law Firm on Hot Seat in Discovery Debacle & Collapse of Big Price-Fixing Trial

A well-known law firm is on the hot seat along with its client airline over a belatedly produced 2005 e-mail that reportedly undermined a high-profile criminal cartel trial against four present and former British Airways executives. The four were exonerated today after the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading said…

May 10, 2010 9:51 PM CDT

Malpractice Cases Keep New Firm Busy; ‘We Even Have a Case Against a Psychic’

Three years after it was launched, Armstrongs Solicitors is the fastest-growing law firm in Liverpool, England, due in part to its booming professional negligence business, reports Click Liverpool. Prior to venturing out into the new practice area six months ago, Armstrongs expected to find plenty of plaintiffs interested in pursuing…

May 4, 2010 5:35 PM CDT

Orrick Nixes Potential Merger With UK’s 600-Lawyer SJ Berwin

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has called a halt to a potential merger with a well-known London-based law firm. Amidst news of the now-completed Hogan Lovells marriage, “a host” of United States law firms have been looking to expand in London, reports the London Times. But Orrick and SJ Berwin won’t…

May 4, 2010 5:10 PM CDT

Merged Hogan Lovells to Amp Up Corporate Practice in New York & London

When Hogan & Hartson and Lovells merge next month, the two firms plan to focus on amping up their corporate practice in New York and London. In New York, the firm will augment the transactional team in an already strong corporate department to complement its existing strength in Washington, D.C.,…

Apr 22, 2010 7:48 PM CDT

Clifford Chance Cuts Management Duties So Partners Can Bill, Baby, Bill

In an effort to free up senior partner time for billable legal work, Clifford Chance is transferring some management duties to business staff and asking practice group leaders to gear down a bit. The new management strategy is outlined in a recently published corporate governance paper, reports Legal Week. The…

Apr 22, 2010 7:24 PM CDT

3 Lawyers Beat Rap re $6.5M Ransom Allegedly Sought for Stolen Leonardo da Vinci Masterpiece

Three lawyers have been acquitted in an alleged conspiracy attempt concerning a $6.5 million ransom sought from one of the United Kingdom’s richest peers, in exchange for the return of a stolen Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece valued at perhaps $75 million. A jury at the high court in Edinburgh, Scotland,…

Apr 21, 2010 7:54 PM CDT

Science Writer Wins Libel Case After Fair Comment Right Is Recognized

In a blow against United Kingdom libel laws that some observers see as too heavily weighted in favor of plaintiffs, a science writer has essentially won a libel case in which he was sued by chiropractors for questioning the accuracy of treatment claims. The British Chiropractic Association today dropped its…

Apr 15, 2010 9:49 PM CDT

Inspired by Richard Susskind, Lawyers Form ‘No-Staff, Paperless’ Firm

Renowned for big bills, the legal profession is changing in response to technology and pressure from clients to cut costs. One of the latest examples is Temple Bright, a United Kingdom law firm established by three attorneys described by the Law Society Gazette as a trio who have “trained and…

Apr 14, 2010 11:53 PM CDT

Latham Establishes New Saudi Arabia Office, Affiliating with Ex-Ally of White & Case

Latham & Watkins has established a foothold in Saudi Arabia by associating with a former ally of White & Case now operating the Law Office of Mohammed Al-Sheikh in Riyadh. Its new Riyadh office is the firm’s fourth in the Middle East, after a trifecta opening last year of offices…

Apr 6, 2010 5:15 PM CDT