The UK legal sector is vital to the City’s international success March 17, 2016 Canada’s position as a world leader in finance and business is widely acknowledged. I know this only too well from my own work, both as an international commercial barrister and as the current chairman of the Bar of England and Wales. But the City is being challenged by other financial centres in [...]
Leslie Thomas QC: Why the barrister who represented the family of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, who died while on a Thomas Cook holiday, thinks companies should stop relying on lawyers March 14, 2016 The legal profession may have gained an unfortunate reputation for bleeding clients dry in the name of billable hours, but Queen’s Counsel Leslie Thomas would much rather companies didn’t pour every penny into their legal representation when faced with a crisis. “It’s really important to see the whole picture and not just to focus on [...]
What designers can learn from the Trunki court battle after Magmatic lost its intellectual property appeal at the Supreme Court March 13, 2016 A few days ago we saw the final chapter in the long-running and high-profile dispute between the owner of the registered design of the “Trunki”, a ride-on suitcase for children, and the company selling a similar product called the “Kiddee Case” which had been inspired by the Trunki. In 2013, the UK High Court held [...]
Libor scandal: Two former Rabobank traders sentenced for offences related to manipulating Libor in the US March 11, 2016 Two former traders late last night were handed prison sentences in the US for offences related to Libor fixing. Anthony Allen, Rabobank's former global head of liquidity and finance, and Anthony Conti, a former senior trader on Rabobank's money markets desk, are the first people in the US to face trial and be charged for [...]
Tax experts caution government to “practice what it preaches” when it comes to small print, furthering calls for tax simplification March 9, 2016 Tax experts have today called on government to "practice what it preaches" and apply the same levels of simplicity they ask for from businesses to the tax code. Commenting on an open consultation from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) seeking the public's opinions on how terms and conditions could be made more [...]
Libor scandal: Tom Hayes application to appeal to the Supreme Court refused by Court of Appeal March 8, 2016 Tom Hayes, who was convicted for offences in relation to manipulating Libor last year, has today had his application to appeal to the Supreme Court refused by the Court of Appeal. Hayes, a former UBS and Citigroup trader, was convicted on eight counts of conspiracy to defraud at a trial at Southwark Crown Court last August, although [...]
Why Facebook’s recent decision to pay more tax shows how flawed the system of corporation tax really is March 7, 2016 How glad should we be that Facebook is now going to book sales through its UK subsidiary rather than its Irish one, increasing its tax liability? Probably not very. The next time we find out how much UK corporation tax Facebook paid, the odds that “fair tax” campaigners will be satisfied are about as long [...]
New Investigatory Powers Bill could cast out legal privilege if laws are not carefully scrutinised, barristers and solicitors warn March 3, 2016 The most recent iteration of the Investigatory Powers Bill may not protect a fundamental right of the legal profession as well as government hopes, legal experts have warned today. Speaking on behalf of the Bar Council, Peter Carter, chair of the Bar Council Surveillance and Privacy Working Group, scoffed at claims that legal privilege was now safely [...]
Law Society urges solicitors to adopt fairer recruitment practices, such as blind recruiting, in bid to promote social mobility and improve diversity in the legal profession February 26, 2016 Solicitors have been encouraged to revamp their recruitment practices in a bid to improve social mobility in the legal sector. The Law Society has today published guidance for firms on developing recruitment processes that are fair for applicants from all backgrounds. Suggestions include increasing awareness of unconscious bias, adopting blind recruitment for trainees and taking into account people's [...]
