Personal injury lawyers disappointed at ministry of justice plans November 17, 2016 Personal injury lawyers reacted angrily to government proposals to clamp down on spurious whiplash claims. The ministry of justice will reveal proposals today, in an attempt to reduce the spiralling number of whiplash claims the insurance industry say are putting huge inflationary pressure on motor premiums. Read more: Churchill owner says "ooh yesh" after bumper motor [...]
An open letter to the chancellor: What the accountancy profession want from the Autumn Statement November 16, 2016 Dear chancellor, I am writing to outline ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)’s priorities for the Autumn Statement and Spending Review. ACCA has recently concluded a wide-ranging consultation with our members operating at senior levels across all parts of the public sector. Our consultation focused on the priorities of public sector decision-makers ahead of [...]
Article 50 case outcome could delay Brexit, Supreme Court judge cautions November 15, 2016 Brexit could be delayed if government loses its appeal on the Article 50 case, the deputy president of the Supreme Court has cautioned. In a speech in Kuala Lumpur, which was delivered last week but the text not published until today, Lady Brenda Hale mused that, if the appeal did not swing in government's favour, it [...]
Big Four audit giant dragged into Brexit row November 15, 2016 Number 10 has today scrambled to distance itself from the details of a leaked memo which warned government was lagging behind on its Brexit plans. The leaked document, which was produced by professional services giant Deloitte and obtained by the Times, claimed government may need to take on as many as 30,000 additional staff members [...]
Addleshaw Goddard gears up for merger with HBJ Gateley in Scotland November 14, 2016 Law firm Addleshaw Goddard is planning to expand its offering in Scotland, today announcing it is in the early stages of merging with HBJ Gateley. HBJ Gateley, a Scottish firm associated with but independent from listed law firm Gateley, was the joint eighth largest Scottish law firm by turnover in 2015-16, pulling in £21.9m. The firm has three offices, in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, [...]
Rubik’s Cube legal puzzle leaves toy maker frustrated November 10, 2016 The makers of the world-famous Rubik's Cube have been frustrated by the top European court. Seven Towers, which manages Rubik's Cube intellectual property rights, have been told the cube's distinctive shape is not sufficient to grant it protection against copycats. German toy maker Simba Toys brought a challenge against a 1999 European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) trademark [...]
Deloitte fined a record £4m by accountancy watchdog over audit of Aero Inventory November 10, 2016 Deloitte has been fined a record £4m by the accountancy watchdog for misconduct in its audit of AIM listed Aero Inventory in the run up to its administration in 2009. In particular, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) claims the accountancy giant, along with partner John Clennett, fell short of the standard expected when auditing the company in [...]
Flash crash trader pleads guilty in Chicago court to two of the 22 charges he faces November 9, 2016 The Hound of Hounslow, the trader allegedly at the centre of the 2010 flash crash, has pleaded guilty in a Chicago court to wire fraud and spoofing. Navinder Sarao hit the headlines after he was accused of crashing American stock markets by placing enormous orders via a trading platform based in his Hounslow bedroom. Read more: Trader [...]
Why the US Supreme Court could be in for a change from Trump November 9, 2016 Donald Trump's election could not only change the political landscape of the US, but the legal layout too. The country's Presidents are responsible for nominating new justices to Supreme Court whenever there happens to be a free slot going. Following the passing of Antonin Scalia in February, there's currently a seat that needs to be filled. The [...]
The government reveals Panama Papers taskforce has yielded criminal investigations and new leads November 8, 2016 A government taskforce launched in the wake of the Panama Papers leak earlier this year has "added greatly" to the understanding of offshore tax evasion structures, the chancellor Philip Hammond said today. The "Panama Papers Taskforce" was launched in April to analyse the information that had been released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The [...]