Technology in the legal sector: How IT can help lawyers provide gold-plated service at bronze level prices December 17, 2015 Some industries have kept pace with the constantly-evolving world of technology. The legal industry, arguably, has not. This is not because the legal sector has not seen value in technology investments – the root of under-investment in IT stems from the global financial crisis, when law firms’ bottom lines were squeezed. Seven years on, times [...]
British Airways €104m fine for price-fixing thrown out by EU General Court December 16, 2015 British Airways has reason to rejoice after a €104m (£75.8m) penalty imposed on it was thrown out by the General Court of the European Union today, on the grounds that the original decision contained contradictions. The airline company was originally landed with the fine following an European Commission decision in 2010 over allegations surrounding its role in an alleged price-fixing [...]
EU data protection law: Professional services firms warn that businesses will need to work hard to adapt to legal changes, which carry potential pricey fines December 16, 2015 Professional services firms have warned that businesses might struggle to adapt to recently agreed upon changes to EU data protection laws, which include fines of up to four per cent of annual global turnover for a breach. Late yesterday evening, European Parliament and Council of the European Union negotiators agreed on a data protection package, designed [...]
Technology in the legal sector: How IT can help lawyers provide gold-plated service at bronze level prices December 16, 2015 NULL
UK-headquartered law firm DWF to acquire German BridgehouseLaw at start of 2016 December 16, 2015 UK-headquartered law firm DWF announced today that it is acquiring BridgehouseLaw, a German commercial law firm, on 1 January 2016. The newly combined firm will boast a turnover of £194m and will employ 2,360 staff members across 16 locations. Andrew Leaitherland, DWF's managing partner and chief executive, will continue to lead the overall business post-merger, while Michael Falter, [...]
Technology job market: UK firms more likely to take on an IT contractor than those in the US, although some employers remain reluctant December 16, 2015 The UK seems to have fallen for computer geeks, with 76 per cent of UK businesses making use of IT contractors. According to a survey of executives with hiring and firing responsibilities released today by IT resourcing specialist Experis, a greater proportion UK firms are taking on contractors than in the US (66 per cent), Japan (65 per [...]
UK Pensions: ICAEW warns that the secondary annuity market could leave pensioners worse off December 16, 2015 The government's newly-unveiled secondary annuity market may only benefit a handful of people and could leave many pensioners worse off, an industry body for accountants has warned today. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) also cautioned that the plans, which were announced by the Treasury yesterday, were likely to be expensive to implement. John [...]
Christmas gifts 2015: Sales of BBQS, board games and prosecco gummy bears are on the up at John Lewis, but the halls will be decked in more muted colour themes December 16, 2015 One of our favourite tipples has proven popular in a more unusual format, with sales of prosecco flavoured gummy bears bouncing 106 per cent week-on-week at John Lewis, the retail giant said today. Meanwhile, post-Christmas lunch entertainment might be a low-tech affair, with sales of board games rolling in 183 per cent higher year-on-year. And December this year has [...]
Christmas gifts 2015: Almost half of UK adults have at least one relative living abroad and 16 December is expected to be the day we are most likely to send money overseas December 16, 2015 Business has become more global but it turns out the same is true for family matters. A study out today from the Post Office International Payments has found that 41 per cent of UK adults now have at least one relative living overseas. So, if you've found yourself grappling with last postage dates for overseas for [...]
