Firms in the firing line?

With an expected rise in the number of clients entering into vehicles such as conditional fee arrangements (CFAs) in litigation, it is important that solicitors carefully consider their advisory obligations.

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Middle Eastern promise
In principle there should be no question as to the importance of the Gulf to the world economy – it holds around two-thirds of the world’s proven oil reserves and it’s estimated that the total value of projects planned or under development there totals approximately US$1.8.

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All in the execution
Johnston Clark is managing partner of the 15-partner firm Blackadders, based in Dundee and Angus in Scotland. An executry case management system was not only a holy grail to the firm’s private-client practice, but also a very logical next step for the firm as a whole.

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Information - the new trade war?
Spring is always a time to take stock of the year just gone and make predictions for the year ahead. For most of us we were happier than usual to say farewell to 2008 - the tougher task was to predict the big compliance issues of 2009.

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Thought leader
Risk is not adequately captured by one single measure. Uncertainty is not measurable at all.

By George Bull, head of professional practices, Baker Tilly

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Offshore defences
The world’s ‘offshore’ jurisdictions have been painted as particularly in need of regulatory overhaul in the fall-out from the global economic downturn. Confronted with a cacophony of accusations, however, Nicola Davies, chief executive of Mourant Ltd, explains why offshore business needs to keep its cool in the uncertain climate.

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Leading the pack
Like all organisations, law firms looking to build best practice should have well-formed strategies for state-of-the-art compliance and control.

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Profile: Howard Culley
After notching up an impressive 20 years as national managing partner at Irwin Mitchell, Howard Culley decided the time had come to step down. On 1 May 2009 he formally and finally let go of the reins, and now reflects on his time in the role and what comes next for the expanding firm.

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Networking know-how
Central and Eastern Europe still offers good growth potential for a law firm with the right combination of local expertise and a truly joined-up strategy.