Legal
DLA Piper appoints head of corporate, Asia
DLA Piper has appointed Paul Chen as head of corporate, Asia and will be based in Hong Kong.
SRA to launch minimum terms consultation
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will launch a consultation next week on whether the minimum terms for solicitors' professional indemnity should be revised.
Spencer launches broadside against insurers in first speech as Apil president
John Spencer warned insurers that the personal injury fraternity “will not roll over and give up” in a combative first speech as president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Rebranded BLM becomes £100m business following HBM Sayers merger
Berrymans Lace Mawer has rebranded as BLM having formally combined with Scottish firm HBM Sayers to form a £100m business.
Legal update: Interest wrangle has PI implications
Adam Burrell explains the implications of an interest charge in a recently rejected personal injury appeal
First Assist to complete rebrand with legal business rename
First Assist Legal Protection is to be renamed Cigna Legal Protection from Thursday following Cigna’s acquisition of the business in November 2011.
Quindell launches suit on ‘defamatory’ note
Quindell has begun legal proceedings over an allegedly defamatory research note issued by Gotham City Research earlier this week.
E-cigarettes and cosmetic surgery tipped for new wave of claims
E-cigarettes and cosmetic surgery are among a new wave of anticipated emerging claims, according to law firm Hill Dickinson.
Claims Club News - 9 April 2014
All the news from Post’s Claims Club event on 9 April.
Penny Black’s Insurance Week - 17 April 2014
At Post’s Claims Club, Axa’s head of liability claims John Dacey said that anecdotally, insurers are witnessing a rise in claimants representing themselves.
North of the Border: Outdoor fall case dismissed
Judge finds occupier has no duty in Leonard v Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.
Unrated insurers tighten grip on solicitors' PI market, states report
Unrated carriers have consolidated their market share within the solicitors’ professional indemnity arena, according to an annual study by the Law Society.
Hip replacement ruling 'should deter forum shopping'
Product liability insurers have received a boost after a judge ruled that non EU claimants have no right to sue manufacturers under the consumer protection act.
Legal update - Alan Bate v Aviva: Court of Appeal dismisses property case after failure to disclose business risk
Mark Aitken examines a case where a high net worth individual failed to give a fair presentation of risk.
Mass concerned at court fee proposals
The Motor Accident Solicitors Society is concerned at the increasing cost of court fees following the release of a Ministry of Justice report today announcing a sliding fee scale for monetary claims.
Clayden pledges claims overhaul after axing quarter of solicitor panel
QBE’s claims director Dominic Clayden has told Post he will overhaul the insurer’s claims handling after completing a review that saw QBE shrink its solicitor panel by a quarter.
Medical Devices: Ripple Effect
The shockwaves of the Poly Implant Prosthèse breast implants scandal are continuing to affect insurers and the regulation of medical devices
Europe: Wall V Mutelle
With the steady increase in cross-border movement that we have witnessed over time, insurers are facing more cases with jurisdictional issues than ever before, says Trethowans associate Bethany Blamire.
Calls for debate on scrapping of low value PI payouts branded 'cynical'
Law firm Simpson Millar has described suggestions emanating from the Association of British Insurers that cash payouts for low value personal injury claims should be scrapped as “very worrying”.
Government urged to introduce GDL 'without delay' by Scottish minister
Scottish transport minister Keith Brown has spoken out in favour of graduated driving licenses and called for the UK government to “take action without further delay”.
Legal Update - Duty of Care: Tree surgeon fall case dismissed in High Court in duty of care clarification
Nicholas Thorne examines a case that looked at the duty of care an occupier owes employees of contractors.
North of the Border: Fatal accident claim awards rise
In England, the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 allows the spouse of a deceased to recover a fixed amount, currently £12 980.
Personal injury lawyers disagree with MoJ stance on QOCS
Three quarters of personal injury law firms dispute the Ministry of Justice’s view that qualified one way costs shifting is an alternative to after the event insurance, according to a survey by law firm advisers O’Connors.
Mediation - Time for a Rethink?
How would you rate your last experience of mediation? Did both sides settle the dispute all smiles and within half a day? Or was the reality a little less rosy than that?