Results tagged “hill dickinson” from LDP - The Legal Week

WE TALK about what makes a great person. This got me thinking. Do they say that about lawyers?

I would like to think, so but in reality we do tend to get a bad press.

However, if you ask a random selection of members of the public who have had dealings with lawyers they will almost certainly give a very different story. Surveys have shown that the public regard their solicitor to be trustworthy reliable honest and efficient.

Many solicitors are in fact doing far more than serving their clients. Not only by serving as councillors, being school governors and being members of many of the wonderful service organisations in the world including Rotary and The lions. In my club alone, the Rotary Club of Birkenhead, six of our members are lawyers.

AROUND 50% of office workers use Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites for personal use during the working day, wasting an average of 40 minutes a week per employee and costing the economy around £1.38billion a year.

One marketing company dismissed one of its employees after she said her job was "boring" on Facebook, because it believed it her comment displayed disrespect and dissatisfaction that undermined her relationship with the company. Virgin Atlantic also sacked 13 crew for describing passengers as "chavs".

Now employers are increasingly monitoring staff internet and email use in the workplace and a significant number have banned access to social networking sites during office hours.

I was encouraged to read in The Mersey Partnership's latest economic review that Liverpool's student population continues to grow (for a news story, click here).

As a top ten employer in the city, and the only national and international law firm with Liverpool headquarters, Hill Dickinson recognises the importance of attracting more young people to the region to ensure economic and social sustainability.

A burgeoning student population benefits the city in terms of contributing to economic growth and global connectivity.

HEAD of sports and media at Liverpool-based Hill Dickinson comments on the Guardian's revelations about the News of the World's alleged phone tapping scandal.

"This is a real concern.

"If one of the most powerful media organisations in the world has been hacking into the mobile phone calls of up to three thousand people, simply to 'keep tabs' then, on the face of it, criminal offences appear to have been committed.

"There are a few unusual aspects to this particular case.

THE healthcare practice group has been extremely busy over the last few weeks, preparing for our attendance at the annual NHS Confederation Conference, which was being held for the first time in our home city of Liverpool.

The NHS Confederation is the independent membership body, which represents the NHS in England, and the Annual Conference is where NHS executives and managers meet to discuss issues affecting the NHS now, and how they are going to meet the considerable challenges of the future.

There was an expectant air to the Conference as delegates were to be addressed by both Andrew Lansley (Conservative Shadow Health Secretary) and Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham, making his first major speech in only his second week in the job.

Liverpool First's recently launched 15-year strategic vision for the city was underpinned by a piece of research, commissioned by Liverpool Vision.

This research pronounced Liverpool as the city 'most on the up' in the UK. This is a far cry from the many negative images and perceptions that have been projected onto the city over the years.

But it doesn't come as news to those of us who live and work in the city.

YOU MAY have heard that Hill Dickinson announced last week that we are expanding our horizons still further by opening a new office in Singapore to service our growing number of clients in Asia.

This is an excellent opportunity for the firm and for Liverpool too because it supports the City's drive to create inward investment by developing a presence in overseas markets.

It further strengthens the firm's international links and we now have teams operating throughout the UK, the Far East, Greece and Russia. Singapore is a great location from which we can service clients right throughout the Asia Pacific region.

The Law Commission today published its recommendations for the reform of the law on bribery.

Edward de la Billière, head of financial investigations and criminal fraud at national law firm Hill Dickinson, commented:

"These Law Commission recommendations for simplifying the law relating to bribery and corruption come after a prolonged period of consultation and criticism of the UK's attitude to and ability to prosecute corruption.

IT IS time for lawyers to put their words into action and increase the use of mediation in commercial disputes - according to research released by Management Partners Merseyside.

LDP Legal asked leading lawyers their views on mediation.

Click here to read what they said.

LIVERPOOL-BASED independent financial advisers, Parker Kelly, has been awarded a contract to provide pension advice to a number of employees of local law firm Hill Dickinson.

Hill Dickinson has 143 partners and more than 900 hundred staff based in Liverpool, Manchester, Chester and London.

Parker Kelly will provide advice to members of Hill Dickinson's old pension scheme in respect of a transferral of benefits.

FOUR Liverpool law firms are listed in a gold standard run-down of the UK's top companies.

Hill Dickinson, DLA Piper, Halliwells and DWF are listed in the top tier of the Legal 500, published last week.

Weightmans are listed in the second tier of top North West firms.

IT'S VERY exciting to see the launch of the second year of the Hill Dickinson Northwest Brands Survey.

Last year's was a huge success, and we're hoping this year's will be even better.

The awards evening will be at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on November 18, an event which can only boost the Manchester office, where we are enjoying steady growth.

Bill Chandler assesses the effect empty rates relief reform has had on new and speculative developments and how if it could cost the industry long-term.

THE RATING regime for empty commercial properties changed significantly when the Rating (Empty Properties) Act 2007 came into force on April 1, 2008.

Some owners of empty commercial property have been spurred on by the reforms to agree lettings of empty properties for shorter terms and at lower rents than they may previously have considered. Such lettings allow property owners to pass on the new rating liability to tenants and to obtain a new rate free period once the tenant vacates.

LIVERPOOL-based Hill Dickinson donated their media law expertise to the musicians behind Song For Rhys.

Henna Riaz, solicitor in the firm's media team, is working with four Liverpool songwriters who have written and recorded a song in memory of Rhys Jones.

The song, Angel Child (Song for Rhys) by Taylor Bradley, featuring Jules, was written by Mike Bradley, Tony Taylor, David Hyland and Jules Burgess-Kennedy and went on sale last Monday.