Year: 2015
Bidding on competitors’ trade marks in AdWords
Should you bid on a competitor’s trade mark in AdWords? This is a simple question, but not one that has a simple answer. The High Court ruled in 2013 that you should not, as doing so would amount to a trade mark infringement. The case before the court involved Marks & Spencer and Interflora. M&S […]
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My SCL years remembered
“Nice pair of legs” was the comment of a partner in a law firm in the early 1980s when he saw a male partner of his using a keyboard, the implication being that it was bizarre to see someone as important as a qualified solicitor typing; and as for the sexual harassment issue, well that […]
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My Social Media: Colin Yeo
This is the second in a series by lawyers on how they use social media for professional and personal development. Ed. Social media is a blessing and a curse for those, like me, who use it frequently. The benefits of using social media well are considerable in terms of profile, influence and attracting work. Those […]
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How much do you value your contacts?
Occasionally we help new law firms to set up from scratch and a partner once asked me if I found the branding the most enjoyable part of the project. He was surprised when I said that the really satisfying aspect was getting the client data management right. With a new firm, every contact and piece […]
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Know your client: checking for sanctions
There have always been risks attached to practising law, but as legal services have evolved and where many law firms are now large, global practices, they face the same concerns as other multinational corporations including the challenge of dealing with anti-money laundering and the effects of sanctions. Although large law firms are most at risk […]
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VAT on cross-border digital services
On 1 January 2015 the VAT rules for cross-border B2C supplies of digital services changed. From that date, VAT must be accounted for in the member state where the customer normally lives, rather than where the supplier of the service is established. From the UK perspective, this should ensure that sellers of digital services will […]
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Author, librarian, academic, lawyer
YouGov research reveals that the most desired jobs in Britain are not what you might expect; they are not even the most reliably well paid ones. Instead of actors and musicians, it seems that an aura of prestige still surrounds the quiet, intellectual life enjoyed by authors (60 per cent of respondents would like to […]
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The paperless office: dream or reality? 5 practical tips to make it happen
Small law firms have a significant competitive advantage – you can get things done! Large law firms like any large organisation have complex systems and layers of management. They are complicated. Small firms are not. Despite conventional wisdom, technology use in small law firms is typically more sophisticated than in large law firms for one […]
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Legal Web Watch January 2015
Legal Web Watch is a free monthly email service which complements the Internet Newsletter for Lawyers. To receive Legal Web Watch regularly sign up here. Follow Nick Holmes on Twitter @nickholmes. Where has all the GOV stuff gone? Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox, first mooted the idea of a single government website back in 2010. […]
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Access to justice through technology
Richard Miller, Head of Legal Aid at The Law Society, said of our Access to Justice Campaign, launched in September 2104, “I am very keen that [it should] include guidance to our members about what they can do to make services more affordable to clients; and that, of course, includes how they can use technology […]
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The new Centre for Law and Information Policy
Data are – or is – everything and everywhere, flowing through everyday life, our workplaces, our homes and our minds. Social, political and legal activity is documented and controlled through digital information records, affecting all UK citizens, even those who have never used the internet or a mobile phone. The question of how data and […]
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A barrister-only ABS enabled by technology
Richmond Chambers LLP is an award-winning, innovative partnership of specialist immigration barristers. Authorised by the SRA as the first barrister-only ABS in July 2013, our members share a core commitment to providing high quality immigration law advice and representation directly to the public. Following the introduction of the public access scheme for immigration work in […]
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