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14 April 2021
Issue: 7928 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Legal services
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Encouraging numbers for legal industry

The legal industry has returned to growth, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures. 

Data released this week showed UK legal turnover of £3.13bn in February 2021, a 4.1% rise on the previous month and an 11.4% increase on the previous February.

Julie Norris, partner at Kingsley Napley, said: ‘After the significant volatility of recent months, February 2021 showed a measure of “calm progress” on the part of the legal industry.’ January revenues had been down on December 2020, although December was the highest billing month for the profession in its history.

Issue: 7928 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Legal services
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Rachel Crosier

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NEWS
Criminal juries may be convicting—or acquitting—on a misunderstanding. Writing in NLJ this week Paul McKeown, Adrian Keane and Sally Stares of The City Law School and LSE report troubling survey findings on the meaning of ‘sure’
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has narrowly preserved a key weapon in its anti-corruption arsenal. In this week's NLJ, Jonathan Fisher KC of Red Lion Chambers examines Guralp Systems Ltd v SFO, in which the High Court ruled that a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) remained in force despite the company’s failure to disgorge £2m by the stated deadline
As the drip-feed of Epstein disclosures fuels ‘collateral damage’, the rush to cry misconduct in public office may be premature. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke of Hill Dickinson warns that the offence is no catch-all for political embarrassment. It demands a ‘grave departure’ from proper standards, an ‘abuse of the public’s trust’ and conduct ‘sufficiently serious to warrant criminal punishment’
Employment law is shifting at the margins. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ this week, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School examines a Court of Appeal ruling confirming that volunteers are not a special legal species and may qualify as ‘workers’
Refusing ADR is risky—but not always fatal. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed and Sanjay Dave Singh of the University of Leicester analyse Assensus Ltd v Wirsol Energy Ltd: despite repeated invitations to mediate, the defendant stood firm, made a £100,000 Part 36 offer and was ultimately ‘wholly vindicated’ at trial
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