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Fear of failure

14 May 2009 / Roman Marszalek
Issue: 7369 / Categories: Features , Legal services , Profession , Data protection
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Roman Marszalek explains why it's worth keeping technology on your side

In a working environment that has becoming increasingly high tech, competitive and credit crunched, the room for error is non-existent. What does this mean for lawyers relying on technology to do their jobs? How does this affect the processes put in place to protect vital information?

Franklin D Roosevelt's inaugural address during the depths of the depression is being re-quoted almost daily. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he said. Motivating during our current economic misery, but I can't help thinking “that's a man without a machine to worry about.”

Technology runs through every aspect of daily life and when time is taken to manage it well it can make the impossible schedule, the enormous workload, the requisite research manageable. But when the pressure is on, it's often the last thing on anyone's mind. Promises to back up are forgotten, policies to avoid the use of flashdrives ignored, best practice to ban saving onto inaccessible laptops seems

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Quillon Law—Neil Dooley

Quillon Law—Neil Dooley

Disputes firm expands fraud and investigations practice with partner hire

Charles Russell Speechlys—Vadim Romanoff

Charles Russell Speechlys—Vadim Romanoff

Firm strengthens corporate tax and incentives team with partner hire

Burges Salmon—Gary Delderfield & Alec Bennett

Burges Salmon—Gary Delderfield & Alec Bennett

Partner and senior associate join pensions team

NEWS
In this week's NLJ, Sophie Houghton of LexisPSL distils the key lesson from recent costs cases: if you want to exceed guideline hourly rates (GHR), you must prove why
With chronic underfunding and rising demand leaving thousands without legal help, technology could transform access to justice—if handled wisely, writes Professor Sue Prince of the University of Exeter in this week's NLJ
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold dives into the quirks of civil practice, from the Court of Appeal’s fierce defence of form N510 to fresh reminders about compliance and interest claims, in this week's Civil Way
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) has restated a fundamental truth, writes John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, in this week's NLJ: only authorised persons can conduct litigation. The decision sparked alarm, but Gould stresses it merely confirms the Legal Services Act 2007
The government’s decision to make the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the Single Professional Services Supervisor marks a watershed in the UK’s fight against money laundering, says Rebecca Hughes of Corker Binning in this week's NLJ. The FCA will now oversee 60,000 firms across legal and accountancy sectors—a massive expansion of remit that raises questions over resources and readiness 
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