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21 October 2010
Issue: 7438 / Categories: Opinion , Personal injury
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A skeleton in the cupboard

Many commentators have reflected that the trade in cases, especially those of accident victims, between lawyers and referrers is unseemly, if not downright dodgy.

Integrity, inherent dislike & embarrassment. Jon Robins revisits the referral fee conundrum

Many commentators have reflected that the trade in cases, especially those of accident victims, between lawyers and referrers is unseemly, if not downright dodgy. Just the mention of the old Claims Direct (Shames Direct, as The Sun would have it) and TAG, both now bust, will remind lawyers of the scandal of genuine accident victims left penniless after damages were consumed by sundry legal expenses.

Guilty without trial

The Mail on Sunday earlier this year ran a report about conveyancing solicitors paying estate agents “bribes” to get work leaving “ordinary consumers, who ultimately pay for it…being ripped off”. “This is no different from paying dodgy sheiks for arms contracts and it undermines the integrity of the profession,” one non-paying lawyer told the MoS. Slightly overstating the case possibly; but the payment of referral fees is a debate

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Signature Litigation—Catherine Naylor

Signature Litigation—Catherine Naylor

International fraud and asset recovery offering boosted by partner hire

Stevens & Bolton—Alexa Payet

Stevens & Bolton—Alexa Payet

Private wealth disputes team adds contentious probate specialist

Morgan Lewis—Paul Feldberg

Morgan Lewis—Paul Feldberg

Firm strengthens investigations and sanctions capabilities with London partner hire

NEWS
Cheshire West, which established an ‘acid test’ for deprivation of liberty safeguards, has been overturned by the Supreme Court
The Chancery Division and other segments of the High Court are to be replaced by a new Business and Property Division (BPD), in a major civil justice shakeup
Law firms that hold client money will need to file annual accountants’ reports and make a declaration, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirmed this week
Two district judges and a tribunal judge have been sanctioned for delays in delivering judgments and orders
Private equity (PE) investment into UK law firms halved to £250m last year, but deal volume rose, according to research by Acquira Professional Services’ Momentum private equity market tracker
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