Setting up a commercial firm on a virtual model

I founded Summerfield Browne Solicitors at the beginning of 2014. The firm specialises in advising on business and commercial law and we offer these services throughout England and Wales. We advise a wide range of companies from start-up to established international companies and from a diverse range of sectors. We now have offices in London, […]

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The Internet of Things: an introduction

The Internet of Things (IoT) is, literally, the network of all the physical things connected to the internet. (Generally we now refer to things capable of connecting to the internet as “smart” things.) We started with just computer terminals connected to the internet and that remained the way it was for 15 years or so. […]

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Custodians and gatekeepers: maintaining access to public legal information

Most people would now agree that public information should not only be publicly available, but also freely available. In the area of law, this is assumed to include not only legislation but also case law. This is, after all, the law of the land, ignorance of which is considered no defence. It is probably impossible […]

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Legal Web Watch March 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. Continuing competence after 1 April In the March issue of the Newsletter, Ruth Bird and Natasha Choolhun consider the role digital literacy skills should […]

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Delia’s legal web picks March 2015

The following items included in Legal Web Watch March 2015 have been selected from Delia’s “New” page. Follow Delia on Twitter @deliavenables and keep up with her “New” page on a regular basis. Legal Topics with a difference from Justis Publishing The Justis Blog is well worth watching, with topics which are just a little […]

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Auto enrolment pensions: 5 reasons to outsource your payroll

The clock is ticking for UK employers who haven’t yet gone live with auto enrolment workplace pensions. We’ve almost reached the second quarter of 2015 and 2017’s the final enrolment deadline. With nearly 200 fixed penalty notices reported to have been issued by pensions watchdog, The Pensions Regulator, in the last quarter of 2014, well […]

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Adapted from Binary by Michael Coghlan

Are you (digitally) competent?

With Natasha Choolhun The Solicitors Regulation Authority is undergoing a programme of education and training reform, “Training for Tomorrow”, following the Legal and Education Training Review (LETR). As part of the reforms the SRA are developing a competence statement for solicitors to inform consumers, assist legal education providers in developing courses and allow solicitors to […]

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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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