Orpen Franks LLP is a boutique law firm with a strong and varied client base with over 200 years’ experience in the industry. Working with a variety of clients from individuals to large corporate businesses across Ireland you can be assured that every day is unique at Orpen Franks LLP. They boast experienced, expert, flexible and manoeuvrable working practices that are well supported. The firm is part of an international network of independent law firms.
The Team
The Orpen Franks Private Client division offer clients a complete range of legal and advisory services to meet the individual requirements of clients and their families. Orpen Franks prides itself on providing a comprehensive and professional service in order to address legal issues which may arise for our clients.
Grainne Butler, Partner, heads the team. The team covers all aspects of Private Client law including Residential conveyancing, Drafting of Wills, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney and dealing with Trust and Estate Administration.
The team works closely with all of the other departments to ensure the provision of seamless and results driven advice.
What you’ll do:
You will respond to clients’ requirements and deliver results, whilst maintaining and supporting the maintenance of a proper work/life balance;
You will provide accurate, prompt, realistic and relevant advice whilst managing client’s expectations;
Support and work alongside the partners and your colleagues in the team and across all departments in the firm;
Actively work to convert enquiries into new matters;
Ensure accurate file management and time recording;
Ensure deadlines and timescales are met; and
You will continue to build excellent knowledge within your area of law.
Who we are looking for?
Candidates must have 10 years’ experience in a similar role, be currently working in private practice and have confidence in:
Residential Conveyancing acting in sales and purchases
Acting in mortgaging and refinancing of client properties
Be up to dates with all provisions relating to new properties & apartment purchases
Be proficient in case management systems, MS word, outlook and online searches and registries.
The position is suitable for a qualified solicitor with 10 years post qualification experience and good academic background and training.
A proven track record in fee earning ability is a requirement for this role.
The individual will be a good communicator with excellent attention to detail.
Secretarial and typing support will be available but IT and MS Word drafting proficiency will be important.
Hours
This role is 20-30 hours per week and will can be a combination of working remotely along with office attendance. We can be flexible on the final arrangements for the right candidate.
We also welcome applications from remote workers and workers located in regional locations.
Salary
The salary will be set at a market level pro rata basis depending on experience, capacity and agreed number of hours. Regard will be had to standard fee earning multiples.
Careers with Orpen Franks LLP
Orpen Franks offers an innovative and distinct workplace in both its approach and ideologies.
Orpen Franks prides itself on its culture of cross department cooperation, open door policy and having a collegiate and collaborative approach to everything they do.
Interviews will take place in June 2021 with a view to commencing employment as soon as possible and certainly by July/August 2021. An immediate start would be a distinct advantage.
Orpen Franks are strong advocates of a successful work/life balance and proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. They welcome applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds with the same ethos, passion and enthusiasm.
Job Type: Part time, Flexible working is possible, permanent
Litigation Solicitor 2 Years PQE – Augustus Cullen Law LLP
Augustus Cullen Law LLP are currently seeking a Litigation Solicitor with 2 years plus PQE to join their busy Litigation Department based at our Dublin office.
The ideal candidate must have strong organisational skills with attention to detail. Ability to meet deadlines and efficient communication with clients. Knowledge of Case Management systems is an advantage. Salary commensurate with experience.
Worthingtons Solicitors intends to appoint an Apprentice Solicitor in conjunction with the apprenticeship programme.
For the purpose of this recruitment the Apprenticeship programme shall mean the solicitor training programme run in Northern Ireland by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University Belfast commencing in late 2021.
Candidates must apply by submitting a CV to be received by 12 noon on the closing date of Thursday 1 July 2021.
'The Offences Against the State Act at 80’: Book Launch
'The Offences Against the State Act at 80’ will be officially launched at a virtual book event at:
5pm on Tuesday 29 June, 2021.
UCD Sutherland School of Law is pleased to host the launch of this new book, edited by our colleague Dr Mark Coen. To chair the event we are are delighted to welcome:
Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, Judge of the Court of Appeal
She will be joined by discussants:
Professor Liora Lazarus of the University of British Columbia and
Professor Colm O'Cinneide of University College London.
Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of Law in UCD will introduce the guests to this virtual event.
The launch will be broadcast on Zoom and all are welcome to attend however pre-registration is necessary.
The Bar of Ireland's Chair’s Conference, Home and Abroad. Human Rights: Universal Rights?, taking place online from 16th - 18th June, is an opportunity for practitioners, academics, policy makers and the wider public to converge on the most defining issue impacting on legal systems and democratic institutions – the rule of law, the protection of human rights against emerging political and societal forces.
The participation of a diverse legal community is a key response to how these challenges are resolved. As such, this year's Chairs Conference will also focus on the role, participation and experiences of female lawyers and judges.
All three conference days will be hosted by Maura McNally SC, Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland.
Supreme Court: Motion to set aside refusal for leave to appeal rejected in student transport case
By Killian Flood BL
Killian Flood BL
The Supreme Court has rejected a motion brought by an appellant to set aside a previous refusal of an application for leave to appeal. The appellant had claimed that new information had emerged which tended to show that the Minister for Education and Skills had breached the obligation for transparency by state bodies in the litigation.
The court considered the case of Re Greendale Developments Ltd. (No. 3) [2000] 2 I.R. 514, which governed the circumstances in which a final decision of the court might be set aside. The court determined that the appellant’s application failed to pass the high threshold of the Greendale principles and held that the correct procedure in the case was to issue new plenary proceedings in the High Court.
Background
The appellant, Student Transport Ireland Limited, issued judicial review proceedings against the respondent Minister and Bus Eireann, as notice party, in 2011. The appellant’s claim lay in a school transport scheme which was agreed between the Minister and Bus Eireann to bring children to school. Bus Eireann was remunerated by the State on a costs recovery basis.
The appellant argued that the agreement was subject to public procurement law and therefore the Minister should have arranged a tender for the service.
Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal rejected Student Transport’s proceedings. In the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan overturned the High Court on a single ground, namely that the agreement between the Minister and Bus Eireann satisfied the pecuniary interest requirement under Council Directive 2004/18/EC, which regulates public service contracts.
However, it was held that the claim failed because Student Transport could not establish that a written contract was concluded by the parties and that the scheme was of indefinite duration. It dated back to 1967 and had no formal features of a commercial contract. It was an administrative arrangement and, accordingly, fell outside the scope of the 2004 Directive on public procurement.
The Court of Appeal also upheld the High Court’s findings that the appellant did not have standing to bring the proceedings as it was a shelf company. Finally, it was held that the appellant failed to bring proceedings within the six-month time period of the conclusion of the alleged contract, which also was fatal to the case.
The appellant sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, but this was refused in a determination in 2016. Following the refusal, two new documents came to light. The first was a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2017 and the second was correspondence with the EU Commission in 2019.
The appellant claimed that the ICAG report showed that Bus Eireann had made a profit from the transport arrangement with the Minister, which was contrary to evidence in the original proceedings. In the Commission correspondence, the appellant claimed that it showed the EU Commission had determined that the scheme represented a breach of EU procurement law. This was disputed by the Minister.
In light of this correspondence, the appellant brought an application to the Supreme Court to set aside the previous refusal of leave to appeal and to hear the case. The Minister opposed the application.
Supreme Court
Giving judgment in the matter, Mr Justice Frank Clarke began by outlining the Greendale jurisprudence regarding the setting aside of a final decision by the courts. It was held that a court had to power to overturn a final order where an applicant successfully established that allowing the order to remain in place would infringe their constitutional rights. This was a jurisdiction which could be used only in exceptional or extraordinary circumstances. The court emphasised the need for finality in proceedings and simply pointing to an error in a judgment was not enough for a court to set aside a decision.
In the present application, the appellant submitted that the new documents showed that the Minister had failed to act in a transparent manner in the High Court and Court of Appeal (R. v. Lancashire County Council Ex. Parte Huddleston [1986] 2 All E.R. 941; RAS Medical Ltd v. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland [2019] IESC 4). As such, it was claimed that this was a sufficient basis for setting aside the court’s determination. It was noted that the appellant stopped short of claiming that the Minister had acted fraudulently in the case.
While the court accepted that this principle of transparency existed in Irish law, it was not yet established that a breach of the principle could be used to set aside a final order of a court.
Further, the court held that, in cases of fraud, the proper approach was for fresh plenary proceedings to issue so that a trial court could determine whether previous litigation was tainted by said fraud. The court held that this was also the applicable procedure where the transparency principle was alleged to have been breached.
Mr Justice Clarke emphasised that it was doubtful that a breach of the transparency principle could lead to the setting aside of a final order and this had to be properly tested in plenary proceedings.
Applying these findings to the case, the court held that the focus of the application had to be the process before the Supreme Court which was such to make the final order a nullity. The court held that it was not appropriate to make a determinative finding on the transparency point in the case.
The court held that no egregious flaw was established in the leave to appeal process itself and accordingly the application was dismissed. Given the serious of the allegations relating to transparency, the court also commented that the appellant had to be successful on all grounds of appeal in order to have a positive outcome in the case.
While the appellant had previously been successful on one point in the Court of Appeal, the rest of the points were adverse and fatal to the relief claimed. The court said that the appellant had failed to put any material before the court which might suggest the Court of Appeal was wrong in its conclusions.
As such, the appellant failed to reach the Greendale threshold or even the lower threshold of making an arguable case that the Court of Appeal had erred, the court said.
Conclusion
The principle of finality in litigation was important and the appellant was simply trying to “rerun a different case from that which failed before”. It was open to the appellant to take plenary proceedings in the High Court to challenge the issue of transparency. It was for the High Court to determine if such jurisdiction existed on the facts of the case.
CJEU: GDPR proceedings can sometimes be brought by watchdogs which are not lead supervisory authorities
There are circumstances in which data protection watchdogs in the EU can bring a company to court over GDPR breaches despite not being the lead supervisory authority under the 'one-stop shop' rule, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled.
The complex judgment, handed down by the Grand Chamber this morning and currently only published in French and Dutch, could have significant implications for the enforcement of EU data protection rules in Ireland, where many major online platforms are headquartered.
The court was asked for a preliminary ruling by the Court of Appeal in Brussels, Belgium, in a case originating in 2015 when the president of Belgium's Privacy Commission brought an action seeking an injunction against Facebook Ireland, Facebook Inc. and Facebook Belgium, aiming to put an end to alleged infringements of data protection laws.
Those alleged infringements included the collection and use of information on the browsing behaviour of Belgian internet users, whether or not they were Facebook account holders, by means of various technologies, such as cookies, social plug-ins or pixels.
In February 2018, the court of first instance held that it had jurisdiction to give a ruling on that action and, on the substance, held that Facebook had not adequately informed Belgian internet users of the collection and use of the information concerned. Further, the consent given by the internet users to the collection and processing of that data was held to be invalid.
In March 2018, Facebook Ireland, Facebook Inc. and Facebook Belgium brought an appeal against that judgment before the Court of Appeal in Brussels. Belgium's Data Protection Authority (DPA) acted before that court as the legal successor of the president of the Privacy Commission.
The Court of Appeal held that it solely has jurisdiction to give a ruling on the appeal brought by Facebook Belgium, but was uncertain as to the effect of the application of the 'one-stop shop' mechanism under the GDPR and whether the DPA could bring an action given Facebook Ireland was identified as the controller of the data concerned.
In its Grand Chamber judgment, the CJEU specified the powers of national supervisory authorities within the scheme of the GDPR.
Under certain conditions, the supervisory authority of a member state can exercise its power to bring any alleged infringement of the GDPR before a court of that state and to initiate or engage in legal proceedings in relation to an instance of cross-border data processing, although that authority is not the lead supervisory authority with regard to that processing, it said.
Seanad backs bill to ban NDAs in workplace sexual harassment cases
Senator Lynn Ruane
A private member's bill to ban the use of non-disclosure agreements to cover up sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace has won unanimous support in the Seanad.
The Employment Equality (Amendment) (Non-Disclosure Agreements) Bill 2021, introduced by Senator Lynn Ruane, would amend the Employment Equality Act 1998 to enshrine employees’ right to independent legal advice before signing an NDA as well as their right to refuse
The bill cleared the second stage in the Seanad without opposition after the government said it would commission further research into the extent of the issue in Ireland.
Non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, have come under increased scrutiny in recent years following the beginning of the #MeToo movement, which led to stories of their use to prevent victims of workplace harassment from speaking out publicly.
Equality Minister Roderic O'Gorman told the Seanad last night: "I welcome the proposals being brought by Senator Ruane today. Sexual harassment and discrimination have no place in any workplace.
"No one should ever be put under pressure to conceal harassment or discrimination to protect an individual, or an institution or a company reputation. The government has agreed to conduct more detailed research on the extent of the practice in Ireland and will work with Senator Ruane to advance these proposals further."
Speaking after the debate, Senator Ruane said: "Employers should not have the option to legally enforce silence on a victim of sexual harassment or discrimination; these agreements cover up crimes under Irish law and must be banned.
"Everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and where they are not – we need to ensure victims are empowered to use their voices to seek accountability.
"Non-disclosure agreements that cover up unacceptable and illegal behaviour pervert the course of justice. As Ireland continues to grapple with a shameful history of silence and institutional abuse, I’m grateful to my colleagues for forcefully rejecting the further legal silencing of victims and the marginalised."
NI: Stormont hears cross-party calls for miscarriage to be included in parental bereavement bill
Paul Frew
Economy Minister Paul Frew was last night facing cross-party calls for parental bereavement leave and pay legislation to be extended to couples following a miscarriage.
The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill yesterday cleared the second stage in Stormont unopposed and will now proceed to committee stage.
The Department for the Economy (DfE) confirmed to Irish Legal News in March that the legislation would cover parents who experience a stillbirth, but not miscarriages, bringing Northern Ireland into line with Great Britain.
Speaking in the debate, Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald, who chairs the economy committee, said miscarriage "is a traumatic event and a deeply personal loss, and there should be leave in place for those who require it".
That was echoed throughout the debate by MLAs from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Alliance Party, many of whom shared their personal and family experiences of miscarriage.
At the end of the debate, Mr Frew appeared to play down the prospect of miscarriage being included in the bill, but said he would "commit to listening to the committee as it scrutinises the bill" and "see what can be delivered in the timescale".
He told MLAs: "Let me stress that I, too, have experienced miscarriage, three times. I have three healthy children, but my wife and I have experienced three miscarriages. It is a devastating loss. Many prospective parents feel that loss, and continue to feel it, all too often.
"I am sympathetic to the need for the government to explore what interventions they can to better support those who suffer miscarriage.
"However, the bill has been underpinned by public consultation and subsequent financial, equality and regulatory assessments on the issues of child death and stillbirth. At the time, it did not take account of the issue of miscarriage.
"If the government were to decide to change the employment law framework in respect of miscarriages, that should be done only after full consideration of all the pertinent issues and following public consultation."
A new online probate portal, which aims to simplify the application process for people dealing with a person’s estate after their death, has gone live.
The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service (NICTS) developed the new online service as part of its modernisation programme and launched it yesterday morning.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said: "The new online probate portal very much embodies what we are trying to achieve with the modernisation of our courts and tribunals services.
"The process for applying for a grant of probate or a grant of letters of administration has always been paper-based since it was launched 163 years ago but as technology evolves, there is an expectation that more and more public services will be available online, including those provided by our courts and tribunals."
She added: "The portal has been developed in consultation with citizens and with legal practitioners with the aim of making the process of applying for probate simpler and less time consuming.
"This courts and tribunals modernisation pilot project will be reviewed and evaluated to inform future services as NICTS develops modern, innovative and collaborative courts and tribunals services that are less complex, more efficient and more accessible."
Karen Ward, chief modernisation officer in NICTS, said: “The new probate online portal is the first redesigned service under our modernisation programme.
"The online portal we have developed simplifies and modernises the probate application process and is very much in line with the commitment in the Modernisation Vision statement for courts and tribunals, launched in March 2021, to create modern, accessible citizen focused courts and tribunals services."
The portal, developed by the Department of Finance’s enterprise digital development team in conjunction with NICTS’s modernisation team, probate staff and service users, offers a modernised online application process for probate services with features that include:
The ability to complete a probate application online, including the payment of fees and the uploading of key supporting documents.
Built-in validation on the online portal and step by step sections to assist with the accurate completion of applications. This should reduce the number of applications that need to be returned due to error.
The ability for applicants and solicitors to track the progress of their case online with regular status updates.
Access to the portal 24 hours a day/7 days a week on any device (mobile phone, PC, laptop, tablet) enabling the user to complete the application process at a time convenient to them.
Simplified language throughout for ease of navigation and completion of application.
A statement of truth (legal declaration) is populated automatically using answers provided during the application process.
Whether applying online or using new standardised forms, the requirement to attend a personal interview in Belfast or Derry as part of the application process has been removed. Legislative changes have also been completed to replace the swearing of an oath with the signing of a statement of truth.
Ireland's Evolving Equality Architecture Sponsored post
Lunchtime Webinars (1:00pm – 2:00pm) weekly throughout June
16 June 2021: Ireland's Evolving Equality Architecture
The dedicated equality bodies which were in place when the Equal Status Act 2000 was introduced, the Equality Tribunal and the Equality Authority, were subsumed into the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) in 2014. This seminar will discuss the experience of those bodies, and will explore the potential of an integrated approach to Equality and Human Rights.
The seminar will also highlight the practical barriers individuals face in seeking to prosecute a discrimination complaint before the WRC. The absence of legal aid before that tribunal has been the subject of criticism from international bodies such as the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. These concerns are all the more pressing in light of the recent decision of the Supreme Court in Zalewski v Adjudication Officer & Ors [2021] IESC 24, which included important findings on the “standard of justice” required by the Constitution in tribunals involved in the administration of justice.
Health care assistants removed from ineligible occupation list for immigrant workers
Damien English
Changes have been made to the employment permits system to address immediate skills and labour shortages in the healthcare and nursing home sectors.
Health care assistants will be removed from the ineligible occupation list for workers coming to Ireland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) following a comprehensive review.
Damien English, minister of state for business, employment and retail, said: "With increases in the ageing population and consequent increases in demand for services, significant extra health care assistants will be required to provide sufficient long-term residential care for older people into the future.
"The impact of Covid-19 also means that the demand for health care assistants is likely to continue to be significant."
There will be a requirement that health care assistants coming to Ireland should have attained a relevant QQI Level 5 qualification after two years' employment. There will also be a minimum annual remuneration threshold of €27,000 for the occupation.
The framework will be reviewed after 12 months to ensure that the changes meet the needs of the sector.
Additionally, the role of dietician will be added to the critical skilled list and social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists will be removed from the ineligible occupation list.
Mr English said: "Our economic migration policy accommodates the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps in the domestic economy in the short to medium term.
"My department reviews the system bi-annually, working with other government departments to promote an integrated approach to address labour and skills shortages in the longer term. Where shortages are clearly evidenced, the employment permit system is flexible enough to address these shortages in real time."
Hazel Chu to take part in panel discussion during Law Society MOOC
Hazel Chu
Hazel Chu, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will take part in a live panel discussion tonight as part of the final week of the Law Society of Ireland's massive open online course (MOOC) on environmental law and climate change.
Ms Chu will deliver the keynote speech and take part in a panel discussion on "Shaping a Greener Future" today, Tuesday 15 June, at 6pm. Free tickets remain available from the Law Society website.
Richard Hammond SC, chair of the Law Society's education committee, said: "We are delighted to welcome Lord Mayor Hazel Chu to open our live panel discussion on ‘Shaping a Greener Future’.
"This is especially fitting as the Lord Mayor has long championed the need for inclusiveness across society to advance environmental and sustainability issues."
He added: "4,000 people have participated in our 2021 MOOC, making this our highest attended MOOC to date. Delivered as part of the Law Society’s Public Legal Education initiative, we continue to progress our commitment to improving inclusion and diversity in the solicitors’ profession."
Ms Chu said: "As I look forward to delivering the opening address during the final week of the Law Society’s free online course on environmental law and climate change, I am encouraged by the growing appetite for active citizen participation in the climate change debate.
"In my capacity as Lord Mayor, I am a passionate advocate for the urgency of progressing climate action now so we can have a greener future.
"I would like to commend the Law Society for their efforts to engage the public to understand how the law impacts every part of society and the role each of us can play towards building a better, cleaner and more sustainable future."
The live panel discussion will also hear from Rory Corcoran, assistant director for organised and emerging crime at INTERPOL, and Dr Rónán Kennedy of NUI Galway School of Law.
Matheson launches new impactful business programme
Michael Jackson
Matheson has launched a new "impactful business programme" bringing together its diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability and arts activities into one dedicated programme.
Managing partner Michael Jackson said the new programme "is an opportunity for us to make a meaningful difference to our clients, to our communities and to our colleagues".
He added: "By more closely aligning and integrating our D&I, corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability, arts and pro bono strategies within one single programme, we are aiming to bring an increased focus and direction to our existing activities and efforts, and to deliver an even more positive impact in each of these areas."
The impactful business programme spans the four pillars of D&I, CSR, environmental sustainability and the arts, with the activities of each pillar driven by dedicated committees comprised of volunteers from across the firm.
Matheson has also confirmed that its annual diversity and inclusion conference, hosted in partnership with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), will go ahead this year in September, with the theme focusing on the business case for well-being and hidden disabilities.
Lawyers could use “performance-enhancing medication” in the future to maintain parity with machines, according to a new report from the Law Society of England and Wales.
Images of the Future Worlds Facing the Legal Profession 2020-2030 also suggests that artificial intelligence could halve the number of lawyers within three decades.
It states: “Lawyers remaining within the profession must work alongside technology — and [will be] required to take performance-enhancing medication in order to optimise their own productivity and effectiveness.”
Kion Ahadi, a director of the Law Society, told The Times the profession has grown considerably since 1990 but that the pandemic and technology would reverse that trend.
The report notes that the number of private practice firms in England and Wales has fallen by 10 per cent since 2009 to 9,339 in 2019.
It also finds that high street firms are most at risk of failing and that consolidation would be “particularly marked in commoditised areas of the law” such as residential conveyancing.
The report predicts that larger firms will fill the gaps left by small firms as they can “fund and scale technology”.
Mr Ahadi said that “there will also be disputes over the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence” but that “these developments could benefit consumers significantly. A lot of people want the legal profession and services to be demystified. This could help.”
England: City law firms introduce fertility benefits
Two law firms have introduced a new fertility benefit to enable employees to receive thousands of pounds in support to become parents.
International firm Cooley will reimburse up to £45,000 for fertility treatment as well as personalised fertility care and family-forming support.
Magic circle firm Clifford Chance, meanwhile, has bolstered its medical scheme, which will now provide up to £15,000 for fertility investigations and treatment.
The firm announced earlier this year it had partnered with Peppy, a digital healthcare platform that helps organisations support people during the menopause, parenthood and fertility.
Michael Bates, UK managing partner of Clifford Chance, said: "We have learnt since launching Peppy for our UK employees in March this year that there has been significant interest in the fertility strand of the platform.
"As a part of our inclusion strategy to change the lived experience of our colleagues, we are committed to strengthening our support during challenging life transitions and I'm pleased to confirm that we have enhanced our private medical scheme to now include infertility investigations and fertility treatment."
Sascha Grimm, a partner in the London office, said: "We are delighted to offer this industry leading fertility and family-forming package to our London office. The firm supports all paths to parenthood and we are proud to partner with Carrot and enable our employees and partners to access the very best fertility and family-forming services available."
A barristers' set has changed its name due to links between its eponym and the slave trade.
Hardwicke Chambers has changed its name to Gatehouse Chambers having discovered eighteenth century lord chancellor Lord Hardwicke's links with slavery last year.
Lord Hardwicke was one of two authors of the Yorke-Talbot opinion of 1729 which was relied upon by slave owners as providing legal justification for slavery for many years.
The premises of Hardwicke Building, named by Lincoln’s Inn, became the name of the chambers and the building it has occupied since 1991.
It said in a statement: "Once discovered, the history of the name did not sit comfortably with our members and staff. On 29 July 2020, in a move consistent with our organisation’s values, our members took the decision to change the name.
"We are now pleased to announce our new name, Gatehouse Chambers, a name signifying strength and trustworthiness, but also access to new adventures and opportunities.
"The change to Gatehouse Chambers will be effective from 19 July 2021."
Amanda Illing, chief executive of Gatehouse Chambers, said: “We are proud to announce our new name and look as we start an exciting new era for our chambers.”
Brie Stevens-Hoare QC, joint head of chambers, added: “The discovery of the provenance of our business’ name did not sit comfortably with our values as an organisation, or the inclusive and diverse nature of our people and our clients.
"We have spent many years building up a reputation for excellence, innovation and diversity. We are proud to move forwards with our new name which accords with who we are as an organisation.”
PJ Kirby QC, joint head of chambers, commented: “It’s not about paying lip service to this issue but truly living out these values and that’s why changing our name was an important decision for us.”
LEAP software keeps law firms working remotely Sponsored post
Ben Aslet, LEAP UK Marketing Manager, explains how law firms using LEAP’s cloud-based practice management solution are successfully adapting to remote working and how it’s as near as can be business as normal for law firms using LEAP. He said LEAP have talked to several law firms using the software to find out how they are managing with life away from the office.
The current health crisis means that more and more legal professionals are working from home. Many are showing resilience and agility in the face of the lockdown and those firms that are equipped and have remote-friendly software are faring much better than those have not.
Mike Leeman, BLJ Solicitors comments “We now have 50 members of staff working seamlessly from home, thanks to LEAP Legal Software UK.”
We have been working hard to support our clients to acclimatise during lockdown and the feedback that we have received has been incredibly encouraging with many very grateful that they made the transition to cloud software when they did so that their business can continue functioning remotely. Eliot Hibbert of Nexa Law adds: “LEAP is helping our lawyers continue to offer a seamless service in what is a challenging and unprecedented environment.”
Our Helpdesk and Client success teams have been touching base with our clients to ensure that they can continue to remain productive during the crisis and in many cases our clients are now beginning to understand the true value of LEAP. Paula Langley, Practice Manager, Bookers & Bolton says:“We love it! We are all happily working from home immediately and by taking our work machines home we have fully functioning desktops immediately.
We are finding that firms are benefitting from LEAP’s existing integrations with leading software providers such as LawConnect, for secure document sharing and collaboration with their client. As Stephanie Richardson, Office Manager, Evolve Family Law Ltd puts it: “We are able to create correspondence with all the enclosures without printing a single piece of paper, building bundles and briefs virtually with a click of a button and sharing securely via LawConnect.”
Many LEAP firms are using RapidPay which lets your clients pay you quickly and conveniently online. Ms. Bushra Ali, Director and Head of Practice of Bushra Ali Solicitors and Immediate Past President of the Leicestershire Law Society says: “We can claim fees from clients much quicker and more efficiently. LEAP made it possible for us to shift all our staff to work from home and to be able to operate the entire firm remotely.”
We also hope that our clients will appreciate our continued development of the software to help law firms to work from home during this difficult time. Since the beginning of lockdown LEAP have launched some additional exciting new features that will benefit law firms when working from home. Via the LEAP Mobile App, iPhone and iPad users can now make FaceTime video and audio calls to clients and other parties, time record these calls and can invite clients to prearranged FaceTime meetings.
LEAP now integrates with Microsoft Teams, meaning law firms can work across multiple locations and staff can share and collaborate on documents and matters, conduct audio or video calls across the team and schedule client call backs directly from LEAP using Microsoft Teams' instant messaging service.
At LEAP we are committed to making our software ever easier to use and more versatile so that our law firms can get on with doing what they do best – practising law. We were one of the first legal software vendors to utilise cloud technology and the fact that our clients are able to function remotely so well is a validation of the work our research and development teams have been undertaking for many years. Stay safe everybody, and keep your clients happy!
Stewart Title Business Continuity Programme Sponsored post
As concern regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, Stewart Title is closely monitoring developments including the recommendations made by healthcare authorities and the UK government, in order to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees while ensuring our continued ability to serve our clients.
We also wanted to assure you that Stewart Title’s Business Continuity Programme was designed to address these types of events and ensure our organisation is prepared to maintain the delivery of products and services with minimal disruption on service levels.
Accordingly, we wanted to inform you that the regular means of accessing our services remain unchanged and that there are tools and policies available that may be of assistance:
Online ordering via Stewart Solution from where you can continue to order cover for over 150 title indemnity risks. Our online ordering site is available at anytime and can be accessed on your tablet or mobile. If you’re currently not a user, but wish to sign up, you can register on the site at stewartsolution.com.
Our Underwriting Team is available for more complex matters or where you need to discuss your transaction. Enquiries can be sent by email to quotes@stewart.com or by phone on 02070107820 or 02070107821. Should you choose to contact us by email, please include your name, contact information, Stewart file number (ST/**********) and a brief description of your enquiry. One of our team members will get back to you in a timely manner.
No Search and Search Validation Policies are available to help your client’s transaction to proceed if you are unable to obtain the results of the normal pre-contract searches from public bodies, as a result of changes to working hours or closures due to COVID-19.
We hope that by providing you with the above information, we have been able to alleviate some of your concerns during this challenging time.
We wish you, your family and your associates continued health and resilience. We will continue to be in touch as the situation develops.
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Call Today on +44 (0) 141 429 3429 to discuss your Project
SOLICITOR
Residential Conveyancing Solicitor
Augustus Cullen Law LLP are currently seeking a Litigation Solicitor with 2 years plus PQE to join their busy Litigation Department based at our Dublin office.
Worthingtons Solicitors intends to appoint an Apprentice Solicitor in conjunction with the apprenticeship programme.
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'The Offences Against the State Act at 80’ will be officially launched at a virtual book event at:
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A new online probate portal, which aims to simplify the application process for people dealing with a person’s estate after their death, has gone live.
Lunchtime Webinars (1:00pm – 2:00pm) weekly throughout June
Lawyers could use “performance-enhancing medication” in the future to maintain parity with machines, according to a new report from the Law Society of England and Wales.
Two law firms have introduced a new fertility benefit to enable employees to receive thousands of pounds in support to become parents.
Ben Aslet, 
As concern regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, Stewart Title is closely monitoring developments including the recommendations made by healthcare authorities and the UK government, in order to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees while ensuring our continued ability to serve our clients.
Technology in the 21st Century is providing us with the means to communicate our thoughts and ideas across the planet in a way that would have been unthinkable, even 10 years ago.
