Guest post: Rolls Royce Service – risk, compliance, and ethics – where were the lawyers?

Readers of Lawyer Watch will be familiar with my posts on the tensions inherent in a lawyers’ duties to their clients and their duties to uphold the rule of law and the proper administration of justice. Continue reading “Guest post: Rolls Royce Service – risk, compliance, and ethics – where were the lawyers?”

Guest post: Bring out the benchmarks – what the numbers reveal about the world’s biggest legal market

It’s review and prediction season in the law firm world, as various commentators and consultants issue their annual thunderclaps. I’ve long admired this work, both for the labour involved and the ability to help set the discussion agenda. Continue reading “Guest post: Bring out the benchmarks – what the numbers reveal about the world’s biggest legal market”

Guest post: Why lawyers aren’t selling what clients are buying

Demand is flat or falling at large law firms, says the newest Wells Fargo survey released earlier this week. Revenue is now being driven solely by hourly rate increases, the last remaining income enhancement button that law firms can press and one they will presumably continue to press until it no longer responds. Continue reading “Guest post: Why lawyers aren’t selling what clients are buying”

Niederer Kraft & Frey: Does transparency make arbitration more efficient?

Daniel Eisele

Partner, Niederer Kraft & Frey

daniel.eisele@nkf.ch

Tamir Livschitz

Partner, Niederer Kraft & Frey

tamir.livschitz@nkf.ch

In recent times, a lot has been said and written in favour of, or against, transparency in international commercial arbitration. The transparency discussion has thus far culminated in the promulgation of the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration and the new policy adopted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration to publish certain information on arbitrators also in commercial arbitration. According to the ICC Court website, the new policy is ‘aimed at enhancing the efficiency and transparency of arbitration proceedings’. Parties can opt out of this limited disclosure and can request the ICC Court publish additional information about their case. The new rules and policies promoting transparency in arbitration seem to be an attempt by the ICC Court and others to address the increased criticism launched against arbitration in recent times as being an inefficient means to resolve disputes.

Continue reading “Niederer Kraft & Frey: Does transparency make arbitration more efficient?”

Guest post: The new justice secretary – does it matter that she’s not a lawyer?

So, as anticipated, our new prime minister has favoured punishing disloyalty over rewarding competence and sent Michael Gove and his ambitious, compassionate prison reforms to the naughty back benches. Yesterday morning (July 14) brought a transfer-deadline-day-style frenzy to Legal Twitter, anticipation and trepidation converging as rumours and supposition threw up name after name as possible new secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor.

Continue reading “Guest post: The new justice secretary – does it matter that she’s not a lawyer?”