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Catherine Burt’s team at Beachcroft, which was recently joined by a further six fee-earners, now operates 11 specialist product lines. New client QBE bolsters the team’s impressive client list, which includes Zurich Insurance plc, Allianz Insurance plc and Northumbrian Water.

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP’s Stockton team only handles motor claims, and remains the principal provider of motor legal services to one of the UK’s largest insurers. In 2010, the six-solicitor, 36-paralegal team handled some 5,000 claims, around 3,000 litigated and the remainder settled. The highly regarded Tony Walton heads the ‘conscientious, reliable and extremely knowledgeable’ team.

Bellway and Hargreaves plc are new additions to Crutes Law Firm’s strong client base, which includes 55 local authority clients. Notable highlights included acting for Brit Insurance in a serious road traffic claim that settled for £3m. Rod Searl heads up the large team, which was boosted by the arrival of Ruth Markham.

The team at Sintons LLP provides a ‘very high level of service’, ‘understands the insurance world’, and ‘negotiates quick and economic settlements’. Jamie McCabe, who specialises in brain and spinal cord injury cases, is regarded as ‘one of the best catastrophic injury lawyers in the country’. The team counts Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) and Tokio Marine/R-Tek as clients.

Eversheds LLP’s Lex Dowie is an expert in insidious disease claims.

The ‘excellent’ Alun Williams leads the four-fee-earner team at Hay & Kilner, which recently defended an insurer in a multiple-collision accident case, and also handled claims relating to asbestos, benzene, and noise and vibration exposure.

The ‘respected’ team at Ward Hadaway acts for 60 NHS organisations and corporate clients on work-related accident claims, and includes newly promoted partner Lisa Evans and Katy Lund. The firm remains on the NHSLA Non-Clinical Negligence Panel.

Helena Motherway provides a ‘first-class service’ at Watson Burton LLP, and handles respiratory disease, vibration white finger and deafness claims.

Jacksons Law’s Jonathan Fletcher represents defendants in occupiers’ liability, employers’ liability and industrial disease matters.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
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  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to