Understand Your Rights. Solve Your Legal Problems
The Information Commissioner’s Office handed the British airline giant its latest fine to date of £20 million. The Information Commissioner’s Office labelled British Airways' failure to protect its staff and customers as “unacceptable”. The amount British Airways are expected to pay in their settlement, however, remains confidential.
In the UK, collective legal action does not happen as frequently as class-action suits occur in the US, however, group actions do happen. Earlier this year, the lead firm in the action Pogust, Goodhead, Mousinho, Bianchini and Martins (PGMBM) said that British Airways compensation claim had become the biggest group-action personal-data claim in UK history. Over 16,000 affected individuals are involved.
On Tuesday, PGMB announced that British Airway’s settlement will include compensation for qualifying claimants. However, as the settlement terms are confidential, it remains ambiguous as to how much British Airways will payout and how many of the 16,000 affected individuals will receive financial compensation.
British Airways has apologised to its customers and has reinforced its position that the company acted quickly as soon as the breach was discovered.
Stearns Law explain the different types of divorce.
Selecting the option that will be the least stressful and provide you with the quickest resolution may be the right decision. As always, though, you will want to consider your needs and goals carefully and consult with a legal professional to ensure you are moving toward a divorce with the best possible outcome. Choosing the best way forward often comes with some additional knowledge, and it is better to have all the facts before making a choice as significant as what type of divorce to file for.
Below, we’ll discuss the four traditional types of divorce, but your options may vary based on where you live and your specific situation; a trusted family law attorney can help you determine the best course of action.
An uncontested divorce can be a fast and simple option if you and your spouse agree on all matters regarding your separation. This type of divorce may be final in as little as 31 days from the initial filing, but you must agree with your spouse on everything to use this kind of divorce, and that includes issues like property division, child support, custody, and financial matters.
A contested divorce is less straightforward, because there is at least one issue on which you and your spouse cannot agree. This type of divorce will take more time to finalise, and the courts may ultimately need to make certain decisions for you. Most commonly, financial issues and issues surrounding children are the areas where divorcing spouses cannot agree.
In a collaborative divorce, both spouses agree that they do not want to go to court. This type of divorce is handled in steps, where financial professionals help with the monetary decisions, therapists make recommendations for the best interests of the children, and so on. Meetings and disclosures are a big part of handling a divorce this way, until final agreement is reached in all areas. Then that agreement is given to the court, where the divorce is processed and finalised.
In a divorce involving arbitration, the spouses agree to let the arbitrator decide areas where they cannot agree. The arbitrator's decision is binding on the parties and will become the final agreement so the divorce can be processed. This can be faster than going to court and may also be less costly. Being able to keep their documents private and out of a court proceeding may also be another benefit to spouses, especially in a high-asset divorce.
Divorces are different because people are different. There are cases where two people simply realise it is not working out and basically agree to divorce with no hard feelings. There are also cases where two people will fight for years over one issue, mostly on principle. Most divorces fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. With different types of divorces available, spouses have the opportunity to choose what is right for their situation.
While the process for each divorce will be different based on state requirements, all divorces should begin with a legal professional who can help. By handling paperwork, preparing spouses for arbitration, finding collaboration professionals, and going to Court when necessary, a legal professional can make the process of divorce less stressful, complex, and confusing for spouses. The divorce process is generally difficult enough, but the right attorney will make it easier to move through it as efficiently as possible.
The Innocence Project is a Pro Bono programme that works to help those who claim to have been wrongly convicted of a crime. I became interested in the Innocence Project even before coming to Cardiff University after I was introduced to the Project during a University open day.
At the time, the Project had successfully overturned the conviction of Dwaine George, and have since overturned the conviction of Gareth Jones, which is an incredible achievement.
My time with the Cardiff University Innocence Project began in my second year of studies when I decided to apply to join the Project as part of my Pro Bono experience. I was thrilled to hear that I had been accepted onto the Project and I soon began working within a fantastic team of students.
Unfortunately, my first year with the Project was cut short due to Covid-19, however, I was determined to take on a more active role in the Project for my final year of University. I applied to become a Team Leader and I was delighted to have been accepted.
My role at the Project is to lead a small team of fellow students to review the safety of our clients’ convictions. Some of our tasks include investigating the case to highlight any discrepancies, researching current case law on any relevant issues and liaising with professionals and experts in the relevant fields.
My role specifically as a Team Leader is to organise team meetings, assign tasks to my team members and review my team’s findings. We review every document provided to us with great attention to detail to find any issues that the defence counsel or the prosecution had missed which can be a long process.
After conducting the investigation, we look for possible points of appeal and seek a first appeal, or if our client has already lost a first appeal, we submit an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Cuts to legal aid funding mean that we have to rely on lawyers to work pro bono to support first applications for leave to appeal. Additionally, due to the restrictive nature of the appeals system, it is not always possible for our clients to appeal their conviction.
In fact, the biggest challenge faced by the Innocence Project is the Criminal Justice and appeals system. Before joining the Project, I was not aware of how many of our clients have been convicted on what would be considered as weak evidence, whether that be due to inadequate defence or a lack of understanding of the Criminal Justice system.
Convictions based on weak evidence make cases difficult to appeal due to the rigidity of the appeals system. There are strict restrictions on admitting fresh evidence and appealing based on inadequate defence, which means that many are left without any option but to serve a sentence for a crime that they claim to have been wrongly convicted of.
This is incredibly frustrating for the organisation and our clients as we identify many issues with our clients’ convictions, yet we are often unable to appeal
Future reforms should address the level of evidence that is required before someone is convicted, and should allow people who claim to have been wrongly convicted of a crime to have a fair chance at appealing their conviction, otherwise there is a risk that wrongful convictions will go uncorrected.
Being a part of the Innocence Project is challenging when having to deal with the current system, however, it is so rewarding knowing that your work is appreciated by your clients and you are helping to make a difference. My advice for anyone wanting to work within an Innocence Project is to do it!
"It is a fantastic opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Criminal Justice System and its flaws.”
I have fortunately obtained an offer to study the Legal Practice Course LLM for the next academic year at Cardiff University, and I intend to remain working with the Project and continue the work that we do.
Working on the Innocence Project would not be possible without the work of my team this year, for which I am grateful. However, the Project would not be possible without the remarkable leadership of Dr Dennis Eady and Dr Holly Greenwood.
This article was originally published on our Jobs partner website: simplylawjobs.co.uk
9:00am: I make a cup of tea and log on to my laptop. I have been working from home for the duration of the pandemic and am completing my international secondment remotely due to travel restrictions. I take a look over my to-do list for the day and review the emails I have received so far this morning.
The Brussels team operates on Central European Time and many of my colleagues have already been working for an hour. I familiarise myself with the day’s most important legal and political news stories, looking at both UK and EU news sources. I remind myself of any important meetings or votes taking place today in the UK Parliament or the EU institutions.
9:30am: I attend the Brussels Office’s daily team morning coffee meeting with the Office’s policy advisers and the other trainees currently on secondment. The meeting offers a chance to start each day with a friendly (virtual) face-to-face catch up with my colleagues. We each explain what we will be working on for the day ahead.
We discuss current affairs in the EU and the UK, identifying new and ongoing areas of interest for the Office’s legal policy work. The policy advisers distribute any new work between the trainees.
10:00am: I begin preparations for the Office’s weekly Brussels Agenda meeting. The Brussels Agenda is the Office’s monthly newsletter and trainees take turns to act as editor-in-chief. This month I am editing the Brussels Agenda.
I review the template I have set up to track progress on various articles and features for the newsletter. I email a number of external contributors to thank them for sending me articles on EU legal and policy topics. I upload to the Brussels Office website an article I had drafted the previous week on the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU’s policy response.
I promote the article on the Office’s Twitter and LinkedIn feeds.
10:30am: As editor-in-chief, I am responsible for leading the Brussels Agenda meeting. I run the team through the status of the various articles and ask one of my fellow trainees to contribute a summary of a recent EU policy development.
The team brainstorms ideas for the next Brussels Agenda edition’s theme, considering topics such as private international law, criminal justice cooperation and technology and digital law and policy.
The policy advisers suggest EU politicians, academics and lawyers who the trainees can contact to request articles.
11:15am: I put together the ‘Forward Look’. The Forward Look is a document that summarises the key meetings and events taking place in the EU institutions and European think tanks in the following week.
I attach the upcoming meeting agendas of any relevant European parliamentary committees. I circulate the Forward Look to the Brussels Office team with a brief email highlighting which events are most likely to be relevant for the Office’s policy dossiers.
12:00pm: I attend a meeting for the Management Committee of Burges Salmon’s LGBT+ employee network, BProud. The Committee discusses progress on numerous initiatives and events designed to promote LGBT+ inclusivity at the firm.
After the meeting, I write a list of action points for myself and email internal contacts at Burges Salmon to take forward BProud’s projects. I read an informative article on LGBT+ rights that one of the network members has shared on the BProud WhatsApp group.
1:00pm: I stop work for lunch. Bristol is renowned for its excellent food scene, and I pick up lunch from one of the city’s many street food vendors. I stretch my legs and take a break from screens by going for a walk around Bristol’s famous Floating Harbour.
2:00pm: I attend a meeting of the Law Society of England and Wales’ Private International Law working group. The group discusses the current state of play in the field of private international law and the UK’s strategic priorities for the future. I take minutes highlighting the action points and key issues, and circulate my notes to the Brussels Office team after the meeting.
3:00pm: I draft several new entries for the Brussels Office’s monthly case law digest. I research recent cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union and pick out those most relevant to the Brussels Office’s policy dossiers.
I write up brief case reports for each of them, summarising the material facts and legal findings. I send the case law digest to the Brussels Office team for checking and approval before uploading it to the Office website.
4:00pm: I put together a ‘Daily Monitoring’ email, which the Brussels Office trainees take turns to complete. The task involves reviewing UK and EU news sources as well as the websites of Council of the European Union, the European Commission and European Parliament. I pull together links to the most relevant breaking news stories and circulate them to the Brussels Office team.
4:30pm: I attend a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. The Members of the European Parliament are discussing a range of legal issues relating to the UK’s departure from the European Union.
I take minutes and circulate them to the Brussels Office team alongside a note summarising the positions taken by the different political groups within the European Parliament.
5:30pm: I have a final check of my emails to ensure that I have responded to all of them as appropriate. I draw up a to-do list for the following day, encompassing the various action points arising from my meetings over the course of the day.
I save any remaining documents, shut down my laptop and head out to meet a group of Burges Salmon trainees in the beer garden of one of Bristol’s many excellent pubs.
This article was originally published on our Jobs partner website: simplylawjobs.co.uk
For a comprehensive list of the damages to which you’re entitled, contact a personal injury lawyer in your area to discuss your claim.
Personal injury attorneys fall into two categories: economic and noneconomic. In addition, there is a third type of damages, punitive damages, although they’re much less common.
Economic or monetary damages cover anything that you can attach a price tag to. These include but are not limited to doctor bills, hospital bills, the cost of medication, fees for physical therapy, the extra care that you require, increased cost of transportation if you can’t drive, property damage, and lost wages. If you’ve been in an accident, you deserve to be made whole. Replacing money you’ve spent on these costs is the beginning of that process.
If you ask nearly anyone who has been in an accident if they would be satisfied with just having their costs covered, the answer would be a resounding “no.” That’s because the physical pain, emotional anguish, and inconvenience of an accident far outweigh the monetary costs. This is particularly true when the accident causes permanent injury or death. For these intangible costs, personal injury attorneys use the term “pain and suffering.” This is not to be confused with things like mental health counselling fees, which are still monetary in nature. Instead, this is a premium added to your settlement for your pain, inconvenience, and grief.
Not all states allow punitive damages in a personal injury lawsuit and many of those that do set the bar substantially high. Punitive damages are meant to penalise the defendant for egregious behaviour that led to the accident.
The following questions and answers come from personal injury law firms that handle accident claims. They are not, however, to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice concerning your accidental injury, contact a personal injury lawyer who handles accident claims in your area.
Unfortunately, there’s no one answer for this commonly-asked question. The damage caps depend on the laws of the state where you file your claim and often on the type of claim. For instance, some states have tighter caps for medical malpractice than on other types of claims.
Again, like damage caps, the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits varies from state to state. Typically, the statute of limitations begins on the date of the accident. For wrongful death suits, the count starts on the date of death. With medical malpractice cases, it begins on the date of discovery of the condition caused by the alleged malpractice. Contact an attorney in your area to discuss the statute of limitations for your case.
Attorneys who represent accident victims tend to work on a contingency basis. Most accident victims are struggling with an enormous amount of expenses after their accidents, so it makes little sense for attorneys to try to charge out-of-pocket fees. Most personal injury lawyers collect their fees when the case settles or is successfully litigated. In other words, they only receive payment if they win.
First and foremost, you should get to a place of safety and seek medical attention. You can document the scene of your accident by taking pictures or videos. Retain the names and contact info of witnesses. Finally, you should contact a personal injury lawyer. Do not accept an insurance settlement or make a statement to an adjuster before speaking to a qualified personal injury lawyer about your claim.
MSG Networks Inc. shareholders are now able to proceed with a vote on the proposed merger with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp after an investor request to delay attempts by CEO James Dolan was rejected. James Dolan of Madison Square Garden Entertainment wanted to delay attempts to consolidate his family’s interests in the companies. The vote will now proceed next week after Judge McCormick rules that MSG’s board took the necessary steps to protect shareholders as part of the deal.
However, minority shareholders claim that they aren’t getting enough for MSG shares. They have argued that the merger with Madison Square Garden Entertainment is an insider transaction by Mr Dolan and the result of domination by the Dolan Family Group.
MSG stated that Delaware’s corporate-takeover statute does not apply to the merger challenged in this litigation. In a court filing, the company insisted that the merger did not involve hostile takeover tactics by the acquirer.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is critical for any business, and law firms are no exception. CRM has a simple goal—improve your business relationships and, in doing so, help your business grow. For most companies, managing relationships with customers means everything, from marketing, to sales, and customer service. Similarly, legal services have to find new clients and keep them happy, all while making sure revenue is coming in as expected. In this article, you’ll find some valuable insights into how legal CRM can help your firm strengthen client relations.
One bad interaction can make a big difference when it comes to a customer or client’s impression of a company. In fact, a 2018 report from Price Waterhouse Cooper found that around one in three customers say they’ll turn their backs on a brand they love after only one negative experience. For lawyers who often see clients in high-stress situations, this is incredibly important to keep in mind.
Usually, CRM means a software platform. The goal is to take business functions and put them all in a place that’s easy to find and deal with. For law firms using legal CRM, that means doing what it takes to turn a potential client into a retained one. You should be able to find software that will help you deal with business development, whether that’s managing client intake, scheduling follow-up appointments, or tracking revenue.
That said, here are four ways how law firms are using CRMs to improve their client relations:
This one is pretty obvious, but it’s critically important: lawyers earn money by practicing law. At the same time, they need to find clients and manage their firm’s operations. For small firms and especially solo practitioners, cutting down the amount of time spent on business development, administrative work—anything that isn’t practicing law—all helps lead to higher earnings.
This is a problem for a lot of small firms. A Thomson Reuters report on the state of small law firms in 2020 found that 26% of respondents rated acquiring new business as a significant challenge. In addition, 17% of those surveyed said that spending too much time on administration (and not enough time practicing law) was a challenge as well.
There are multiple solutions to these challenges. You could try using law practice management software (LPMS), which focuses on increasing your productivity with the current client load you have. A legal CRM program, on the other hand, will help you manage client intake, among other things.
If you run a small law firm, you’re not only a lawyer—you’re a small business owner and a manager too. As previously mentioned, juggling all other responsibilities cuts down on the time you have to practice law, and it can impact your bottom line. While this has been a consistent problem, the Thomson Reuters reports have found that few firms have made the changes necessary to address these issues.
If you’re running a small firm and you are willing to make the changes you need—adopting the right legal CRM could be a part of that—you can experience the so-called “first mover” advantage. Essentially, if you’re willing and able to increase your efficiency while others fail to do so, you benefit more.
Remember though, the first mover advantage depends on forces that are beyond your control. The pace at which the market evolves and the pace at which tecahnology is evolving have a major impact. Still, while there’s an advantage to be had, you should take advantage of it. You can build a foundation that will see you through the kinds of changes that no one can see coming.
No one had “prepare for a global pandemic” on their firm’s to-do list in 2019. (Maybe some did, but it was likely lower down on the list than it should have been.) Still, the pandemic has only accelerated many changes that were already afoot. For example, technological advances and shifts in the market for legal services have been coming for years. The right legal CRM can help you stay nimble, giving you time to prepare for other threats or challenges that may emerge in the future.
In a world that’s changing so quickly—just remember back to the summer of 2020 and how fluid new things were around COVID-19 safety and small business relief—it pays to be able to respond with up-to-date advice for your clients. Legal CRM can give you data on your clients that will allow you to stay better informed about the kind of information your clients need.
One of the benefits of CRM is obvious: it helps you find more clients and helps you stay on top of the logistics of responding to them as needed. There’s another benefit to using it too—namely, the data you can collect. CRM software can track all kinds of information about your clients. That data can be described as such:
Final thoughts
If you’re considering which legal CRM can do for your law practice, move sooner rather than later can make a huge difference. As laid out in this article, there’s a lot of potential for efficiency in streamlining the business development aspects of your practice. If you take advantage of that now while others do not, you can build a foundation that could serve you well going into the future.
A complaint has been issued against Broadcom by the FTC, accusing the company of illegally monopolising markets for semiconductor components used to deliver broadband internet services and television. The FTC has also issued a proposed content order that would settle the charges. The consent order states that Broadcom can no longer exclusively require its customers to source components from Broadcom.
The FTC’s complaint claims that Broadcom is a monopolist in the sale of three different semiconductor components types. Broadcom is also one of the few major suppliers of five related chip types, which include the core circuitry for streaming capable broadband devices, as well as Wi-Fi chips and “front-end” chips for both set-top devices and broadband devices.
Broadcom’s customers are original equipment manufacturers who use Broadcom’s components to build the aforementioned devices. The FTC’s complaint claims that Broadcom illegally upheld its influence in the three monopolised markets by entering into agreements with service providers and OEMs that stopped customers from purchasing components from Broadcom’s competitors. Under these agreements, customers were exclusively required to purchase and use Broadcom’s chips.
The FTC claims that the company entered into such exclusivity agreements with at least ten OEMs and that Broadcom made similar agreements with major US service providers. Broadcom is accused of creating overwhelming barriers for its competitors.
Air Astana filed a lawsuit against Embraer over issues relating to its E190-E2 model and is seeking damages after it had to ground its E190-E2s due to technical issues. Air Astana claims that Embraer was not entirely open regarding the aircraft and its related issues.
Amongst its allegations against Embraer, Air Astana has claimed that the company poorly designed and integrated key systems and components on the aircraft, making it excessively susceptible to inflight failures. Air Astana also claims that Embraer failed to understand the interoperation of key aircraft systems, was unable to document necessary remediation steps when flight crews encountered inflight system failures, and failed to disclose critical differences between old and new aircraft versions.
However, Embraer has insisted that it is not to blame for the technical issues Air Astana has faced. Embraer’s E190-E2 is its latest generation of world-famous E-jets.
However, the stars did not seem to align in your favour, and it seems that you have lost your case. Read on to find out what you can do if this happens to you.
You need to see to your injuries immediately after the accident and start treatment to recover your health. You might have spoken with your doctors and told them about your intention to file a claim. However, when you asked them to allow you to delay payment until after you have received your settlement, you had to sign an agreement in which you acknowledged the debt and agreed to pay it regardless of the outcome of your case.
After you have been told that the verdict went against you, your attorney may request a new trial. Or perhaps you can reach a settlement that will pay for all or a portion of your medical bills, but this may be quite unlikely.
Through a new trial, your attorney might have an opportunity to point out errors in the evidence that was presented or in a ruling made by the judge, with the hope that this time the decision will be in your favour. Should the new trial be denied, your attorney can appeal this decision.
After losing your case, you may still file a claim with your car insurance if the accident took place while you were in the car. This may help pay your bills to the limits established by the policy. It may also be possible to file a claim with your health insurance.
In cases where there is no insurance, your other option may be to use a credit card or pay in cash. Talk to your healthcare providers and ask them to allow you to create a payment plan if you cannot take care of your bills in one payment. Explain your situation and ask if there are any discounts available.
You may find that there are truly no viable options available to you to pay your bills. If that is your case, you may have no other option but to file for bankruptcy. Depending on the assets you have, you may decide on a Chapter 7 filing. This allows you to liquidate any assets you have and use the funds obtained to pay your creditors and discharge any remaining balance.
If you do not qualify for a Chapter 7 filing, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing will allow for the reorganisation of your debt and the possibility of paying off your debt over a period of either 3 to 5 years. During this time, you can support yourself and get back on track. If you still owe any money for medical bills after this period, the debts might be discharged if there is any remaining balance.
If you are reading this to gather information prior to filing, you should also consider pre-settlement funding. This option provides you with funds to cover your ongoing expenses, and you are not obligated to pay it back if you lose your case. This is because you are not getting a loan from a bank that requires collateral and must be repaid according to specified terms. Pre-settlement funding companies actually purchase a portion of your expected settlement or monies awarded by the court. As such, there is nothing to pay back should you not end up winning your case. Remember that once you file your claim, it can take months or even years to resolve.
