LEGAL NEWSTHE MAGAZINE OF THE CONFEDERATION OF THE SOUTH WALES LAW SOCIETIES

APRIL 2011

CARDIFF & DISTRICT LAW SOCIETY

125th ANNIVERSARY DINNERBooking Form on page 6

2 FEBRUARY 2011 WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG LEGAL NEWS

LEGAL NEWS WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG APRIL 2011 3

04 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Simon Mumford

06 125TH ANNIVERSARY & AWARDS DINNER

Reserve your seats today!

08 CARDIFF & DISTRICT

President’s Letter

09 UPDATES

.

10 FEATURE

Chancery Lane News - David Dixon

.

14 LIFESTYLE

Restaurant Review and Match Report

15 PREMIER LEGAL RECRUITMENT

Current Vacancies

CONTENTS Editorial BoardRichard Fisher - EditorMichael Walters - SecretaryGaynor DaviesDavid DixonSimon Mumford

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The articles published in Legal News represent the views of the contributor and are not necessarily the official views of the Confederation of South Wales Law Societies, Cardiff & District Law Society, or of the Editorial Board. The magazine or members of the Editorial Board are in no way liable for such opinions. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the contents of this issue are accurate, we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or late changes. No article, advertisement or graphic, in whole or in print, may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers.

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And whilst it does matter that thousands of this country’s vulnerable are going to struggle to find proper representation due to the swathing cuts being dealt to the British Justice system, it doesn’t matter as much as seeing the horror of the human suffering being doled out by Mother Nature in the Pacific.

And of course the knock on effect is Tsunami like itself. Share prices imploding again, meaning pensions being diminished. Technological shortages, meaning a probable dearth of microchips (around which modern, and modem, life revolve) -what, I ask, about the i-pod I was going to buy? I probably would do with it as I normally do – i.e. try to read the instructions manual that requires a degree in quantum physics to decipher, then consign it to the draw marked “Gadgets I can’t understand” along with the dozen or so “must haves” ranging from tricky mobiles to the gizmo my sons gave me for my birthday whose purpose I don’t even begin to comprehend! No

loss there then. And most frightening of all, the fear of nuclear meltdown.

With the atomic power debate having gone a shade quiet of late, the nightmare of Japan has brought it all back into focus. Our growing world population needs electricity to function. Burning fossil fuels are bad for the planet and its atmosphere, and they are running out. Wind and wave power are not yet up to speed. So “safe, clean” nuclear is the way forward. Except when a Five Mile Island, a Chernobyl or a Fukushima occur. And in this case it is because an earthquake and Tsunami showed just how fragile are the works of men. What did Billy Connelly say in his famous airliner loo sketch “the Jobble Wheeker”, “If it’s made by a human being it can and will wrong and might wheek YOU away!”

And yet amongst all this carnage and despair I found myself marvelling at the resilience of the human being in both a good and a bad way.

First the good, as I read in the papers about the self-sacrifice of those remarkable Japanese technicians, who, despite knowing they were almost certainly sentencing themselves to at least serious ill-health, stayed at their posts to stem the meltdown -surely the very best of mankind’s quality.

And then the very bad, whilst flying back from a ten day stint in Germany with the army, listening to a truly awful American lawyer, claiming that he was going to make a killing on claims he would make for those (as yet unknown and unsigned-up) self same heroes or their families.

I am glad to report that, as he was making these plans on his mobile, a trolley dolly about a quarter of his size, confiscated the phone, and told him he would be reported for an airborne offence! Hope it was a whacking great fine. No wonder lawyers (or at least lawyers like him) are so displeased. Not so much ambulance as coffin chasing!

And it is no good us sitting in our comfy little island and saying “it can’t happen to us”! Apparently, the ultra active fault in the Atlantic around the Canary Islands is due a good blow any second, and the resulting wave could well decimate the Eastern seaboard of the US and the west coat of the UK and Ireland! Just hope my elevation and sturdy hedges are barrier enough, or the asparagus trenches are going to be a mite too soggy to produce anything come May.

Sorry if this has shades of Private Fraser in Dad’s Army with me telling you “Were all DOOOOOMEDDD!, but it is all a bit frightening. Barry Mags Court closing put into a little bit of context, even though it is a stupid move!

One of the pitfalls of working abroad is the time you have; whilst full-time soldier colleagues have family, friends and social/sporting distraction, we part-timers, being put in post for a short spell, find ourselves sitting in the mess in some German/Cypriot/Falklands (or, if very unlucky, a sandy place) watching local telly (cuts mean Sky has been binned) or going for walks and looking at shops with products that are totally alien to us, resulting in horror buys - in my case, a tin of foul Bavarian biscuits and a large German cured sausage, both of which were whisked away from me on my return to Birmingham airport by a Neanderthal Customs bloke, for some unfathomable reason. Bet he nicked them. I hope they were horrid!

Anyway, I spent several tedious nights reading the plethora of British newspapers that were available in the deserted accommodation block I was staying in. At least they were recent. And highly illuminating - the Police planning a protest march to object to the cuts (who is going to “kettle” them then? Who guards the guards?), the Probation Service being outed for their ludicrous “Central Contracting System”, designed to save oodles, but in actual fact resulting in electricians (plural) driving 120 miles to change a light bulb, and a plumber driving 220 miles to unblock a lavatory! And spending £2.45 for a certain orange juice that costs 80p in Asda’s.

Also an article in an army publication that tells of the announcement that several police forces/local authorities are going to turn their speed cameras back on. But, craftily, they actually won’t, cos the film is too expensive. My own view is that they don’t have to, since we all know where they are and most of us slow down anyway, in a Pavlov’s Dog type

PRESIDENT’S REPORT - SPRINg 2011It’s been a heck of a few months since I last put pen to paper (or digit to keyboard) at Christmas. And when you see the scale of the appalling tragedies in Queensland, New Zealand and more recently the apocalypse that has smashed Japan, you begin to realise that the usual whines and whinges that emanate from your humble correspondent regarding the legal profession’s seemingly inexorable decline into the black hole, are really rather insignificant.

4 FEBRUARY 2011 WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG LEGAL NEWS

impulse – “Jobs a good’un” as my Sergeant Major always says.

And, of course there is a Royal Wedding. A whole rainforest’s worth of paper, telling me all the vital info on dresses, cars, carriages, the horses’ names, what Camilla and Mrs Middleton will wear, where Harry is taking Wills on his stag do (a lap dancing joint in Soho apparently) Even the colour of the napkins at the reception.

The world is going wild in a frenzy of anticipation. Even the Germans are holding street parties. I myself am going to do what I did the last time this happened. Hide.

Of course the serious side is that this bean feast is going to mean we all have about three weeks off, with Easter and Bank Holidays etc. What is the cost of that to the British economy, pray?

And has the peaceful TUC protect march just passed not proven that the anarchists and trouble makers (NOT students and workers) will use this as an excuse to cause mayhem on a grand scale. There were 200 plus arrests at the TUC bash - think of the cost for those prosecutions, not the mention the damage to property.

Finally I read in a German paper, that the EU are going to spend millions of British tax payers’ money on propaganda to persuade the British taxpayer NOT to vote to leave the EU. You honestly couldn’t put it in a novel could you?

On the Confederation front we will soon be advertising the coming years CPD courses and the social events. Hopefully some cricket matches too.

There we are then. At least the weather is quite nice. Enjoy it whilst it lasts, and rejoice in the mad world we inhabit.

Until the next time.

Grumpy Old Mumf

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INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY FOR CARDIFF AND DISTRICT

125th ANNIVERSARY and AWARDS DINNER

CITY HALL, CARDIFF • FRIDAY, 13TH MAY 2011SUPPORT YOUR SOCIETY AND YOUR PRESIDENT

PETER DAVIESGuest Speaker: The Honourable Mr Justice Griffith Williams

followed by Laughter, Music and Dancing with OWEN MONEY

and The Soulsharks

7.00pm for 7.30pmBlack Tie • Tickets £50 per person

Tickets available from: Richard Fisher, Charles Crookes, 51 The Parade, Cardiff, DX 33025 Cardiff.

Telephone (029) 2049 1271 Email: rfisher@ccj-law.co.uk

Sponsored by: Aon, Trimega Laboratories Limited, Wesleyan for Lawyers, Lloyds TSB Bank, Phoenix Legal Services and 7Side

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As I pen my penultimate column as your President, news has just reached me from the Law Society that the

‘gender gap’ within the profession is closing. It is claimed that the proportion of practising women solicitors in the profession now stands at nearly 46% and that women account for nearly 60% of new admissions. It is also stated that the number of women holding practising certificates has risen by nearly 80% since 2000.

All well and good you may say, but sadly the increasing number of women entrants into the profession are still coming up against glass ceilings at some point in their career. Forty years on from the introduction of the Equal Pay Act, the evidence suggests that male trainees are on average offered starting salaries of 5.7% above the corresponding level for women and that the proportion of women who will reach partner level in private practice is half that of men.

Whereas a large number of women solicitors do take some time out to start a family, I for one am not convinced that increased access and passage of time will bridge this diversity gap. I am not for mandatory quotas (even for large practices) but I do wonder what women have to do to reach and remain at the top of many of our law firms.

The lack of progress by women in our profession prompts me to express (yet again) my concern about the disproportionately small number of solicitors who made Silk in the recent batch of appointments. Out of 120 appointments, only 2 were solicitors. I

am told that there are 5,500 solicitors who hold rights of audience in the higher courts. The new arrangements for appointing Silks have been in place since 2005. Whereas the old system was seen as being unfair to some well qualified applicants (especially solicitors) I am beginning to have my doubts about the new system. Why not dispel my scepticism? Applications for the 2012 appointments close on 20 April 2011 so why not put your skills to the test?

Whilst on the theme of appointments, I notice that the Judicial Appointments Commission is currently running a Crime and Family Recorder competition. Sadly, by the time you read this, the closing date (31 March 2011) will have passed. However, for those of you who are fed up of private practice, the JAC are about to announce competitions for full-time District Judges in the Civil Courts and for salaried Judges in the Tribunal Courts. With annual salaries in excess of £100,000, a hefty contribution towards your pension pot and oodles of holidays, I would not blame any of you for giving up the ghost of private practice.

CRIME DOES PAYIf you practice in the Criminal Courts, all is not lost it seems. Despite public sector cutbacks, I was delighted to read that the Vale of Glamorgan Council has just served Judicial Review proceedings on the MOJ to prevent the closure of Barry Magistrates Court. The Conservative Leader, Gordon Kemp, solicitor, has decided to lead from the front, notwithstanding his Party’s decision in Government to close 93 Magistrates and 49 County Courts throughout England and Wales.

I hope that the Vale’s pockets and their steely determination will stand

up to the might of Ken Clarke and his Minister, Jonathan Djanogly. If the MOJ are forced into a climb down (although it seems unlikely as their spokesman has indicated that the application will be fought all the way) or better still the Vale achieve victory in the Administrative Court, that will be a first, of which I and many of you will be proud.

COURTROOM TVTalking of firsts, you will no doubt have read that the Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger, has come out in favour of allowing television cameras into our courts. Neuberger’s enlightened approach follows on from similar views expressed by Lord Phillips, the Senior Judge in the Supreme Court. With both senior Judges singing from the same hymn sheet, hopefully it will not be too long before we can tune into televised cases in the Higher Courts. I am sure that our staple diet will not match the excitement that was created when O J Simpson went on trial before TV cameras in the 1990’s, However, even crusty Chancery cases may be better viewing than tuning into questions to the First Minister at the Senedd or proceedings at Hollyrood. For those of us who suffer from insomnia, even old episodes of Judge John Deed and Kavanagh QC can be mildly entertaining and you never know whether real courtroom drama may assist in the development of the careers of budding advocates.

If you have read any of my previous columns, you will (hopefully) have noticed that one of my pet topics during my year in office has been the reform of the professional indemnity market. I was pleased to note that the SRA are now giving active consideration to the Law Society’s

proposals for an alternative to the assigned risks pool. Whether they will implement the promised changes before this year’s renewal, remains to be seen. Hopefully with the support of the Association of British Insurers, they will, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Wheels turn slowly at the SRA and I doubt that they will have the stomach or, for that matter, the resources to introduce whole scale changes in the PI market and the regulation of ABS’s at the same time in October 2011.

LEGAL AIDThe Legal Services Commission has just announced that it is unwilling to agree a structured compensation package for those firms that incurred losses in the 2010 Family Law Tender. I cannot see any justification for their defence of such claims.

However, it seems that the profession’s campaign against the feared cutbacks in the Legal Aid budget is beginning to cause some people to sit up and listen. The Government, it seems have conceded that their initial impact assessment had wholly underestimated the number of people who would be denied access to Civil Legal Aid if the cutbacks that were proposed are introduced. Justice Minister Djanogly, has not fallen on his sword as yet but the signs so far do give rise to some hope that the cuts may not be as harsh as first envisaged.

AND FINALLY...I hope that as many of you as can will support the Society by turning out at this year’s 125th Anniversary Dinner at the City Hall on 13 May 2011. As always, it will be a splendid occasion and once I deliver my President’s message, I hope it will be a memorable occasion for me as well! n

CARDIFF ANDDISTRICT

PRESIDENT’S LETTER:WHERE HAVE ALL THE WOMEN GONE?

PETER DAVIES, PRESIDENT • PETER@jPETERDAVIES.co.uk

8 FEBRUARY 2011 WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG LEGAL NEWS

LEGAL NEWS WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG APRIL 2011 9

UPDATE

JLD UPDATE

It is a busy time for the South Wales Junior Lawyers Division, with an exciting array of upcoming events to look forward to. Our annual quiz was a roaring success and we are now looking forward to the Careers event that will be hosted on 30th March 2011 at Tiger Tiger at 6pm. This event is sponsored by legal recruiter consultancy firm Chadwick Nott and offers a superb opportunity to all of our members looking for careers advice, especially those in pursuit of elusive training contracts within Wales. Make sure to look out for the advert in this edition for Young Lawyer of the Year which presents either a fantastic personal opportunity or way to recognise the achievements

of others. In May we are hoping once again to run the District Judge Shadowing Scheme which allows our members a chance to shadow a district judge for a day in what is an insightful and fulfilling experience. We will be sending an email flyer to all of our members in due course. Lastly our SWJLD Ball is set for 25th June 2011 at the St Davids Spa and Hotel. This is an uproarious occasion, simply not to be missed. Further details will once again follow via email to all of our members. For those wishing to join the SWJLD, membership is free. Head over to www.swjld.com and sign up online now. n

Correct Email Address for Skeleton ArgumentsThe Cardiff Civil Justice Centre advises that the e-mail address previously provided by the Court (and referred to in my article in the last edition of Legal News) for the filing of Skeleton Arguments is incorrect.

Please note that Skeleton Arguments relating to matters being heard in the Cardiff Civil Justice Centre should be sent to the Court via e-mail at: cardiffcjcskeletons@

hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

This e-mail address is only for Skeleton Arguments. Any other document received at the said e-mail address will not be actioned and may be returned. n

Tom DanterCardiff & District Law Society

Civil Court Users Sub-Committee

COURT USERS COMMITTEE

125Th AnnIvERSARy AnD AwARDS DInnERI recently found in our offices a bundle of the Annual Reports of the Council of Cardiff & District Law Society and I was able to glean from them a little history of the Annual Dinner.

The first mention I was able to find was in the report for the year ending 31st December 1951 which was reported to be the second post-war dinner and I am pleased to note that “the proceedings were enlivened by the speeches”! The next year it was reported that the Dinner was held in the Park Hotel and was attended by more than 200 members and guests.

It was held at the Park Hotel until 1962 when, because the demand for tickets had been steadily increasing, it was decided that year to hold the function at the City Hall, which has since then been the home of our Annual Dinner (except for a couple of years when we had to

retreat to the Park Hotel because of the G20 Summit invasion of City Hall). In 1961 it was reported that 410 members and guests were present and in 1964 a record number of 542 people attended.

It would be nice if, in our 125th Anniversary Year, we could beat that record! Application Form on Page 7 so apply now!!

Richard Fisher

AgM nOTICE

The Incorporated Law Society for Cardiff & District Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of this Society will be held at the Park House Club, 20 Park Place, Cardiff on Thursday 26th May 2011 commencing at 6pm.

The business to be transacted will include presentation of accounts for 2010, appointment of officers and

Council members and approval of special resolutions and reports.

Further details and a full agenda can be obtained from the undersigned to whom nominations should be sent by the 30th April 2011.

Michael Walters, Administrator

34 Ty Fry Gardens, Cardiff, CF3 3NQ

DX 33029 Cardiff 1.

isclaimer: I’ll begin by stating that the opinions in this article are my own and not those of my employer, Cardiff Law School.

The law school does not favour any form of legal adviser – it educates prospective solicitors, barristers, FILEX, licensed conveyancers and paralegals. Similarly, it doesn’t prefer one regulator of legal services to another. I, on the other hand am a solicitor. I support solicitors and want them to flourish and dominate the legal services sector. As a member of the governing council of the Law Society, a body which the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA 2007) designated an approved regulator, I wish the SRA to be the best regulator of legal service providers. I issue this disclaimer because this article is about regulation and identity.

Should SRA regulate ABS?By the time you read this the council will have decided whether to apply to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to become a licensing authority for alternative business structures (ABS). This is the main business of the March meeting. Such an application is really

an approval of the SRA’s proposals to regulate ABS. Once any application has been approved by the LSB, the SRA will be able to change its arrangements without recourse to council since the Law Society is prohibited from interfering with the SRA’s exercise of its regulatory functions. However, the council can prevent the SRA from obtaining these powers.

This is, therefore, an important decision, the most important that council has had to make in my 5 years as a member. If the Law Society (and the LSB) approve the proposal but the SRA’s arrangements turn out to be inadequate, the Law Society, as approved regulator, will suffer damage to its reputation, could face enforcement action from the LSB and may be at financial risk (of a fine or having to make up any deficit in the Compensation Fund, for example). The LSB will blame the Law Society for having approved the defective arrangements.

On the other hand, if the Law Society does not approve the licensing application in the March

meeting, the SRA will be unable to regulate ABS from the start date of 6 October. In that case if the LSB decides that the ABS regime must, nevertheless, begin on 6 October and considers that there will be no competent regulator for ABS, it may exercise its powers under LSA 2007 s 73(1) to license ABS. In other words, the LSB could become a direct regulator as well as an oversight regulator. Many people, including the chairman of the SRA, regard this as undesirable. The LSB could make different provision for ABS than the SRA makes for solicitors – this is the level playing field argument. Although the Law Society would not suffer reputational damage if the LSB proved to be an inadequate regulator, the LSB would almost certainly blame the Law Society because its late refusal of the SRA’s application to licence ABS would have caused the LSB to draft its ABS rules in a rush. Furthermore, the LSB would look to the approved regulators (who pay for it) to pay any compensation or damages it becomes liable to pay any third party as a result of its inadequate

CHANCERY LANE NEWSDAVID DIXoN

FEATURE

D

LEGAL NEWS WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG APRIL 2011 11

FEATURE

regulation of ABS. The Law Society pays some 80% of the LSB’s upkeep so one would expect it to be required to pay 80% of the compensation. Thus the Law Society cannot win either way.

Council raised a number of concerns about the licensing application to the SRA’s chairman and chief executive during its February meeting. The SRA said they would consider these issues and they have now signed off their application. I understand that progress has been made on some issues but not on others. Since I have not seen the final application, I cannot be more precise.

I expect council to approve the application, the LSB to approve it too and the timetable for ABS will remain unchanged. But it is not that simple. Some sole practitioners are petitioning for a SGM of the Law Society at which they intend to condemn ABS and all those who have acquiesced in their implementation. They also seek a postal vote of all solicitors in an attempt to wreck the SRA’s

application. Since only 100 signatures are needed to requisition the SGM this tactic might succeed. I hope not. I don’t like ABS but Parliament voted for these provisions and both this government and the last one planned for 6 October 2011 to be the launch date for ABS. All the postal ballot will achieve is a waste a lot of the Society’s money for no purpose.

Identity crisisUntil the passage of LSA 2007 it was clear what solicitors were and who regulated them. I am on the Roll but I don’t have a practising certificate. That makes me a solicitor (non-practising). I am regulated by the SRA just as practising solicitors are. The SRA regulates individual solicitors.

LSA 2007 added the complication of entity-based regulation to the mix. Although it is clear that the entities currently regulated by the SRA are solicitors’ businesses (sole practitioners, firms, LLPs, - and even LDPs are substantially owned by solicitors), this will change with ABS.

Will solicitors who work for ABS still be regarded as solicitors? This question is relevant because the SRA wishes to regulate ABS which are not exclusively legal services businesses. Will it matter if solicitor employees of ABS don’t have practising certificates because they don’t do reserved work? Will people who have been admitted and remain on the Roll but choose to be regulated by ILEX Professional Standards, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers or some other regulator still be solicitors? These are new questions for both the Law Society and the profession to address. What is our identity? What makes solicitors distinctive players on a playing field inhabited by legal services providers?

I started with a statement of identity so I’ll finish with one. I am a solicitor. I support solicitors and want them to flourish and dominate the legal services sector. As a member of the governing council of the Law Society, I wish the SRA to be the best regulator of legal service providers. n

12 FEBRUARY 2011 WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG LEGAL NEWS

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LEGAL NEWS WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG APRIL 2011 13

LIFE

STYL

E

I have previously remarked ( LN Oct 2007 p.3) that Brasseries in Cardiff are like buses; they come along in twos! Now it’s happened again with Côte opening at Mermaid Quay and Browns Brasserie on The Friary (where HaHa’s used to be).

Côte is a small chain of French Bistros with a good pedigree coming from the stable of the Richard Caring Group (think The Ivy, Le Caprice, Soho House) and is mainly based in the South East of England so Cardiff has done well to be host to this restaurant.

The Gallic flavour is reflected by the blue and white stripped blinds on the outside but I was not over-impressed with the interior of the restaurant which, although it had elements of the French Bistro, does not give you the ‘je ne sais pas’ feeling of Garcon! or Cafe Rouge around the corner.

Looking at the menu however, you

could think that you were in Café Rouge and the prices are pretty similar - I hope they’re not running a cartel! This is not to knock Côte; the quality of the food is good and, I think, benefits from slightly more personal attention than from the larger franchise of Café Rouge. In addition to the wide range of french style starters and main courses, there is a good Early Evening Fixed Price Menu at £9.95 for two courses – particularly handy given that you are right opposite the Millennium Centre.

Brown’s Brasserie is also part of a smallish chain which first opened in Brighton in 1973; some of you may know the branches in Bath and Bristol. Browns usually go for older buildings with a point of interest; the site in Cardiff is of course a modern unit but in a great location and the £600,000.00 that they have spent refurbishing the interior is money well spent as they have created a very warm 1930 – 1940’s atmosphere with dark woods, potted plants and, when we visited, a

pianist on a grand piano. The Staff have long white aprons and the long bar has been topped with brass to give you the brasserie atmosphere and there is good lighting, especially the small individual table lamps on some of the tables which create a modern bistro feel. The menu is not as strictly french and some of the dishes have a definite English air about them, such as crab and lobster croquettes, a modern looking prawn cocktail, and their signature Steak Mushroom and Guiness Pie! There is the classic ‘steak frites’ dish which at £12.95 is considerably more than you would normally pay but is in fact a 6oz sirloin not the usual Minute Steak. There is a good selection of other steaks including fillet steak at £20.95 but there are also some interesting dishes such as the Confit of Suffolk Pork Belly and Wild Boar and Chorizo Burger. Their haunch of venison steak had excellent flavour, at £17.95, on an extremely tasty sauce (not a ‘jus’, much to CDC’s relief). If you have a large appetite, then go for the slow cooked

shoulder of Welsh Lamb (£15.95) which looks as though it could almost do as a Sunday joint for a small family!

There is a very sensible wine list starting at £14.95 with plenty of selection up to £20.00 (try the Roussilion or the Rioja) and, for the summer evenings, a Sancerre Rose at £24.95 is pretty good value.

Brown’s is also open for Breakfast, traditional Sunday lunches and Afternoon Teas, one of which is a Tea for Two consisting of smoked salmon sandwiches, mini cakes and fruit scones, a large pot of tea and a double Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic – now that’s what I call a tea with a difference!

They will have to sell a lot of steak and chips to get a return on the £600,000.00 but, with the location, friendly service and good food, I have no doubt that they will do so!

Richard Fisher

DEJA Vu!

The Cardiff Lawyers’ XV travelled to Paris to play the 17th annual fixture against their Parisian counterparts, Rugby Club du Palais de Justice de Paris. The Cardiff Lawyers team comprised a good mix of youth and ‘old heads’. It was encouraging to see an injection of youth into what was an aging squad.

The Cardiff Lawyers are very grateful to their jersey sponsor Jones Giles, Business Recovery Services who made sure that the Cardiff Lawyers took to the field superbly kitted out.

A rousing pre-match talk from Fraser Stroud left many of the Cardiff Lawyers with tears in the eyes, but ready for action. The game kicked off at the Stade de Vincennes; the Cardiff Lawyers being captained for the first time by Dan Williams (No. 9). He had a fine game and lead by

example throughout, making a great 9/10 combination with David Elias.

The French brought a good number of supporters with them. The Cardiff Lawyers had their own support who made their presence known; many thanks to Dennis and Linda Morgan, and the soon to be Mrs Waller. Matthew Gough joined them in supporting on this occasion through injury.

The French opted for passive scrums (something to do with their insurance). That decision was not unwelcome to the Cardiff Lawyers.

It was a physical encounter with hard hits going in from both sides, on occasion the odd hit from the Cardiff Lawyers going in a little early for which they were duly penalised. The referee even saw fit to castigate the Cardiff Lawyers’

entire back row for their exuberance. The first half was fairly evenly matched, although a good move from the Paris’ backs saw them finish a well-deserved try to lead 5-0 at half time.

In the second half, a combination of fatigue and lack of replacements resulted in holes opening up in the Cardiff Lawyers defence. The French took their opportunities and added a further four tries. The Cardiff Lawyers however never gave up and had the last word. Good work from both forwards and backs saw James Elias run in the final try of the match from 20 yards out, taking defenders with him as he crashed over the line for a well-worked and well-deserved try.

Despite that, the home side won 31-7 but Cardiff Lawyers can be proud; everyone played their part in what was a thoroughly enjoyable game and trip. The Cardiff Lawyers’ squad comprised: James Davenport, David Elias, James Elias, Aled Evans, Geraint Fowler, Matthew Gough, Steven

Hearne, Matthew de Maid, Jamie Mitchell, Michael Muston, Richard Pitt, Mark Rostron, Adam Waller, Dan Williams (C), Fraser Stroud.

Steven Hearne took man of the match for the Cardiff Lawyers.

Special thanks to James Davenport who interrupted a stag party to make himself available and put in a strong performance. Also to David and James Elias who had to wake at an unearthly hour to travel across Europe to join their team mates.

The French hospitality post-match was as usual magnificent.

The French will visit us next year to coincide with the Wales/France International. Anyone interested should contact Aled.Evansd@hughjames.com or mrostron@hunt-morgan.co.uk. It is a marvellous opportunity to meet others in the legal profession in and around Cardiff and have fun while doing so. n

RuGbY MATCH REPORT: PARIS v CARDIff

undervalued Senior Solicitor?Looking to enjoy a fresh start in a dynamic

practice in a pleasant environment?If so, write to: PW Media & Publishing Ltd, 2nd Floor, Richardson House,21-24 New Street, Worcester, WR1 2DP to meet like-minded Solicitors.

RECRUITMENT

PENCIL uS IN!

Family Solicitor Location: CardiffSalary: NegotiableContract Type: PermanentA fantastic opportunity has arisen for a talented and experienced family solicitor. We are looking for a Child Panel Member with a considerable experience. Due to continued growth and demand, a need now exists for an experienced family solicitor with demonstrated experience gained at a reputable firm. You will possess experience being client facing and be comfortable managing your own caseload. Strong academics (minimum 2:1 assumed).

Civil Litigation Solicitor, Three Years+ PQELocation: CardiffSalary: Salary dependant on experienceContract Type: PermanentNew opportunity has arisen for a Civil Litigation Solicitor, to join an

established, respected and dynamic firm based in Cardiff. The ideal candidate will have 2-5 years PQE with good practical experience, ideally with their own following and ability to market and further develop the department.

Finance assistantLocation: CardiffSalary: Depending on experienceContract Type: PermanentAn excellent opportunity has arisen for an individual looking to continue their career within accounts at a highly successful City Law Firm. This is a great development opportunity with ‘on the job’ training and development.Joining an established accounts team, this role will initially focus on purchase ledger, bank reconciliation, cash flow, invoicing, credit control responsibilities, but will develop to take on a broader range of duties and give a good insight to legal cashiering. Shortlisted applicants will have strong academics, and will be committed to a career in accounting. Some previous exposure to working within a legal aid accounts department would be desirable.

Please forward your CV’s to: mary@premierlegalrecruitment.com or tel: 02920 490 204

Premier Legal Recruitment bursts into Spring meeting with Cardiff’s most Influential Law Firms.

It has been a busy time since their launch in May 2010 and Premier Legal Recruitment has been growing from strength to strength, attracting the highest caliber or candidates and cementing some relationships with some of the leading legal firms in the South Wales area. The continued support and endorsement from Cardiff and District Law Society and Monmouth District Law Society has seen the company’s reputation and status gather momentum and be propelled forward in to an exciting period for the rest of 2011.

Spring in our stepSpring has seen Mary Rogers, our Company Director out and about in the South Wales area. She has met with some of the most forward thinking law firms in Cardiff, who are keen to understand the added benefits they can receive from their membership with the Law Society and how we can help streamline recruitment processes.

The firms we have met so far understand that recruiting the wrong person can have detrimental effects on their clients, can

cost time, money and valuable resource. They want to have a process in place that is efficient and fuss free and that ensures they get the most experienced and accomplished people for the job. Sometimes a preferred supplier list or direct recruitment doesn’t do the job and this is where Premier legal Recruitment can make a difference.

Premier Legal Recruitment’s approach is consultative and clients and candidates alike are treated with respect and care. Our association with the Cardiff and Monmouthshire Law Societies has created a huge interest from solicitors and locums looking for the best jobs in the UK. We current have a vast bank of people looking to relocate to chase a specialist field or those that went away to study and wish to return to their home ground.

Discounts are available if you hold membership with Cardiff or Monmouth Law Society

Get in Touch, Book a meeting, we would like to discuss how we can help.Premier Legal Recruitment : Tel 02920 490204mary@premierlegalrecruitment.comwww.premierlegalrecruitment.com

LEGAL NEWS WWW.CARDIFFLAW.ORG APRIL 2011 15