A while ago I wrote the first post in the UK Lawyers Blog Carnival – the Blog of Blogs, now renamed UKBlawgRoundUp.
Tessa Shepperson and I have just set up a blog for this carnival and it can be found at www.ukblawgroundup.co.uk
The next edition will be published, by Peninsulawyer on 31st March. There is a link on the new blog to the submissions page. If you’re a UK legal blogger, or writing about the UK legal scene, we want to hear from you!
We renamed it to give it a snappier title and setting up its own blog was the ideal thing to do.
I recently read a post on The Client Revolution, a US blog, called “What lawyers can learn from an Office Depot Commercial”. It’s about how small law firms can compete with larger businesses, not by trying to compete on price, but in other ways, namely quality of work. The post is well worth a read, and the You Tube video beneath is the one that Jay Shepherd, the author, refers to. Next Tuesday I am speaking at Gateway Media’s workshop on “Combating Tesco Law” and this advert strikes me as containing a very useful example of how firms can strike back at bigger competitors.
We’ve had a problem with mice in the office recently so when I saw a tweet from @jonb1966 linking to this YouTube video, I had to put it on here. As Jon says it’s very funny, if a little disturbing. I don’t think any animals were actually hurt in making it.
Future First, a London based web design agency are running a series of one day Internet Marketing Training Workshops over the next few weeks near Old Street. The course covers the use of social media in the business environment, SEO, Blogging and Twitter. I went on the course last year and fond it very informative.
Future First also redesigned this blog for me last year and I am happy to recommend it to anyone who wants an entry level introduction to the topic. The course costs £500 + VAT but that can be reimbursed under the Train 2 Gain Leadership and Management Grant, if you qualify.
Daniel Barnett’s regular news alert brought the case of Aberdeen City Council v McNeill to my attention. It provides a useful reminder about who must be in breach of the contract of employment before an employee can pursue a claim for constructive dismissal.
The facts were these:
Mr McNeill was a long standing employee of the Council. He became embroiled in disciplinary proceedings when his line manager was suspended pending investigation of alleged misconduct of a financial nature. The Claimant believed he had heard his line manager and a female employee, on two occasions, engaging in sexual activity together. It appears he was rather indiscreet in keeping this information to himself and was himself suspended for breaching confidentiality, as well as making defamatory remarks about a female colleague. That same female colleague alleged harassment, sexual harassment and bullying against Mr McNeill.
It’s getting a bit scary. Recently I wrote about how I predicted that Gordon Turner’s serial-litigants.com search website for tracking down abusers of the ET system would be challenged (and it was, in Parliament). Then I wrote a piece about the need for employers to develop social media policies for use by their staff – and last weekend Vodafone hit the news when one of their employees misused the corporate Twitter account to write homophobic and sexist comments. Then Manchester United and Manchester City denied having banned their players from using social media. Finally the BBC tonight reports on a “cyberspace witch hunt” at the world’s formerly favourite airline, BA. 15 cabin crew members are reported to have been suspended for posting inappropriate comments on the Unite website. Unite retorts that the comments were on its Facebook page (so what?) and accused BA of “intimidation”. Clearly this blog is a happening place.
Gateway Media are a very accomplished media agency with some blue-chip clients. I was therefore delighted to be invited to speak on the 2nd March at the above workshop about the Legal Services Act 2007 and the implications for lawyers. I will be taking a look at the Legal Services Act and its main provisions in a talk entitled “The Legal Services Act Explained“. The introduction of Alternative Business Structures is now only a year away.
Last week’s Law Society Gazette had an amusing article in its diary section, about a man in a post office sticking stamps onto the scores of valentine’s cards he had written, all of which said “I love you from ?”. He was, of course, a divorce lawyer touting for business. I laughed. However, I wasn’t so impressed by the way the scene was set because he is introduced to us as a “balding middle aged man”. Now, can anyone explain why this is so funny? When are the Employment Equality (Prohibition of Baldie jokes) Regulations coming into force? Not that I’m sensitive about it you understand…
Michael Scutt
Solicitor
Dale Langley & Co
(t) 0207 464 8433
michaelscutt@dalelangley.co.uk
About Me
I am a Partner in Dale Langley & Co of 60 Lombard Street London EC3V 9EA. Please call me if you would like advice on any issues relating to employment law or litigation. I only give legal advice on specific matters through the firm, not this blog
I also write a blog on legal services deregulation called "There may be Trouble Ahead" - see link below
RT @jeanyvesgilg: House of Lords, Supreme Court: same difference except more school parties can watch, says Lord Phillips. Definitely worth the money then... [#]
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