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11 July 2014 / Brie Stevens-Hoare KC
Issue: 7614 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Raising the Bar (2)

We must work at inclusion to achieve a diverse profession, says Brie Stevens-Hoare QC

The legal profession achieved gender equality at entry level 20 years ago. Many in the legal profession understand the business case for inclusion. The strands of diversity that most law firms (if not chambers) are conscious of have expanded beyond gender and ethnicity. A significantly greater proportion of women than men leave the legal profession around 12 years into practice. What can those who lead and influence their organisations do to ensure that inclusion reaches all strands of diversity and that the diverse talent is then retained?

A tall tale

Less than 15% of American men are over six foot tall and less than 4% are six foot two inches or taller. In America 60% of corporate CEOs are over six foot tall and 36% are over six foot two. Does being six foot tall mean they are innately better CEO material than those who are five foot something? Does that extra two inches or more over six foot

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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