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Where there’s blame…

05 December 2014 / Jon Robins
Issue: 7633 / Categories: Features
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Why do PI lawyers make such awful ads, asks Jon Robins

If one should expect anything from that part of the legal sector that gave the world the advertising legend “Where there’s blame, there’s a claim”, then good taste isn’t it. “Anyone who watches television or reads newspapers will share with me the feeling of depression and disgust at the vulgar advertising for claims brought,” reflected Lord Faulks earlier this month in the House of Lords.

The justice minister had the unenviable job of defending Chris Grayling’s latest broadside against the dread “compo culture”. SARAH—aka the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill—had its second reading in the House of Lords.

In poor taste

Poor old SARAH might have become a figure of fun, but Faulks’ point about the tacky advertising of PI lawyers and claims companies was bang on the money. A recent TV ad campaign by one personal injury firm featured, according to the Law Society Gazette, “‘a diagram of a pregnant woman surrounded by the labels ‘birthing injury’, ‘cerebral palsy’ and

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Hugh James—Phil Edwards

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Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

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Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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