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Contents & Welcome
JANUARY 2013
W
elcome to the January edition of Lawyer Monthly, the first issue of 2013. Firstly I would like to wish
all our readers a very happy New Year, and I hope the next twelve months bring everything you wish for both in life and in business.
The last few weeks have been relatively quiet in the business and legal worlds, as most of the globe has been busy celebrating Christmas with family and friends. However, there have been a few stories that have kept the world’s business news rooms busy.
Firstly, it seems incredible that after so much publicity, speculation and comment leading up to its enactment, only half of UK businesses have heard of the Bribery Act. Earlier this month, Ernst & Young released new research revealing that only 56% of British firms have heard of the UK Bribery Act, despite the fact that the legislation was enacted more than a year ago. The research also revealed that larger firms (those with a turnover of more than £50 million) are ahead in terms of their awareness of the Bribery Act (76%), whilst in comparison, mid-market firms (£5m-£50m) have a long way to go, with a worrying 64% of them still unaware of the legislation.
What worries me about these findings is that it surely must mean many companies are leaving themselves open to charges of bribery because they have not made themselves aware of the appropriate legislation. Can their legal teams do more to ensure awareness perhaps?
The beginning of the year also saw good news for the U.S. economy with a deal on the ‘fiscal cliff’ being reached. This was good news for the U.S., as well as the rest of the world as a failure to reach a deal to prolong the tax cuts would have spelt disaster for the country’s economy, pushing it back into recession. This would no doubt have had an impact on many other economies around the globe.
As usual, we have plenty of news from the corporate and legal worlds this month, as well as several exclusive features providing insight, analysis and comment. Our exclusive features this month include an interview with leading German law firm Schultze & Braun on the European Commission’s proposals to change insolvency regulations, a discussion with Hamlins about the findings of the Leveson Report, and an interview with Ingrid Pierce, Global Managing Partner of Walkers. Ingrid is the first ever female global managing partner for a major offshore law firm.
As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Lawyer Monthly, and I look forward to bringing you more news and insight next month!
Claire Middleton Editor
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EDITOR’S NOTE