May 2010

Training For Licensing Authorities

Fri, 28/05/2010 - 10:54 — Georgina Smith

We are pleased to announce that our Licensing partner Peter Adkins is yet again in demand for his skills at providing training on all elements of the Licensing Act 2003.

Peter has been contacted by a number of Local Authorities concerning training for new committee members following the recent local council elections.

Many authorities have found they need to admit new members to the committees, which are limited to 15 in number, and these new members will all require training if they are to prove effective and to avoid unnecessary (and costly) appeals!

As a result of this interest, Pe

The Queens Speech 2010 and other licensing legislation

Fri, 28/05/2010 - 10:57 — Peter Adkins

It may not have escaped your attention that we have recently had an election! You will also have noticed that the new government has set out its proposals for the next 18 months in the Queens Speech this week.

One of the 22 bills revealed in the Queens Speech was one entitled the ‘Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill’ and this has the stated intention of making ’the police service more accountable to local people and to tackle alcohol related violence and disorder’.

Romanian lawyer qualifies at Sydney Mitchell

Fri, 28/05/2010 - 10:59 — Georgina Smith

Romanian Solicitor Ligia Bob recently qualified to become the only dual qualified (England and Romania) lawyer to work in a firm within the West Midlands, according to Law Society statistics. With only 39 firms in the country with a Romanian qualified lawyer, Ligia is pretty unique.

Trained and qualified whilst at Sydney Mitchell LLP, Ligia remains at the firm and specialises in commercial litigation and employment disputes.

Ligia moved from Romania in March 2007 and at that time was unable to speak any English.

New Mandatory License Conditions

Thu, 13/05/2010 - 14:03 — Peter Adkins

New conditions were brought in by the Home Office on 6th April 2010 giving the Secretary of State power to impose up to nine mandatory licensing conditions relating to the supply of alcohol under licence.

Who do these conditions apply to?

They apply to all existing and new Premises Licenses and Club Premises Certificates for 'on sale' of alcohol.

What are the new conditions?

From 6th April 2010, the new mandatory conditions:

Sydney Mitchell Partner takes up Law Society Presidency

Thu, 06/05/2010 - 10:26 — Georgina Smith

Dean Parnell, Partner at Sydney Mitchell, has recently become the 191st President of the Birmingham Law Society. He takes over the role from previous President Bernard Shepherd, who stood down on the 27th April. The Birmingham Law Society is now the largest Local Law Society in the Country representing over 3000 solicitors, barristers, legal executives, trainee solicitors and paralegals in 200 practices in Birmingham and the Greater Midlands. It is a membership organisation offering a number of benefits that are relevant to today's Legal Community.