legalsupportnetwork.co.uk

Hello Everyone

2010-06-18T15:47:25+00:00

Hi I’m Dawn,

After 15 years of working in the IT reseller Industry I decided to have a change in direction. I’ve just joined a software vendor that has a big focus in the Legal Sector. I haven’t worked in the Legal Sector before so it’s really good to know that there are lots of forums and events like these that allow people to get to know each other and have discussions about what going on in the Legal Sector. Many of our clients attend the LSN events and I’ve heard some really positive feedback.
I’m looking forward to reading the posts and making a contribution, I’m also interested to hear about any other networking forums and events that people would recommend.

All the best
Dawn

Hi Everyone!

2010-05-27T14:46:48+00:00

Only recently found the Network and I thought it looked good. Thanks for opportunity to discuss work issues with you all.

My particular interest is the rapid development of legal regulations - especially with the Legal Services Act etc. Its increasing impact and the imminent launch of the Legal Services Board/ Office of Legal Complaints presents an ongoing challenge. We are, I guess, focussed upon the competitive outlook - and rightly so - but there are also huge challenges for established firms in the area of changes in compliance regs. We don’t find change easy and we tend to view it with suspicion. Making such change in law firms is like steering a tanker; only steady progress is possible; it needs lots of space, a firm hand on the wheel and then time to change direction. Doesn’t sound very dynamic especially when other new legal businesses can set up from scratch without such encumberances as the numerous complex rules we have long obeyed.

Hoping to contribute to forums over coming weeks. I will be very interested in colleagues views.

Greek Withholding Tax

2010-04-23T12:21:37+00:00

I would like to know how other Elite Enterprise users are dealing with Greek Withholding Tax. We currently use a negative % in the VAT module but as they are due to impose Greek VAT on legal services effective 1st July 2010 we will no longer be able to use this method. I am interested to hear what other Enterprise users are doing.

Credit Card receipts & Conveyancing transactions

2010-03-12T18:36:20+00:00

Do you deal with credit or debit card receipts?

If so, has your bank said you cannot take client monies by card where the monies are intened to be used in a property purchase because it ties them into the transaction and if anything goes wrong, e.g. there is faulty title in the property, then the card owner can reclaim their monies from the card company?

I do not believe this is correct because in my view, the payment of monies from the client is simply a payment into the solicitor’s client account and remains the client’s money. The card transaction has simply transferred money from one account to another account. No consideration for the property passes at that point.

What if the funds were used for another purpose after all? The purpose at the point of transfer to the solicitor is of no interest, as far as I can see. Taking the converse, banks are saying that they are happy for monies transferred by card to be used for e.g. disbursements. How does anyone distinguish which pounds were used for the property purchase consideration and which were used for the disbursements?
I believe these client funds are fungible assets and indistinguishable from each other.

The only occasion when I would agree with the bank’s view is when a customer was undertaking their own conveyancing. In that situation, the bank could well get tied into the actual purchase and liability on the part of the card compeny would be possible.

However, transfers to a solicitor, or licensed conveyancer would not be creating risk.

What do others think?

New to the Forum - looking for opposition for 11-a-side football!!

2010-01-26T14:12:51+00:00

Hi, my name is Mark Gregory and I work for White & Case LLP in the London office. I have just been given a managers position for our 11-a-side football team and thought maybe here might be a good place to find some opposition! We play (not very well) at the John Orwell Sports Centre in Wapping (near Tower Bridge) every last Monday of the month from 7:00pm-8:30pm with a chance to have a couple of beers and nibbles, talk shop(?) or talk about how well the game went for one side or the other.

If you would like to step up to the challange, please do get in contact.

All the best

Mark

Hello world

2010-02-25T12:31:14+00:00

Hi all

I’m Rupert Collins-White and I’ve moved to LSN from the Law Society Gazette to be LSN’s head of content and community.

What this means is that I’m ‘in charge’ of website content as well as running the LSN LinkedIn group and in future Twitter output and suchlike, as well as all sorts of other content creation tasks.

I’ll try to bend my head around some of the more esoteric technical issues raised on the forum, and you should see me popping up from time to time in the more ‘soft’ issues too.

I look forward to making a fool of myself in front of the forum!

If you want to get hold of me, just mail rupertw at legalsupportnetwork dot co dot uk and if you’ve not joined the group, please come and discuss and debate on LinkedIn here : http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1776876

Introduction

2010-02-11T12:59:26+00:00

Rod Cobain, Zuhlke Software Engineering, key interest Integration

Any legal librarians on here?

2009-12-02T16:26:34+00:00

Is this just a place for accountants and HR? If there are any law librarians/information professionals, then please wave!
Clare

Greetings All

2009-11-18T13:01:32+00:00

Can I take this opportunity to introduce myself - I am an IT Managed Services Consultant at InTechnology Plc responsible for business development and management of a number of strategic accounts across the Legal sector.

It was great to see such a good turnout at the LSN event on Monday and I was pleased to get to speak to a number of the attendees. I would welcome the opportunity to network with any new faces willing to reciprocate and to further develop existing relationships.

I can be contacted via this Forum, or alternatively, if you want to know a bit more about me and InTechnology, please take the time to visit my LinkedIn page HERE. I am also a member of the Legal Support Network group on LinkedIn - this can be found HERE.

With a consultative approach, I am available to discuss or meet, in relation to any of the following topics:

- Networks & Unified Communications
- Telecommunictions
- Data Management & Storage
- Data Centre Hosting
- e-Procurement
- Application & Desktop Management
- Virtualisation & WAN Acceleration
- Business Continuity and DR Planning
- IT Strategy & Solution Services

I look forward to building a strong network of like minded souls and hope I can be of assistance to you moving forward.

PS: Already keen and eager for the next LSN event!

Ashley

Hello!

2009-11-18T11:31:40+00:00

Hello

It was lovely to meet so many people at the London networking event on Monday.

Well done LSN, its good to see a group that is for the wider professional team supporting and driving legal practices, not only IT professionals.

If anyone has a practice management, workflow or case management type query then feel free to get in contact. I have met hundreds of law firms over the last 8 years, ranging from the extremely efficient to the chaotic, and have a personal interest in what makes (or breaks) a successful law firm from a business point of view.

See you all at the next one!

Pauline

Pauline Freegard
LexisNexis