Byword

Your Round Up Of News, Views and Events

Working from home and the Productivity conundrum

Productivity in the UK has been a concern for many years. Fears that we are lagging behind our European cousins is nothing new. There are many complex factors in this debate, but the argument has raged particularly strongly around working from home in recent years. The WFH revolution in the wake of the Covid Pandemic looked as if it might help to encourage productivity. However, there is growing commentary to suggest it was all a mirage. The recent surge in companies curtailing flexible working and working from home policies appears to signal a return to something closer to the old normal. But will productivity be helped or hindered by this apparent change in direction?

Changing lives: bionics and technology – science fiction becomes science fact

Many will have already seen the remarkable LinkedIn clip of Tilly Lockey who lost both arms as a baby. Her incredible journey with UK-based company Open Bionics was, until recently, quite simply the stuff of science fiction. Today pioneering partnerships between medical science and technology offer severely injured or disabled people the chance to lead fuller lives. But are such advances available to all? And are those who need it most getting the treatment they deserve?

City law firm launches online internship to boost social mobility

One of the key factors hindering people from entering the legal profession, especially from less privileged backgrounds, is the difficulty in gaining that all important work experience. In a bid to increase social mobility, ‘Magic Circle’ firm, Linklaters has launched a new digital platform enabling anyone to gain a valuable window into a day in the life of a working lawyer. We take a look at how this new virtual internship could present a valuable opportunity for many a would-be legal eagle.

Remembering Niki Lauda: a true champion with an iron will

Analogies are often made between sport and business. It can be argued that successful sports people have much in common with leading professionals or captains of industry. Hard work, motivation, the ability evaluate successes and failures, coupled with a certain single mindedness, are traits found in commerce as well as within top athletes. Being an avid fan of Formula One, one of my own heroes is Niki Lauda, the three-time world champion who died on 20 May 2019. For me, he represented not just intelligence, skill and a devotion to his craft, but also a relentless determination and resilience that is crucial to anyone looking to succeed whether in sport, business or in any walk of life.   

Out of the ashes of audit: Law and the ‘Big Four’

Yesterday the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)launched a public consultation into the quality and effectiveness of audit. The consultation, led by Sir Donald Brydon, is the next step in a process which has the potential to significantly overhaul the industry. But could this heightened scrutiny of the ‘Big Four’ and their traditional strangle hold on audit actually hasten their expansion into other areas of professional services, namely the legal profession?

Intellectual Property – a brave new digital world

A generation ago intellectual property lawyers had it easy! Video games were in their infancy, the internet was barely taking its first halting steps and streaming was something you did when suffering a severe dose of man flu. How times have changed. As if the topsy-turvy political roller coaster was not enough, developments in technology pose their own unique questions. Moreover, clients are constantly demanding better ways to manage and leverage their IP. Against this backdrop, there has surely never been a more exciting time to be an intellectual property solicitor.

Former DPP Alison Saunders settles in at ‘magic circle’​ firm

One of the more interesting pieces of recruitment in the legal job market was the hiring of Alison Saunders by ‘magic circle’ firm Linklaters. The former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was no stranger to the headlines presiding over a tricky five-year period at the head of the Crown Prosecution Service. She has now secured a plum position at one of the world’s leading law firms. But what is behind the move and does it raise any serious questions especially in relation to conflict of interest?

Too much advice is worse than none at all?

Decisions, decisions, decisions! What to do next, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it? These questions could apply to any decision-making process but for sake of relevance I will consider the prospect of a new career.

At some point in time most of us will have the need or are forced to think about a change in role or a new direction. This is a massive undertaking, one that will affect your life considerably so how do you go about making the right decision?

Ada Lovelace – the mother of the modern technological age

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the vast achievements of women in all spheres of life and to take stock of where we are as we strive to achieve true fairness and gender parity. These days, the list of successful women on whose experiences and successes we can draw is endless, whether it’s politicians, athletes, business leaders or lawyers. From Emmeline Pankhurst to Theresa May, Karen Brady to Baroness Hale, strong female role models and pioneers abound. With that in mind, I thought I’d spend the next few minutes focusing on one of my own personal heroines.