Round table: Is the East Midlands working?
Skills, employment and jobs are the hot topics right now as businesses look to staffing up for the recovery. Our round table panellists discussed what needs to be done. To read more please click here.
“Paragon Law wins at the European Court of Justice in establishing rights for migrant children”
On 6th June 2013, the Court of Justice agreed with the position put forward for the Appellants. The result of this is an overhaul of the present approach taken by European Union countries towards asylum seeking children who journey across Europe in search of safety and it ensures that the best interests of such children remain a priority. Please click link below to read more.
Nottingham Based Immigration Law Specialist MA 2013
Met crackdown on foreign suspects raises fears justice will be denied | UK news | The Guardian
There are concerns that the police and the UKBA will now remove foreign nationals on intelligence received about their criminal conduct in the UK or abroad without the benefit of a fair trial to determine the validity of the intelligence received. Mark Lilley-Tams of Paragon Law has been asked to comment on this in the national press and radio. Below is a link to an article that appeared in the Guardian newspaper in which Mark, other lawyers and the police discuss whether the approach of the Home Office is justice denied to a foreign national who is to be removed on mere intelligence…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/06/metropolitan-police-foreign-nationals-deportation
How do we best measure the return on investment from development of talent?
“Attracting and retaining the best staff is important to the success of all businesses regardless of size. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that all staff are encouraged to develop new skills through training. However how does the business assure itself that there is a return on investment? Read this report from a Talent Forum in which Thalej Vasishta and other business leaders participated:”
Thalej Vasishta of Paragon Law Awarded for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in the Midlands
On Friday 22nd March seventeen people from the Midland’s business community were awarded for their outstanding contribution to the arts at the Jaguar Land Rover Business Champions for Arts & Business event at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Prince’s Charity Arts & Business organised the event as a way to say thank you to those individuals who have enabled arts organisations in the region to continue to thrive. Hosted by ITV’s Business Correspondent, Mark Gough, the event awarded people such as Thalej Vasishta of Paragon Law for his contribution to the World Event Young Artists (WEYA) Festival 2012.
The first event of its kind, WEYA brought together 1,000 young artists from 100 nations to Nottingham for a 10 day festival event in September 2012 that took place across 40 key arts venues and alternative spaces in Nottingham city centre. This unprecedented showcase was also a finale to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands. It is estimated that WEYA attracted over 700,000 people through artists, visitors, volunteers and community engagement.
Laura Mae-Browne of World Event Young Artists said “Thalej Vasishta of immigration law specialists, Paragon Law, came on board as our legal partner during the early development of the festival, offering Paragon Law as our first corporate sponsor. Thalej proved to be a keen and passionate advocate and, as a key sponsor, was also extremely proactive in helping us open routes to support in the City. From a business perspective, Thalej clearly understood the potential positive impact that an international festival could have for Nottingham and its reputation as the cultural capital of the region. Having an experienced and respected businessman and lawyer such as Thalej as our legal partner was crucial to the smooth running festival operation. Over 500 individual visas were required for the international artists and Thalej personally guided us through this complex process, his specialist support on entertainer and artist visas, connections and expertise as we brought these young artists from across the globe cannot be underestimated.”
Nadia Dooner, Regional Manager at Arts & Business says ‘We awarded some fantastic partnerships which highlight the strength of relationships between cultural organisations and local business, particularly individuals who champion the benefits of working with the arts.’
Thalej Vasishta said “My involvement in this festival was akin to a small cog in a large wheel. That said, I am of course very honoured to have been nominated and indeed awarded for the small contribution that I and my team at Paragon Law made towards this festival. There were many other businesses in the region such as Harts Hotel and Restaurant, Capital One, Paul Smith and john e wright that were business partners who also equally contributed to WEYA being a success.”
Thalej went on to say “WEYA was a great success for Nottingham and the real winners were the artists who contributed to the event. Since WEYA, I have witnessed a number of young artists’ careers go from strength to strength and collaborations from the relationships that this festival helped to foster. WEYA gave a real injection of support to the creative community in Nottingham and it is a real pleasure to continue to support many of the initiatives that have continued since WEYA.”
Paragon Law Lawyer Developing Professional and Legal Education in Qatar
The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) has officially launched a report on the development of professional legal and judicial education in Qatar. Authored by Paragon Law’s Chloë Smythe and Professor Martin Partington, CBE, QC, the report sets out a number of proposals designed to further develop professional legal and judicial education in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 lays down a path of developing international benchmark standards in all professions in Qatar. Since its formation, the QICDRC’s role has been to both provide specialist dispute resolution services for international businesses, and contribute towards setting international professional standards for lawyers and judges in Qatar in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Robert Musgrove, QICDRC CEO said: “The QICDRC is leading the way in developing genuine international standards in law in Qatar and more widely in the region, through the example of our international judiciary, world leading dispute resolution schemes for businesses, and through our commitment to develop the highest standards in legal and judicial education.”
“This report represents a major contribution towards the development of a professional legal and judicial education strategy for Qatar and meeting our commitment to the Qatar National Vision 2030 by setting international benchmark standards for lawyers and judges” he added.
A central recommendation in the report is the creation of a new International Judicial and Legal Education Institute which would offer specially devised accredited programmes for trainee, junior and senior lawyers and judges, providing opportunities for Qatari lawyers and judges to study overseas and shape the country’s curriculum for professional legal education and judicial training. Courses would also be offered to international lawyers who practice in Qatar to enable them to better understand the local context in which they operate.
Prior to joining Paragon Law, Chloë Smythe’s role as Deputy CEO at the Civil Justice Council allowed her to develop an interest in legal and judicial education. Having travelled extensively in the Middle East, authoring this report was an opportunity to combine both interests and experience.
Chloë Smythe said: “Our proposals, which have been received well, are designed to enable Qatar to create a structure for judicial and professional legal education which draws upon best practice from around the world and fits the specific context which exists in Qatar and the Gulf region.”
“Our proposals reflect the opinions of national and international lawyers and judges in Qatar, as well as internationally renowned experts. This combination of Qatari and international expertise ensures that Qatar’s lawyers and judges are well-equipped to serve the needs of an increasingly globalised legal marketplace but within a local, Qatari framework,” she added.
Paragon Law secures top accolade from national Law Society
Paragon Law in Nottingham has secured the national Law Society’s law management quality mark, Lexcel.
Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation scheme for law firms and in-house legal departments which gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.
To gain and retain Lexcel accreditation, practice must undergo a rigorous intial then annual application and assessment process. This includes conducting background checks and an on-site visit from an experienced, trained Lexcel assessor.
Marcus Worthington, Operations Director, said: “While we are proud to have secured Lexcel, it is our clients and staff who are the main beneficiaries. They can be assured that the way we manage the practice has their interests at heart and runs efficiently. There is a lot of choice in the legal services market, but being Lexcel accredited demonstrates our commitment to client care and best practice”.
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: Gaining and maintaining Lexcel is no mean feat. There are many facets of being a Lexcel accredited law firm, including client care. A commitment to customer service in today’s evermore competitive legal services market is vital.
“By undergoing the rigorous Lexcel application and assessment process practices can show the positive steps they are taking to help clients in the increasingly diverse, complicated legal services market.
The scheme is a beacon of quality to clients and potential clients alike”.
Paragon Law joins more than 1200 other legal practices in England & Wales with Lexcel accreditation. The practice management accolade has also gone international, with firms in Scotland, the Middle East, Poland and the Republic of Ireland having gained accreditation.
For more information about the Lexcel quality mark, please contact the Law Society Press office on: +44 (0)20 7316 5624 or email: press.office@lawsociety.org.uk
This latest report by the Migration Policy Institute looks at the latest trends and reasons for people moving around Europe.
“This latest report by the Migration Policy Institute looks at the latest trends and reasons for people moving around Europe. European Free movement is one of the key benefits to businesses and people who are citizens of the European Union and the UK Government will need to consider the consequences to UK business and multinationals who have chosen the UK as the place to set up in the UK as a gateway to Europe, if the UK was to come out of the EU. Click here to read the report…”
International Students Perception of the UK
Following recent changes in the Post Study Work Visa, there has been alot of press coverage regarding international students ‘turning their back’ on the UK and choosing to study elsewhere. Yet this sector of the economy is key in both the short and long term for UK PLC’s success. To date there has not been any research as to international student perceptions of the UK as a place in which to engage in further study, skilled employment or entrepreneurial activity. Given this concern Paragon Law in conjunction with Loughborough University have investigated international student perspectives on the UK as a country in which to participate in skilled activity on graduation.
What Talent The Paragon Group Look For
We were asked to give a presentation to international students at the School of Contemporary Studies, University of Nottingham on what type of talent we look for when employing graduates. We wanted to share this with those readers of this blog who are students themselves, or those who are currently in the job market or those who are looking to set up or have recently set up a business. We hope there are some useful tips here on making you more marketable in the Global economy.